Getting a Marriage Certificate in New Zealand
Arranging your Marriage Licence
Before getting married you must apply for a Marriage Licence. A Marriage Licence confirms that it is legal for you to get married.
Most people can get a marriage licence. Same-sex marriages are legal in New Zealand.
You do not need to be a New Zealand citizen. Visitors to New Zealand can marry or have a civil union here.
A marriage licence expires after 3 months, so you must apply for your licence no more than 3 months before your wedding date.
The easiest way to apply for your Marriage License online at https://marriages.services.govt.nz
If you wish to use a paper form instead, you can download a copy of the Notice of Intended Marriage form (BDM60) from the above website
It typically takes 3 working days for a Marriage Licence to be issued. During this time, the Registrar of Marriages will check that both parties meet the legal requirements for marriage.
Only one of you need to apply for your marriage licence but you must know information about each of you. You will need details about:
yourself - date of birth, current address, occupation
at least one of your parents
your partners details
at least one of your partner’s parents’ details
the date and venue that you have chosen to be married. If the venue is outside, it’s important to have a back up venue planned
the name of the marriage celebrant that has agreed to officiate at your wedding ceremony
If you are having a personalised ceremony you will be sent the marriage licence, and 2 copies of the “Copy of Particulars of Marriage” (a form with all the details of the people getting married). Give all 3 of these documents to your celebrant before your wedding
Once the marriage license has been issued, you can legally get married as long as the ceremony is performed by a registered celebrant or registered minister of religion.
After the marriage ceremony, your marriage celebrant or minister of religion will send the marriage license to the Registrar of Marriages for your marriage to be recorded.
If you would like a marriage certificate, you can apply for this when you apply for your marriage licence and it will be sent to you once your marriage has been registered. Alternatively, you can apply after your wedding has been registered. This can be done online or by post. The marriage certificate is a legal record of the marriage and can be used to prove that the marriage took place.
Costs:
The cost of getting a Marriage Licence in New Zealand is NZD$150.00*
The cost of a Marriage Certificate in New Zealand is NZD$33.00*
The cost for your Marriage Celebrant vary depending on the service that you require. You should discuss this directly with your celebrant.
*correct as at 01/04/2023
