Hong Kong - Apply to Get Married

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Procedure

Submitting Notice of Intended Marriage

No matter where and how you are going to celebrate your marriage in Hong Kong, a Notice of Intended Marriage (the notice) on the prescribed form (Form MR1(S)) must be given in advance to a marriage registry.

Laws of Hong Kong states that, a marriage should take place after a notice has been exhibited at the Registrars office for at least 15 clear days and within three months after the notice was submitted. Therefore, you should give a notice no earlier than 3 months but at least 15 days before the date of your intended marriage.

If you are going to celebrate your marriage at the City Hall Marriage Registry or the Cotton Tree Drive Marriage Registry, you should give the notice at the Marriage Registration and Records Office. If your marriage is to be celebrated at any other marriage registry, you should give the notice at the respective registry.

If the marriage will be held in a licensed place of worship or to be celebrated by a civil celebrant of marriages, you can give the notice at the Marriage Registration and Records Office or a marriage registry other than the City Hall Marriage Registry or the Cotton Tree Drive Marriage Registry.

1. Either one of the parties (those who are living in Hong Kong) may submit a Notice of Intended Marriage (the notice) to the Registrar of Marriages (the Registrar) in the prescribed form which can be submitted directly or through a civil celebrant of marriages.
2. Book an appointment to submit your notice, this can be done online or by calling (852)3102 3883. There are two types of booking, with or without priority in choosing a marriage hall. The booking service is provided round-the-clock free of charge. The appointment is given on a first-come-first-served basis. Please note that only one appointment could be made by each couple.
3. Submit your notice along with your Hong Kong identity card or any valid travel document and other required documents.
4. When you submit your notice at the registry/office, you may select the date and time of your marriage at the marriage registry, subject to the availability of marriage quota left at the registry.

If you would like to submit the notice through a civil celebrant of marriages, you can refer to the following documents for what you need to do and to know before you engage a civil celebrant of marriages in order to arrange a marriage ceremony smoothly.

• Information Leaflet for the Marrying Parties
• List of appointed civil celebrants of marriages
• Code of Practice for Civil Celebrants of Marriages

Notes:

• To make your counter processing time shorter and much easier at the Registrar's office when you submit your marriage notice, you may submit in advance the information required for registration of marriage using an online service. You may also choose to download the Information Required for Registration of Marriage (Form MR21B) for completion and submit the completed form at the time the notice is given. Please note that the information sheet is neither an application form nor a notice.
• Parties to the marriage may, subject to the relevant provision of the Marriage Ordinance, contract a marriage only after a notice has been exhibited in the marriage registry for 15 clear days, and the issue of a Certificate of Registrar of Marriages. The date of marriage that you select should be 15 days after the date of giving notice but within 3 months' validity of the notice.

Exhibition of Notice of Intended Marriage

Part I of the Notice of Intended Marriage will be exhibited at the marriage registries (other than the Cotton Tree Drive Marriage Registry and City Hall Marriage Registry) and Marriage Registration and Records Office for at least 15 clear days.

During that period, any person who has the right to object to the proposed marriage may do so. If no objection is received after the period of 15 clear days and all the legal requirements are met, the marriage may take place in accordance with the Marriage Ordinance after the issue of a Certificate of Registrar of Marriages by a Registrar.

If the proposed marriage is to take place in a licensed place of worship, or celebrated by a civil celebrant, the Certificate of Registrar of Marriages will be issued directly to either of the marrying parties or through the civil celebrant nominated by either party.

Notes:

• No marriage shall be celebrated in a licensed place of worship or by a civil celebrant in without the Certificate of Registrar of Marriages.
• The marriage must take place within three months from the date of giving the notice. Otherwise, the notice becomes void and marrying parties need to submit another notice afresh before the marriage can take place.

