Marriage Certificate- Process, Documents And Apply Online

Digital India campaign launched by the Government of India, ensures that the services provided by the government are available at the online platform as well. It was started to make the country digitally empowered, with this scheme the people have the facility of obtaining their marriage certificate online. The marriages between Hindus are governed according to the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, while the Special Marriage Act, 1954 is applicable to all citizens irrespective of their religion. 

Having your marriage registered is the evidence that your marriage was solemnised indeed. Marriage certificate is required in a number of cases, for example, in case you are filing for divorce, you will need a marriage certificate, or in case you need to apply for  government documents such as PAN, passport or Visa, etc.  

Documents required for marriage certificate

Following documents are necessary to file for marriage certificate-

• Application form duly filled and signed by the parties
• Documentary proof of the date of birth of both parties.
• Residential proof of the husband and wife. 
• Passport size photos of the husband and wife. 
• Invitation card for the marriage.
• Certificate from the religious place in case the marriage was solemnised at a religious place.
• In case the marriage was solemnised under the Hindu Marriage Act a sum of 400 rupees, in case the marriage was solemnised under special Marriage Act the fees required is 150 rupees, to be submitted to the  cashier of the district.
•  Affirmation of the parties that they are not related within the degrees of prohibited relationship as provided under the respective act.
• Copy of divorce decree/order in case either of the parties is divorcee, death certificate in case one of the parties is a widow/er.
• An affidavit by the parties stating the place and date of marriage, date of birth, marital status at the time of marriage and nationality. 
• Documents required for court marriage registration are similar to  documents required for marriage registration. 

Fees required to pay for marriage registration

• Hindu Marriage Act–  for marriage is solemnised under this act, the fees varies from place to place, generally it is INR 100 for registration
• Special Marriage Act– marriage is solemnised under this Act, fees charged is INR 150. Is
• Tatkal marriage registration– INR 10,000 are charged for the certificate to be delivered in a single day.

Online marriage registration

 A certificate for marriage registration could also be applied online. Steps mentioned below are required to be followed-

• Select your district— Husband’s details are required to be filled properly and choose “ registration of marriage certificate” — Fill in the form for marriage certificate and choose an appropriate date of appointment— after filling the details and confirming them, click “ submit application”. 
• After completing the registration process, you will receive a number printed on the acknowledgement slip, take a printout of acknowledgement slip as well as the application form. You can use this reference number to track the status of your application. 
• Once the certificate is ready, you will be notified by the court and you can download the marriage certificate from the court’s website. To access the certificate, you will need to enter the reference number and other details. 

Marriage registration  after few years of marriage

• There is no bar on the time period under which you  should have your marriage registered, you may register your marriage after  5 to 10 years of  having the Knot tied.
• The procedure would remain the same no matter the time that has passed after your marriage.
• However, it is advised to have your marriage registered as soon as possible to avoid any kind of emergency situation which may occur in the future.

Conclusion

Receiving a marriage certificate includes various steps. The marriage registration certificate is an important document and is legally enforceable. The law has tried to make it simple by including  options such as online registration.

To seek legal advice for the procedure dealing with registration of marriage, you may talk to a  lawyer. Lead India offers you a wide pool of experienced lawyers who have been successfully helping couples in having their marriage registered or with the procedure of court marriage as well, for any free legal advice online, you may contact us.