Marriage in Australia ... It couldn’t be easier.
- Some countries require that you provide a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (CNI).
In Australia... no need. Before your marriage ceremony, I will ask both of you to sign a Statutory Declaration in which you declare that there is no impediment to your marriage, and that’s it. No waiting, no complication. - Some countries require that you apply for a particular sort of visa, or that you provide an immigration status statement.
In Australia, you can marry using any visa at all.*
You don’t need to provide any immigration status information.
You just need to show the marriage celebrant your proof of birth, photo ID, and - if you’ve been married before - proof of how that marriage ended.** - In some countries, your nationality, citizenship or religion could make the process of getting married quite complicated. Reams of paperwork may be required, or logistically it could be hard to find a marriage solution with regard to where and when and who will perform the ceremony.
In Australia, there’s no complication. You can choose any date (from one month after lodging your Notice of Intended Marriage), any time, any venue, and any style of ceremony. There’s no additional paperwork, no logistics nightmare, and nothing to stop you from having a beautiful ceremony that is valid anywhere in the world.*** - In some countries, you can’t begin the process of giving notice of your marriage from overseas.
In Australia, it’s no problem. You just need to complete the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM), sign it in the presence of an authorised witness (Australian Embassy or Consulate officials are authorised witnesses), scan it and email the scanned document to me. Your NOIM will be lodged and you can be married as soon as one month from the time of lodgement (and up to 18 months from the time of lodgement).****
Call me or email me to book me as your marriage celebrant, and I’ll immediately let you know if I am available on your requested date. If I’m already booked up, I will suggest alternative days or times that might suit you.
Weekdays and weekends available - at any time.
* If you are contemplating becoming an Australian citizen or permanent resident, once you’ve married you’ll want to apply for one of several Partner visas - but you can still be married here in Australia on any sort of visa - tourist visa, business visa, study visa, anything. Contact the Department of Immigration and Border Protection for details. If you’re not applying for citizenship or residency, it’s easy to apply for a tourist visa to come here, and you can start planning your marriage immediately with me.
** Where one of the parties is under 18, he/she will need some additional documentation - consent from parents (or dispensation of consent from a Judge or Magistrate), plus a court order. These are safeguard measures to prevent minors from being taken advantage of.
*** Of course, check with your own government to be sure there are no additional measures needed for a smooth approval process of the marriage being accepted in your country. Additionally, note that your marriage certificate (available from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages) must be verified with either an Apostille or Authentication stamp to be accepted as an official document in your country. I provide assistance for couples whose marriage I perform to obtain these as easily as possible.
**** Just remember, though, to bring the original NOIM with you to Australia; I will need to receive the original before I perform your marriage.