Notice of Intended Marriage coming from places outside Hong Kong

No matter where and how couples are going to celebrate their marriage, a Notice of Intended Marriage (the notice) on the prescribed form (Form MR1(S)) must be submitted in advance. If both parties are currently living outside Hong Kong and they intend to get married in Hong Kong, notice may submitted by post or through an email.

By post

Write a letter directly to the Marriage Registration and Records Office and request for a copy of Notice of Intended Marriage form and information sheet "Information Required for Registration of Marriage" for completion. The address:

The Marriage Registration and Records Office

3/F, Low Block

Queensway Government Offices

66 Queensway

Hong Kong

E-mail

You may also choose to send an email to the Immigration Department at the [email protected] for the form and information sheet.

The completed notice form with your signature should be authenticated by a Notary Public of the country where you live. The authenticated notice, the completed information sheet together with the supporting documents and the bank draft being the payment of the prescribed fee should be sent by registered airmail or submit through your contact person in Hong Kong or a civil celebrant of marriages to the Marriage Registration and Records Office.

Both of parties are required to provide photocopies of their Hong Kong identity card or any valid travel document.

For marriage of persons aged below 21, divorced persons or widows/widowers, they are required to provide additional supporting documents upon giving of notice.

The notice takes effect from the date following the date of the receipt of the authenticated notice with all the supporting documents and prescribed fee at the Marriage Registration and Records Office. It will be exhibited for at least 15 clear days.

Affidavit to be Submitted Prior to the Issuance of Certificate of Registrar of Marriages

Both parties to the marriage should, after their arrival in Hong Kong, must go the Marriage Registration and Records Office during office hours or meet their civil celebrant, bringing along their travel documents and originals of the documents which they have submitted earlier. The party submitting the notice should make an affidavit before the Registrar or the civil celebrant that there is no impediment of kindred or affinity or any other lawful hindrance to the marriage. Ample time should be allowed for the civil celebrant to transmit the affidavit to the Registrar for the issue of the Certificate of Registrar of Marriages.

A Certificate of Registrar of Marriages will be issued if:

• one of the proposed parties had made an affidavit before the Registrar in accordance with section 12 of the Marriage Ordinance, Cap. 181, or if such an affidavit (made before a civil celebrant) had been transmitted by the civil celebrant to the Registrar;
• no objection is received after the exhibition of the notice for a period of 15 clear days; and
• all other legal requirements are met.

The marriage may take place in accordance with the Marriage Ordinance after the issue of a Certificate of Registrar of Marriages.

If you intend to celebrate your marriage in a licensed place of worship or by a civil celebrant of marriages, the Certificate of Registrar of Marriages will be issued to you after arrival at Hong Kong, your contact person or your civil celebrant of marriages.

Marriage Ceremony
The marriage ceremony may be held in Hong Kong, at a marriage registry by a Registrar or at a licensed place of worship by a competent minister. You may also appoint a civil celebrant of marriages to celebrate your marriage at any hour and any place in Hong Kong other than the office of the Registrar and a licensed place of worship.

1. Before the ceremony, each party to the marriage will sign a written.

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Required Documents

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e.g.
1. Proof of child birth from the Hospital.

Office Locations & Contacts

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Eligibility

Minimum age requirement to get married in Hong Kong, 16 years old.

Hong Kong has no residential requirements for the marrying parties and may be of any nationality.

Fees

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Validity

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Documents to Use

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Sample Documents

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Processing Time

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Instructions

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Required Information

Submitting Notice of Intended Marriage

• Name and surname of parties
• Marital status (Example: bachelor/spinster; widower/widow; a divorced person; or previously married by any form of marriage)
• Occupation
• Age
• Residential address
• Full name of your parents
• For those under the age of 21: The name, address and capacity of the person consenting to the marriage (example: the relevant person or persons specified in the Third Schedule to the Marriage Ordinance)

Need for the Document

Marriage is a legal contract binding two people together, granting them rights and obligations.

Information which might help

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Other uses of the Document/Certificate

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e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

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