Nigeria - Apply for Marriage License

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Procedure

Apply In-Person:

1. To apply for Marriage License in person, the applicant has to visit the office of the Federal Marriage Registry.
2. The address and contact details of the Marriage Registries can be found in the following address details
3. Visit the office and obtain an application form for notifying his/her marriage that is going to be conducted.
4. Make sure that you have all the documents listed in the “Required Documents” section of this page.
5. Complete the Notice of Marriage with required details of you and your spouse and marriage under respective sections.
6. Then submit the application package to the relevant authority at the office.
7. Pay the required amount of fees as directed by the officials.
8. On the date of oath taking ceremony, the concerned couple should go to the selected Marriage Registry with a witness on either side (please note it is not genders specific) to take oath.
9. Also, take two wedding Rings (male and female) or a Bible/Quran as the case may be.
10. Once the oath taking ceremony has been done, the Registrar of Marriage registers the marriage in the official record.
11. Then, he/she sends a copy of Registrar Certificate in Form C to the office where the marriage took place.
12. Further, the applicant will be notified through phone or email to collect the certificate from the registry.

Apply online

1. To apply for Marriage License online, the applicant has to visit the ECITIBIZ portal of the Ministry of Interiors, Nigeria by clicking the following online application link
2. If you have an account already, you can enter the user details, click “Log in” and proceed. If not, click “New User Registration” link below and click the “Personal Account (Marriage)” option under “Personal” tab in the next page.
3. Click “register now” button, registration page will open, enter all the details required, select the check box and click “Register” button. Account preview will be displayed, scroll down and click “Proceed” button.
4. A verification email will be sent to your email ID, open the email and click on the “click here” link to activate the account. Under the email confirmation message, “click here” link will be given, click on that to proceed.
5. Login page will be opened, log in again by following the instructions mentioned before. After logging in, click on “Marriage” tab and then click on “overview” option.
6. You can find the types of marriage that are permissible under the Marriage Act of Nigeria and the description of the services provided by the Ministry of Interior through the portal in the page that opens.
7. Then, click on the “Requirements” option under the same tab where you can find the requirements to be fulfilled to apply for marriage. As per the list of requirements, prepare the documents to be uploaded.
8. Once got cleared with the requirements to be accomplished, click on “Prohibited Degree Of Relationship” option under the same tab to find the permitted degree of marriages.
9. Go through that carefully and make sure that you do not fall under any of the mentioned degrees.
10. Click on the “fees details” option and find the details about the amount of fees to be paid online.
11. When you have gone through all the pre-processes and you are ready with scanned copies of all the required documents and with the sufficient amount of money to be paid online, proceed to apply for the Marriage by clicking on “Apply for Marriage (New Couple)” option under “Marriage” tab.
12. Select the place where you want to conduct your marriage from the options available on the dialogue box that appears on the screen and click “Proceed” button.
13. In the next page, click “Apply” button under the type of marriage that you want enter into. A confirmation pop-up will appear. Click “Ok” button to proceed or “Cancel” button to discontinue.
14. Online application page will be opened. Complete all the fields under different sections by filling details as applicable and make selections as per your convenience.
15. You will have to provide your choices of the marriage under the ‘Marriage details’, provide the details of the male spouse and upload the required documents for husband by clicking “Upload” button, under ‘Husband details’ section.
16. Similarly, complete the ‘Wife details’ section by filling female spouse’s details and uploading the required documents for wife by clicking “Upload” button.
17. After completing, click “Proceed” button which will pop-up a warning dialogue. Read out the warning and click “Submit” button if it is certain that you can perform the wedding within 90 days from the date application.
18. Otherwise, click “Save as draft” button which will save the completed application as draft and you can make the payment as per your convenience.
19. Summary of your application will be displayed, go through once and if there are any mistakes, click “back” button to make the modification or else check the declaration box after reading the declarations and click “Proceed to payment” button.
20. Payment Summary will be displayed with two options of payment. If you want pay at a bank or POS select “Pay through Bank or POS” radio button and click “Proceed” button.
21. Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR) or e-invoice will be generated with the help of which you can make the payment at the bank or POS. Scroll down and click “Print” button to print the invoice.
22. If you want to pay online, select “Online pay” radio button and click “Pay” button. Payment gateway will open. Follow the onscreen instructions, enter the card details and make the online payment as applicable.
23. An online transaction ID or a printable receipt for the online payment will be generated which will act as a proof of payment.
24. After payment, the concerned couple should go to the selected Marriage Registry with a witness on either side (please note it is not genders specific) to take oath at the date of oath selected during the application.
25. Also, take two wedding Rings (male and female) or a Bible/Quran as the case may be.
26. Once the oath taking ceremony has been done, the Registrar of Marriage registers the marriage in the official record.
27. Then, he/she sends a copy of Registrar Certificate in Form C to the office where the marriage took place.
28. Further, the applicant will be notified through phone or email to collect the certificate from the registry.

