Congratulations for getting married!
How to legally marry in Australia?
A person must:
- not be married to someone else
- not be marrying a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother or sister
- be at least 18 years old, unless a court has approved a marriage where one party is aged between 16 and 18 years old
- understand what marriage means and freely consent to marrying
- use specific words during the ceremony
- give written notice of their intention to marry to their authorised celebrant, within the required time frame.
You don’t have to be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident of Australia to legally marry here.
What documents are required to complete before the marriage
- Notice of Intended Marriage
- MUST be submitted to the Registry or your Marriage Celebrant at least one month, and no more than 18 months, before the wedding date.
- Talk to your celebrant if there is less than one month before your wedding date.
The notice may be completed and witnessed outside Australia if required.
- Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage
- MUST be completed prior to the marriage being solemnized.
- Certificate of Marriage
- MUST be completed and signed on the day of marriage after solemnization.
What documents you will need to produce?
- Birth Certificate or an official extract or Passport
- Statutory Declaration
If unable to produce Birth Certificate or Passport
- Divorce Certificate/Decree Nisi
If you have been divorced from a previous marriage.
- Death Certificate
If you are widowed from a previous marriage.
All documents produced must be the original, in English or officially translated to English and produced prior to the date of your marriage.
Who must be there?
- The marriage celebrant and two (2) witnesses who are 18 years or over.
For more information please refer to the NSW Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages – “Getting Married” section for full details.