Weddings in India are simply grand. Being planned from the day a child is born, we leave no stone unturned to make sure that our wedding ceremonies are celebrated. With all the fun and thrill all around at the time of your wedding, what must not be missed is getting your marriage registered as soon as possible. This registration is a must to validate your marriage legally in India and also provide security to both the individuals involved in tying the knot if things don’t go they way you wish them to go in the future. A marriage certificate that will be only after getting your marriage registered is required in all your future joint venture, be it buying a property in the country together or to apply for a spouse visa if you happen to go abroad.

In case of unfortunate separation of you two, a legal document stating that you two are married is helpful. Worse luck! If one of the partners dies, it is extremely convenient for the other partner to claim the life insurance, if the marriage is registered. So, you must note that getting your marriage registered is a smart step to secure your future.

To avoid any confusion that you might be having about getting your marriage registered in India, we did some research. Here’s your ultimate guide to registering your marriage in India. Make it official now!

Steps to Register Marriage in India

A marriage certificate is an official document that declares the two of you married. Marriages must be registered under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 or the Special Marriage Act 1954 in India. It was made compulsory to get your marriage registered in the country by the Supreme Court in 2006. While it is of extreme importance that you get your marriage registered, most of the people struggle in the process owing to the lack of experience and professional knowledge. Don’t worry! We are here to help. There are two processes of getting your marriage registered in India, the online one and the offline one. We have described both the process in details below.

Marriage Certificate Online Registration

Like most essentials to live in India, this one too is easily available online. Avoid the hassle of standing in queues and visiting the marriage registrar multiple times, you can simply fill and submit a form online and visit the registrar on the day of appointment given to you after submission of the form. The steps that are to be followed for registering your marriage online are:

• Open the government’s official website of the state you live in
• Browse through the website to find the form that is required to be filled for obtaining a marriage certificate
• In the form, fill your’s & your spouse’s details as asked
• Submit the marriage registration form

After this, you will be summoned by the marriage registrar on a particular date and time. Make sure to be present at the office on time with all the documents that are required as mentioned later in this article and two witnesses of your marriage.

Please note that the appointment will be approximately 15 days after submission of the form in case of Hindu Marriage Act & up to 60 days in case of Special Marriage Act.

Marriage Certificate Offline Registration

In India marriage can be registered either under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 which is applicable to the Hindus or the Special Marriage Act 1954 applicable to all citizens of India irrespective of their religion.

To be eligible to register your marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955, both the partners must be either Hindus, Sikhs, Jains or Buddhists. Under this, you can apply to register an already solemnised marriage. You must apply at the office of a sub-registrar under whose jurisdiction the marriage was solemnised or under whose jurisdiction one of the partners have been residing for at least 6 months. A Hindu marriage can be solemnized according to the customs and rituals of either party.

All Indian citizens irrespective of their religion are eligible to register their marriage under the Special Marriage Act 1954. Under this act, solemnization along with registration is provided by the marriage officer. Both the partners, registering through this act, must give a 30-day notice to the sub-registrar under whose jurisdiction any one partner of the couple resides. This notice is put up on the board, if there’s no objection to the marriage within these 30 days, the marriage is registered. A copy of the notice must be kept with sub-registrar of the jurisdiction. The act enables the marriage to be complete without a prerequisite religious ceremony. For those eligible to register their marriage via the Hindu Marriage Act, the Special Marriage Act is an alternative.

Where to Register Marriage in India?

Marriage can be registered in India both online and in person.

Marriage Certificate Online Registration is available in the major cities of the country. All you need to do is log in the government's official website of the state in which your marriage was solemnized or the one in which any of the partners have been residing & fill the marriage registration form. Post this, you will be called for a meeting with the registrar who will verify your documents and the witness that you present and register your marriage.

If you find this online procedure complicated, there an alternative for you, the Offline Marriage Registration. To avail this service, you need to visit the office of the sub-registrar of the jurisdiction you reside in or the one where your marriage was solemnized and submit an application signed by both the partners along with all the required documents. 30 days after this application your marriage will be registered.

You must know that in case of registration of marriage under the Special Marriage Act 1954, marriage is solemnised by the marriage officer. Also, in such cases, the notice is given to the registrar by the couple input upon the board. If there’s no opposition to marriage in the next 30 days, the marriage is registered.

Documents Required to Register Marriage in India

The documents required to get your marriage registered might be slightly different in different states, most remain the same. Delhi Government asks for the following documents at the time of marriage registration as per their official website, The documents must be duly signed by a Gazetted Officer before submission:

• An application form or a memorandum of marriage signed by the husband and wife.
• A documentary evidence for proof of date of birth. This age, under both the Hindu Marriage Act and the Special Marriage Act, is 21 years for male and 18 years for the female. This document may be in the form of a matriculation certificate/passport/birth certificate.
• The residence proof of the husband and wife which can be Election Voter Id, PAN Card, Aadhar Card, Ration Card, or bills like Electricity Bill etc.
• If the marriage was performed at a religious place, a certificate from the priest is needed to solemnize the marriage.
• In case of marriage registration under the Hindu Marriage Act Rs. 100, and in case of marriage Special Marriage Act, Rs. 150, is to be submitted to the cashier of the district and the receipt is to be attached along with the application form.
• Two passport size photographs of both the partners and one marriage photograph.
• Wedding invitation card.
• The two involved in the marriage are required to give an affirmation that they are not related and that they do not fall within the degree of prohibited relationship, as laid down under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 and the Special Marriage Act, 1955.
• An attested copy of the divorce decree/order in case of a divorcee and the death certificate of the spouse in case of widow/widower.
• An affidavit by both the partners stating the place and the date of marriage, date of birth, marital status at the time of marriage and nationality.
• Do not forget to bring two people who witnessed your wedding along with you to the sub-registrar office.

Things You Must Remember while Registering your Marriage

Getting your marriage registered in India is quite a simple process in our country. Somethings, however, must be always kept in while as you proceed with the process.

Religious Beliefs

Choosing an act to register your marriage depend on the religion that you follow. You can register under the Hindu Marriage Act if both you and your spouse are either Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists or Jains. If one or both of you follow any other religion than the ones mentioned above, you need to register under the Special Marriage Act. While there is no long term difference in both these options, the process and time that the process takes are different.

You aren’t Single in case of Unregistered Marriage

Registration of your marriage is not mandatory in India yet. Marriages that have been solemnised under religious rituals are considered valid by the government. Therefore, if the situation of separation arises, the couple must get divorced through the legal procedure even if the marriage wasn’t registered. However, it is highly advisable to get your marriage registered so that you can go through these processes smoothly.

Time Limit for Registration

There’s no set time limit for getting your marriage registered in our country but it has already been recommended to the government to make the registration of marriage within 30 days mandatory and a fine of Rs. 5 per day post the 30th day.

General Guidelines

These go without saying! The two involved in the marriage must have crossed the age set for getting married ie. 18 years for females & 21 for males. Any of the partners must not be in a marital relationship with any other individual. The physical and mental capabilities of both partners must be valid to get married.

Final Thoughts on Marriage Registration in India

One of the most asked questions, how to register marriage in India legally have just been answered and this can not get simpler. With all the information that you need, we really hope you do not delay getting your marriage registered anymore. We are here to help you with any doubts that you have, let us know them in the comments below. Get on it already!

Have more questions on Marriage Registration? Let us know in the comments section below. We love to hear from you!

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