Marriage Registeration

Marriage registration is one of the most significant tasks in the process of a wedding. It can be handled through the Hindu Marriage Act or Special Marriage Act done by couples getting married regardless of their religions. A registration helps both partners in a marriage, either before, with issues during, or if a spouse passes away. A marriage certificate is needed to help with any official work associated to the marriage.

In India, being contingent on whether you are a Hindu or belonging to any other religion, you have to register under the Special Marriage Act or the Hindu Marriage Act. There aren’t many dissimilarities between the two forms.However, it takes a longer period of time to process a marriage under the Special Marriage Act. Secondly, if one of the marrying partners belongs to a religion other than Hinduism, the couple has to register under the Special Marriage Act.

Handling the marriage process offline can be quite time-consuming. If you are registering your marriage through the Hindu Marriage Act, the couple getting married have to register under the sub-registrar, where the marriage was solemnized or either of them has been living for at least six months.

Under the Special Marriage Act, they have to provide a 30-day notice to the sub-registrar and a copy of this notice is attached to their notice boards. If there are no objections to their marriage it is moved forward.

There is a lot of documentation needed for the registration of a marriage. Some of them are:

Depending on the religion of the people getting married, the right application forms have to be filled out and submitted
Proof of address.
Proof of identification (you cannot use the same document submitted as proof of address).
Proof of your birth
An affidavit stating the date and place of the marriage.
Photographs
The wedding invitation.
A signed certificate of the priest conducting the celebration.
Two witnesses, preferably who were present at the time of the marriage.
Depending on the circumstances of the marriage, a certificate of conversion, divorce, or death.

Despite the fact that the Indian Government does recognize marriages that have been administered by religious institutions, to get assistance for official work through Government offices can be quite ardous without a marriage certificate. As previously mentioned, getting a marriage certificate is one of the most prime documents to be handled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most frequent questions and answers

What is the Court Marriage process in India as a Foreign National?

Before proceeding with this type of Court Marriage in India, the whole process includes firstly, to ensure eligibility of the persons getting married. Then. you should have all the requisite documents in place before filing the Court Marriage application with the Registrar.

To solemnize procedures for Court Marriage between a foreign national and an Indian citizen under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, one needs to keep the following points in mind:

The laws of the nation to which the foreign national belongs, must not be in conflict with the Indian Laws
In order for the foreign national to do Court Marriage in India, he/she must have a valid passport and visa
N.O.C or Marital status certificate from the concerned Embassy or Consulate

A civil lawyer in India can help with the legal proceedings of such a Court Marriage in India.

What is the procedure of marriage between an Indian and a foreigner outside India?

The marriage between an Indian and a foreigner in a foreign country is mentioned in the Foreign Marriage Act, 1969 and is inferred as a Civil Marriage. The process of a Court Marriage is absolutely the same as mentioned under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 but a No Impediment Certificate/NOC from concerned the Embassy and valid VISA is also required along with the other documents.

What are the advantages of a Court Marriage?

There can be many advantages in the case of Court Marriage. The advantages are:

It is an easier process and involves lower costs as compared to traditional marriages.
The parties to a Court Marriage get the option of solemnizing the marriage in any way of their choice. For instance, two Hindus can solemnize their marriage through a Sikh Style wedding if they choose to.

Do I need to apply for a marriage certificate after the conclusion of the Court Marriage?

Generally, a marriage registration certificate is an official document stating that two people are married. In India, Marriages can be registered under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 or under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. For both types of marriages, a marriage registration certificate is necessary for a couple who got married. The Apex Court has also made it compulsory to register marriage for preserving women’s rights. Hence, gaining a marriage registration certificate after marriage can have many benefits.

But since a Court Marriage is solemnized in front of the Marriage Officer, the complete solemnization takes place when the marriage certificate is entered and granted by the Marriage Registrar.