Government Awareness

Good To Know : How To Obtain A Marriage Certificate ?

Pavan Manikanta Kumar

August 23rd, 2016

SHARES

A marriage certificate is an official statement pronouncing two people as married. You might need a marriage certificate in following cases:

  • Succession of property
  • Obtaining a passport/ work permits may also be denied on that ground
  • Changing your maiden name

In the case of remarriage after the divorce/ death of spouse etc.

Types Of Marriage Acts.

In India (except in Jammu & Kashmir), there are two acts under which a marriage can be registered. Below are the steps for the same:

Hindu marriage act of 1955
(Hindu’s, Jain’s, Sikh’s and Buddhist’s )		 Special Marriage Act of 1954
Persons belonging to different relations and faiths can have their marriage Solemnized under this Act
The couple has to apply to the Registrar in whose jurisdiction the marriage has taken place or to the Registrar in whose jurisdiction either of the two has been residing for a minimum of six months immediately preceding the date of marriage.

The couple has to give a notice to the Marriage Officer in whose jurisdiction at least one of the parties has resided for not less than 30 days prior to the date of the notice. It should be affixed at some conspicuous place in his office.

Notice of Intended Marriage click here
The couple will have to appear before the Registrar along with witnesses, they could be the parents, guardians or friends, within one month from the date of marriage. If either of the two is residing in the area of another Marriage Officer, a copy of the above-mentioned notice should be sent to him for similar publication.

A provision for condonation of delay up to 5 years is available, by the Registrar, and after that by the District Registrar concerned.

Note: Deposit the fees with the cashier of the District and attach the receipt with the application form.

 The marriage may be legally valid after one month from the date of publication of the notice if no objections are received. In the case of receipt of objections, the Marriage Officer will have to enquire into them and decide whether to certify the marriage or to refuse it. Registration will be done after certifying the marriage.

 

PART 1

Conditions To Be Met To Get Married In India:

A marriage may be solemnised , if the following conditions are fulfilled, namely,

  • neither party has a spouse living at the time of the marriage;
  • at the time of the marriage, neither party- is incapable of giving a valid consent to it in consequence of unsoundness of mind; or
  • though capable of giving a valid consent, has been suffering from mental disorder of such a kind or to such an extent as to be unfit for marriage and the procreation of children; or
  • has been subject to recurrent attacks of insanity or epilepsy;
  • the bridegroom has completed the age of twenty-one years and the bride, the age of eighteen years at the time of the marriage;
  • the parties are not within the degrees of prohibited relationship, unless the custom or usage governing each of them permits of a marriage between the two;
  • the parties are not sapindas of each other, unless the custom or usage governing each of them permits of a marriage between the two.
PART 2

Registering The Marriage.

1Registrar may attend the marriage ceremony in person and register the same if he is requested to do so by submitting all the papers, prescribed fee in advance if it (time) is convenient to him.

  • At the Sub Registrar Office where the marriage venue is situated, or
  • At the Sub Registrar Office in whose jurisdiction either wife or husband has been    residing for at least six months immediately preceding the date of marriage.

2Required documents to register my marriage

  • Completely filled application form signed by both husband and wife
  • Proof of Address- Voter ID/ Ration Card/ Passport, Driving License
  • Proof of Date of Birth of both husband and wife
  • 2 passport sized photographs, 1 marriage photograph
  • Separate Marriage Affidavits in prescribed format from Husband & Wife  
  • Aadhaar Card
  • All documents must be self-attested
  • Marriage Invitation Card

3Witness ,any person who has attended the wedding of the couple can be a witness and must have a PAN Card and a Proof of Residence.

4Precautions  to be taken while filling application    

  • Check thrice the details filled in the Form.
  • Names of the bride and groom shall always be tallied with the names given in the passport/SSC and other certificates. Otherwise, at the time of issuance of visa and other certificates, you may have to face the problem.
  • It is advisable to mention the name of the wife (bride) before and after marriage. Before marriage, the surname usually belongs to father’s family and after marriage, the surname of the husband’s family is adopted. So it is advisable, to mention two names as name (before marriage), and name (after marriage).

Eg. Wife (bride) name before marriage – Akaram Kumari; Wife (bride) name after marriage – Vennem Kumari (Vennem is the surname of husband’s family).

  • Check the certificate issued by the Sub-Registrar office and if there are any discrepancies in the names or any other details, immediately bring them to the notice of the Sub-Registrar and get them rectified.
  • In case of any discrepancy in the details found subsequently in the marriage certificate issued by the Sub-Registrar, there is a cumbersome procedure involved to rectify such discrepancies.     

5Using ‘Tatkal’ Marriage Certificate:The service, which became operational on April 22, 2014, enables citizens to register their nuptials and get a certificate issued within 24 hours on payment of ₹10,000 as a fee.

PART 3

Benefits Of Having A Marriage Certificate.

  • For a passport, joint bank account of wife and husband etc.
  • Extremely helpful in obtaining visas for both husband and wife.
  • The Marriage Certificate is mandatory for the couple to travel abroad using a spouse visa.
  • Enables a spouse in claiming life insurance return or bank deposits in the case of demise of the Insurer or depositor without any nominee.
  • A marriage certificate acts as a deterrent to any abandonment. It helps you establish your rights in a marriage in a court of law. In the case of the death of either of the partners, a marriage certificate facilitates the inheritance of the property.
  • Marriage Registration helps the authorities to keep a check on child marriages.

Disclaimer : *This information is subject to periodic government policy / process change. Kindly contact the concerned department to cross check for recent updates, if any.

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