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Required Documents

ORDINARY MARRIAGE: (Male and Female)

• Certificate Birth/Age Declaration
• Passport photographs (as required)
• Applicable Proof of Single status (Bachelorhood/Spinsterhood Certificate or Sworn Affidavit from Law court)
• Affidavit/valid proof of Marriage (already married)
• Proof/Decree absolute of Divorce (divorcees)
• Former Spouse’s Certificate of Death (widow/widower)
• Proof of Annulment from court (where applicable)
• Sworn Affidavit for possession of Child/Children (if single with child/children)

SPECIAL MARRIAGE: (Male and Female)

• Certificate Birth/Age Declaration
• Passport photographs (as required)
• Applicable Proof of Single status (Bachelorhood/Spinsterhood Certificate or Sworn Affidavit from Law court)
• Affidavit/valid proof of Marriage (already married)
• Proof/Decree absolute of Divorce (divorcees)
• Former Spouse’s Certificate of Death (widow/widower)
• Proof of Annulment from court (where applicable)
• Sworn Affidavit for possession of Child/Children (if single with child/children)
• Identification/Indigene Letter from State of Origin (Nigerians only)
• International Passport Data Page (people living abroad)
• Arrival Passport Stamp Page (people living abroad)
• Residence Permit (people living abroad)

Visit for reference requirements

Office Locations & Contacts

Federal Marriage Registries - Head Office
Ministry of Interior
Old Federal Secretariat Area 1,
Garki Abuja.
FCT-Abuja, Nigeria.
Tele:+234 (0) 700 009 9999
Email: [email protected]
Website: Federal Marriage Registries Contacts

Eligibility

• Any Nigerian living in Nigeria or abroad and wishes to enter into a permitted marriage with a Nigerian or Non-Nigerian in Nigeria, can apply.
• Two Non Nigerians residing in Nigeria and wishing to get married inside Nigeria under the Marriage law stipulated by the Nigerian Government can also apply.
• The couple’s relationship should not fall under the Prohibited Degree of Relationship as specified by the Nigerian Government.

Fees

Special Marriage: ₦ 25,000.00
Ordinary Marriage: ₦ 15,000.00

Validity

The registration is valid until the marriage is annulled.

Documents to Use

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

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

Special Marriage: 7 days
Ordinary Marriage: 21 days

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
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sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
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e.gIn the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

• Note that for Licensed Place of Worship Selection, Form C will be generated electronically once the application is approved.
• Registrar of Marriage forwards a copy of the Form C (Registrar’s certificate of Marriage) to the concerned Licensed Place of Worship which can be collected by the applicant afterwards.
• Ensure your State/LGA registry is licensed by the Ministry of Interior. Otherwise, your State/LGA registry will not be available for selection.
• Any change in date (either before the previously selected dates or after the previously selected date) must be notified to the Registrar of Marriage not less than five (5) working days.
• After Payment for marriage, note that the payment is valid for 90 Days. If marriage is not performed before this expiration period, you would be required to make a new payment, in order to perform your marriage.
• Please note that short sleeves, shorts and jeans are not allowed. And do not be late so you do not miss your time slot.

Required Information

• Names of the couple
• Phone numbers and address details
• Email addresses
• Place, Registry, date and time of oath and marriage
• Date of Birth and Place of Birth of couple
• Country, State and LGA
• Identification proof number
• Occupation and details of parents
• Banking particulars

Need for the Document

It is important to register a marriage that happens inside Nigeria, with the Citizenship Department of Ministry of Interior.

Information which might help

There are certain degrees of Marriage Relationship that are prohibited under Nigerian Marriage Law which are as follows-
A MAN MUST NOT MARRY HIS:

• Mother
• Daughter
• Father’s Mother
• Son’s Daughter
• Sister
• Wife’s Mother
• Wife’s Daughter
• Father’s Wife
• Father’s Father Wife
• Wife’s Mother’s Mother
• Wife’s Daughter’s Daughter
• Son’s son Wife
• Wife’s Father’s Mother
• Father’s Sister
• Mother’s Sister
• Brother’s Daughter
• Sister’s Daughter

A WOMAN MUST NOT MARRY HER:

• Father
• Son
• Father’s Father
• Daughter’s Son
• Brother
• Husband’s Father
• Mother’s Husband
• Daughter’s Husband
• Daughter’s Daughter Husband
• Husband’s Mother’s Father
• Father’s Brother
• Sister’s Son
• Brother’s Son
• Mother’s Brother
• Father’s Son
• Sister’s Son
• Brother’s Son

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

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

External Links

Marriage End User Manual
instructions regarding Form C Registrars Certificate

Others

More information which might help people.