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Marriage Certificate – All you need to know

The marriage certificate is an official declaration that states that two people are married. In India, Marriages can be registered either under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 or under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. For both types of marriages, a marriage certificate is legitimate proof that a couple is married. In 2006, the Supreme Court made it mandatory to register the marriage for safeguarding women’s rights. Hence, obtaining a marriage certificate after marriage can have various benefits.

Note: To obtain a marriage certificate, the groom must be over 21 years of age, and the bride must be over 18 years of age.

Reasons to Obtain Marriage Certificate

The marriage certificate is an essential document while applying for a passport or opening a bank account with a new surname post-wedding. Also, in the case of foreign travel or visa processing, many embassies request a copy of the marriage certificate. Hence, a marriage certificate is many obligatory couples to move abroad after the wedding.

Documents Required for Marriage Registration

To complete marriage registration and obtain a marriage certificate in Tamilnadu, the documents below must be self-attested and submitted for both husband and wife. The requirement for documents can be divided into three categories, as follows. Identity and age proof must be provided by both the bride and the groom.

Marriage Proof	Wedding Invitation (or)
	Temple Marriage Receipts (or)
	Any proof of marriage solemnization
Identity & Address Proof	Employee ID Card (or)
	Ration Card (or)
	Driving License (or)
	Passport or Visa
Age Proof	Birth Certificate (or)
	School or College Certificate (or)
	Passport or Visa

 

In addition to the above 4, passport size photograph for the bride and 4 passport size photograph for the bridegroom should be submitted.

Marriage Registration Form

The general marriage registration form:

Marriage Registration Form

Other Marriage Registration Forms

All other types of marriage registration forms are below:

• Click here to download the marriage registration form for Hindus
• Click here to download the marriage registration form for Muslims
• Click here to download the marriage registration form for Christians

Marriage Registration Procedure

The categories of the marriage registration in Tamilnadu as under:

Marriage Registration under Hindu Act

In the case of marriage registration under the Hindu Act, the marriage must have been solemnized under Hindu customs or non-customary, and the bride & groom must be Hindus, Buddhists, or Sikhs. Further, any of the following premises should fall within the jurisdiction of the Registering Officer:

• Residence of the bride.
• Residence of the bridegroom.
• Solemnization place.
• For Online Registration:

Marriage Registration under Tamilnadu Marriage Act

In case of registration of marriage under the Tamilnadu Registration of Marriage Act, the marriage could have been solemnized under any personal law. However, the marriage can be registered only within 90 days without fine and within 90-150 days with a fine. After that, the marriage cannot be registered under the Tamilnadu Registration of Marriage Act.

Special Marriage Registration

The Registering officer solemnizes the special marriage registration or in any other form. Bridegroom and Bride should have completed 21 and 18 years of age, respectively. The notice of intended marriage must first be issued. If no objection for the marriage is received within 30 days from the notice, marriage will be registered.

Christian Marriage Registration

In the case of Christian marriage under the Indian Christian Act, by the licensee under the act or by Priests. The office of the Inspector General of Registration at 100, Santhome High Road, Chennai – 600 028, gives the marriage extracts.

Online Marriage Registration

Following are the steps to complete the marriage registration online:

Select your district and continue ->Fill in husband’s details and choose “Registration of Marriage Certificate”->Fill in Marriage Certificate form and choose the date of appointment->Click “Submit Application.”

The person who registers would receive a number that would be printed on the acknowledgment slip, and the corresponding application form is complete. Take a printout of acknowledgment slip as well as the application form.

Appointment

In the case of the Hindu Marriage Act, the appointment would be registered within 15 days of the online registration, and however, in the case of the Special Marriage Act, it might take up to 60 days.

Witness

Any person who has made an appearance at the marriage registration of the couple shall be a witness, and the witness must possess a valid PAN Card and a Proof of residence address.