Marriage Certificate in India- Procedure, Documents Required

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How to Get a Marriage Certificate in India- Procedure, Documents Required & Timeline

In India, it is mandatory to register all marriages. In our country, a marriage can either be registered under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 or under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 applies to Hindus, and the Special Marriage Act applies to all citizens who follow other religions. The Hindu Marriage Act applies to marriages in which both the bride and groom are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, or if they both have converted to these religions. And the Special Marriage Act applies to marriages in which the bride and groom of any religion or a different religion, such as inter-religious marriages, and for Indians living abroad, too. In India, to get a marriage certificate or to be eligible for marriage, the minimum age is 18 years for females and 21 years for males.

Why the Marriage Certificate is a vital document?

Getting a marriage certificate is important to avail a number of services and facilities in the country. It is a conclusive proof of your marriage which helps in various critical situations

  • getting a passport, visa, work permit, etc
  • on issues of authenticity of a child or child custody,
  • to arrogate life insurance in the event of a mishap
  • as evidence, if you want to change your name or your partner’s name post-marriage,
  • While filing divorce and for its proceedings,
  • claim property of partner in case you are not mentioned as his/her nominee,
  • plays as part of a genealogical history, apart from other purposes.
  • While filing family pension, bank deposits, etc

Just like marriage rituals, marriage registration is also unique depending on various factors. The set of documents required to register your marriage may vary based on you and your spouse’ religion, place of marriage and location. 

Procedure to get a Marriage Certificate

Step 1: Visit the office of the Sub Divisional Magistrate, under which location the marriage is going to have occurred or which both the partners shacked for somewhere around the location for about half a year before registering the marriage.
Step 2: Fill the Application form and both husband and wife should sign the form.
Verification of all the submitted documents is carried out on the same date of application. After completing the verification, a day is fixed for the appointment. 
Step3: Fix an appointment – if the marriage comes under the Special Marriage Act, it may take around 60 days and in the case of Hindu Marriage Act, the date of appointment will take around 15 days after the request.
Step 4: Any individual from either of the side of the couple, who was present at the time of marriage can be the witness of the marriage. On the appointment day, both parties and the Gazetted Officer who attended their marriage need to be present. The marriage certificate is issued on the same day.
The registration procedure to get a marriage certificate seems to be simple and easy but the needed documents, details and intricacies can be tricky as it needs someone who can understand the legal procedure and demands multiple visits to various government offices to get all the needed documents ready for the registration.

Online Marriage Registration Procedure

There is an option to register your marriage by applying online at your appropriate state’s registration website. Here are the steps involved in online marriage registration procedure:
Step 1: Choose your district and submit the details of yours and your spouse and details of your marriage
Step 2: Submit the registration form and after submitting the form, you will receive an acknowledgment receipt with reference number and date of appointment in which you have to meet the concerned Sub-Divisional Magistrate.

Registration under the Special Marriage Act

  • For cases like marriage under the Special Marriage Act, once the marriage registration application is submitted, there’ll be about 30-days of notice period to see whether there are any objections. 
  • And a copy of the marriage registration notice will be displayed on the concerned office with their photos in the notice-board and is also the notice will be sent to the addresses of both husband and wife.
  • Marriage Registration is usually done after the 30-day period. During that time, both parties and three witnesses should be available on the day for registration.

Required Documents to get marriage Certificate

Documents required from Husband and Wife side

  • Husband and Wife- Application Form
  • Wedding Card
  • Proof of the Age, such as  Birth Certificate, School/College Leaving School, Passport, Domicile Certificate or SSC/HSC Certificate
  • Proof of Residence for example Ration Card, Electricity Bill, Election Card, Telephone Bill, Passport or Aadhaar Card
  • Passport Size photograph
  • Any marriage certificate from a religious place or A certificate from the priest, if it is not in English – translated in English on the letterhead of an Authorized Translator
  • Divorce edict in case either of the spouses is a divorcee
  • Death certificate in case the previous spouse is dead
  • Copy of official gazette if the name is changed after Marriage
  • Marital status certificate if either spouse is a foreign national

Documents required from Witnesses side

  • PAN Card
  • Proof of residences such as Ration Card, Election Card, Electricity Bill, Telephone Bill, Passport or Aadhaar Card

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