Applying for a marriage certificate

If you plan on getting married, there are some important things you need to consider.

• Firstly, you need to ensure that you are legally allowed to marry.
• Secondly, you must understand the legal implications of marriage in South Africa, where marriages are automatically considered in a community of property unless a valid ante-nuptial contract was entered into before the marriage.
• Finally, you need to ensure that your marriage complies with all the legal requirements for a valid marriage.

Getting married

Make sure to have the following on the day of the marriage:

• Identity documents (for each person getting married)
• If a foreign national is marrying a South African citizen, they should both present their valid passports as well as a completed BI-31 Form (Declaration for the Purpose of Marriage, Letter of no impediment)
• If the wedding is for a minor (a person under the age of 18 years), the written consent of both parents/ legal guardian or the Commissioner of Child Welfare or a judge should be submitted on Form DHA-32 as well. If the minors getting married are under the age of 18 for boys or 15 for girls, written consent from the Minister of Home Affairs will also be required.
• If any of the persons getting married are divorced, then the final decree of divorce should be furnished.
• If any of the persons getting married are widowed, the deceased spouse’s death certificate must be submitted.

When you and your partner get married, an authorized marriage officer and two witnesses will sign the marriage register. Once completed, you'll be issued a handwritten marriage certificate (BI-27) at no cost.

The marriage officer will submit the marriage register to the nearest Department of Home Affairs office, where your marriage will be recorded in the National Population Register.

Once registered, you can apply for an unabridged marriage certificate. It's best to apply for your unabridged marriage certificate from the Department of Home Affairs as soon as possible after your marriage.

An abridged certificate, which contains your details (such as full name and ID number) and the marriage date, will be automatically issued once your marriage officer notifies the Department of Home Affairs. An abridged certificate will be issued on the same day that it is applied for.

The unabridged certificate, which is also known as a full marriage certificate, contains more detailed information that government and financial institutions may require. This certificate is the official document you'll need if you ever want to travel extensively, emigrate or obtain a foreign passport.

If you or your spouse aren't South African, the unabridged certificate will be required to register the marriage in your home country. Your unabridged marriage certificate is usable in most circumstances, both locally and internationally, and is generally a better document to have.

An application for an unabridged certificate takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks to process.