CERTIFICATES ISSUED

Abridged Marriage Certificate

A hand written Abridged Marriage certificate will be issued to you by the marriage officer immediately after you have signed the official marriage register. This is your official marriage certificate. If you wish to obtain a printed copy you can apply for this an any Home Affairs office.

Marriage Register

The marriage register which you sign on the day of your wedding is completed in triplicate. Your marriage officer will submit your register and supporting documents to Home Affairs for registration within 14 days of your wedding. Home Affairs will stamp and sign the marriage register and the second copy will be couriered (as per arrangement) to you as proof of registration. In many countries this is sufficient to prove your SA marriage.

Unabridged Marriage Certificate

Some countries require that you produce an Unabridged Marriage Certificate issued by SA Home Affairs.  As of 1 December 2016 we can no longer apply for this on your behalf, a couple have to apply for their Unabridged Marriage Certificate in person at any SA Home Affairs office. At this stage the process takes between 8 and 10 weeks to produce the certificate, so it is vital that if you are leaving the country you give someone permission in writing to collect this on your behalf when it is processed. Alternatively you can apply for your Unabridged Marriage Certificate at a SA Embassy or Consulate in your own country. There are registered service providers such as FastDocs who are authorized to do this on your behalf.

Absolutely yes. You can have anybody take part in any way that you wish. The Marriage Officer will need to conduct the legal side of the ceremony and the signing of the register.

Yes. However, this does not constitute a legal marriage. No paperwork will be issued.

South African documents do not need to be certified. All foreign documents must be Apostilled.

Yes you will need to have this done by a sworn translator at your own expense.

According the South African marriage act of 1961, you will be married under the marriage law of the country in which the man is a permanent resident.

If you wish to be married with an Ante-nuptial agreement, you need to have a lawyer draw this up and signed prior to the date of the wedding.

Your hand written abridged marriage certificate is issued immediately on the day of the ceremony. Once the marriage has been registered at Home Affairs you will receive a copy of the Marriage Register by courier as arranged.

Yes. South African marriages are recognised in most countries around the world.

Yes you can, there is no restriction on days and times? This is completely up to the Marriage Officer’s availability.

No. This is not required. However we can refer you to an excellent counsellor if you require any assistance.

Yes, you need 2 witnesses. Witnesses can be anybody over the age of 18 years. South African witnesses must produce a copy of their SA ID document and a foreign witness must produce a copy of the picture page, visa and entry stamp into South Africa of their passport. They can be family members or friends.

Yes. We will shape the ceremony to suit you completely. We can incorporate aspects or elements into the ceremony that will be meaningful to both parties. Alternatively we can conduct a strictly civil ceremony or simply conduct a “Paperwork” service.

No. We have no requirements in this regard.

A verbal consent to the marriage is required. Personal vows are encouraged and can be discussed with your Marriage Officer.

No. This is not a requirement for the ceremony. Only the marriage register needs to be signed indoors.

No. There is no time limit prior to or after the ceremony that you need to be in the country. As long as your Visa or Passport is valid for the date of the wedding. If a South African is marrying a foreigner, you need to plan to be in Cape Town at least two weeks before the wedding date to fulfil Home Affairs requirements.

Yes, Indeed. We are fully licensed with the Department of Home Affairs to carry out Civil Unions / Partnerships of same sex couples.

No. Anybody can be married in South Africa as long as you provide the necessary documentation.

No. Generally this is no longer required in South Africa. If you are from a country that does require a marriage licence eg. Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, please obtain this prior to your wedding. For foreigners marrying South African citizens it is recommended that you arrive at least 14 days before the wedding as there will be interview requirements at Home Affairs.

You will need to apply for a printed certificate from any Home Affairs office once your marriage is captured on the National database system.