1. Applicants are required to lodge their "Notice of Intended Marriage" with the Registry Office in person at least three days before the date of marriage. If you lodge your notice less than the minimum three days as required you will be charged with a "Waiver fee".
2. Complete an application and submit it together with all other required documents.
3. Pay the marriage licence fee and if applicable, the 3 days minimum waiver fee.

Notes:

• The law of the Cook Islands, as at July 2010, does not allow same sex marriage/civil union.
• As a government agency, the Ministry of Justice does not recommend any particular celebrant/package. The Cook Islands Tourism might have these answers for you

• Completed application
• For bachelors and spinsters, you will need to show these documents:
  • your current passport (this does not apply to a person who was born in the Cook Islands)
  • your birth certificate (certified if not the original copy, deed poll if the name on your passport is different to the one on your birth certificate, translated and certified if in languages other than English)
• For divorced bride/groom, you will also need to provide your divorce decree or divorce certificate.
• For widow/widower, you will also need to provide the death certificate of your previous spouse.

Ministry of Justice

Physical address:
Avarua, Rarotonga
Cook Islands
Monday - Friday
(except public holidays)
8:00am - 4:00pm

Postal address:
PO Box 111
Avarua, Rarotonga
Cook Islands
email: offices.justice@cookislands.gov.ck
Ph: 682-29410
Fax: 682-29610

Provide eligibility criteria's for going through this procedure.

• Marriage Licence: $100.00
• 3 days minimum - waver: $75.00
• For every marriage solemnized by the Registrar-General or a Registrar (including certified copy of the entry in the register book if that certificate is issued at the same time of solemnization: $100.00
• Additional fee in respect of a marriage solemnized by the Registrar-General or a Registrar whose office is not at the time ordinarily open for transaction of public business under the Act: $75.00
• Amendment of marriage licence: $50.00

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Please explain processing time taken in obtaining the document/certificate.

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type="website">video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the "&" inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, 
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M" Video ID is "Y0US7oR_t3M". 
	

You must give notice of your intention to get married at least 3 days before your planned date. You can still get married even though you will be in the Cook Islands less than the minimum notice requirement (3 days), if you pay the "3 days minimum -waiver" fee.

Application for a Marriage Licence must be submitted in person.

A list which displays the kind of information which is required to complete the procedure.
e.g.
1. Date of Birth.
2. City or County of Birth.

Here is a procedure on how you can apply for a marriage licence in Cook Islands.

After the marriage ceremony: A copy of the marriage entry must be sent by the officiating minister to the Registrar-General, Rarotonga within 10 days of solemnisation. The marriage "form 4" is to be used for this purpose.

Please explain what are other uses of obtaining this document/certificate.
e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

Ministry of Justice

More information which might help people.