U.S., Consular Reports of Marriages, 1910-1949

Contained in this database are reports of U.S. citizens’ marriages abroad submitted by U.S. Consulates between the years 1910 and 1949. Marriage ceremonies conducted outside the U.S. are subject to the laws of the country in which the individuals are married by civil or religious officials. Once the marriage has taken place, officers at the U.S. Consulate authenticate the foreign marriage document and report it, hence the collection of forms in this database. If the spouse is a foreign national they can then apply for U.S. citizenship. Some of the records are also accompanied by a letter regarding the status of the spouse’s passport application (whether it has been granted or denied).

Marriage certificates in the form of marriage licenses have existed far longer than either birth or death certificates, which became standard on a national level in the early 1900s. Licenses were legally required as early as the 1500s in countries like England to document that neither of the individuals was married to someone else and that they were of age.

Information in this database:

• Surname
• Consulate location
• Date
• Birth place
• Age
• Spouse’s name
• Local residence
• Witness’s name
• Marriage officiator