Weddings in India are simply grand. Being planned from the day a child is born, we leave no stone unturned to make sure that our wedding ceremonies are celebrated. With all the fun and thrill all around at the time of your wedding, what must not be missed is getting your marriage registered as soon as possible. This registration is a must to validate your marriage legally in India and also provide security to both the individuals involved in tying the knot if things don’t go they way you wish them to go in the future. A marriage certificate that will be only after getting your marriage registered is required in all your future joint venture, be it buying a property in the country together or to apply for a spouse visa if you happen to go abroad.

In case of unfortunate separation of you two, a legal document stating that you two are married is helpful. Worse luck! If one of the partners dies, it is extremely convenient for the other partner to claim the life insurance, if the marriage is registered. So, you must note that getting your marriage registered is a smart step to secure your future.

To avoid any confusion that you might be having about getting your marriage registered in India, we did some research. Here’s your ultimate guide to registering your marriage in India. Make it official now!

Steps to Register Marriage in India

A marriage certificate is an official document that declares the two of you married. Marriages must be registered under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 or the Special Marriage Act 1954 in India. It was made compulsory to get your marriage registered in the country by the Supreme Court in 2006. While it is of extreme importance that you get your marriage registered, most of the people struggle in the process owing to the lack of experience and professional knowledge. Don’t worry! We are here to help. There are two processes of getting your marriage registered in India, the online one and the offline one. We have described both the process in details below.

Marriage Certificate Online Registration

Like most essentials to live in India, this one too is easily available online. Avoid the hassle of standing in queues and visiting the marriage registrar multiple times, you can simply fill and submit a form online and visit the registrar on the day of appointment given to you after submission of the form. The steps that are to be followed for registering your marriage online are:

• Open the government’s official website of the state you live in
• Browse through the website to find the form that is required to be filled for obtaining a marriage certificate
• In the form, fill your’s & your spouse’s details as asked
• Submit the marriage registration form

After this, you will be summoned by the marriage registrar on a particular date and time. Make sure to be present at the office on time with all the documents that are required as mentioned later in this article and two witnesses of your marriage.

Please note that the appointment will be approximately 15 days after submission of the form in case of Hindu Marriage Act & up to 60 days in case of Special Marriage Act.

Marriage Certificate Offline Registration

In India marriage can be registered either under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 which is applicable to the Hindus or the Special Marriage Act 1954 applicable to all citizens of India irrespective of their religion.

To be eligible to register your marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955, both the partners must be either Hindus, Sikhs, Jains or Buddhists. Under this, you can apply to register an already solemnised marriage. You must apply at the office of a sub-registrar under whose jurisdiction the marriage was solemnised or under whose jurisdiction one of the partners have been residing for at least 6 months. A Hindu marriage can be solemnized according to the customs and rituals of either party.

All Indian citizens irrespective of their religion are eligible to register their marriage under the Special Marriage Act 1954. Under this act, solemnization along with registration is provided by the marriage officer. Both the partners, registering through this act, must give a 30-day notice to the sub-registrar under whose jurisdiction any one partner of the couple resides. This notice is put up on the board, if there’s no objection to the marriage within these 30 days, the marriage is registered. A copy of the notice must be kept with sub-registrar of the jurisdiction. The act enables the marriage to be complete without a prerequisite religious ceremony. For those eligible to register their marriage via the Hindu Marriage Act, the Special Marriage Act is an alternative.

Documents Required to Register Marriage in India

The documents required to get your marriage registered might be slightly different in different states, most remain the same. Delhi Government asks for the following documents at the time of marriage registration as per their official website, The documents must be duly signed by a Gazetted Officer before submission:

• An application form or a memorandum of marriage is signed by the husband and wife.
• Documentary evidence for proof of date of birth. This age, under both the Hindu Marriage Act and the Special Marriage Act, is 21 years for males and 18 years for females. This document may be in the form of a matriculation certificate/passport/birth certificate.
• The residence proof of the husband and wife which can be an Election Voter Id, PAN Card, Aadhar Card, Ration Card, or bills like Electricity Bill, etc.
• If the marriage was performed at a religious place, a certificate from the priest is needed to solemnize the marriage.
• In case of marriage registration under the Hindu Marriage Act Rs. 100, and in case of marriage Special Marriage Act, Rs. 150, is to be submitted to the cashier of the district and the receipt is to be attached along with the application form.
• Two passport-size photographs of both the partners and one marriage photograph.
• Wedding invitation card.
• The two involved in the marriage are required to give an affirmation that they are not related and that they do not fall within the degree of prohibited relationship, as laid down under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 and the Special Marriage Act, 1955.
• An attested copy of the divorce decree/order in case of a divorcee and the death certificate of the spouse in case of a widow/widower.
• An affidavit by both the partners stating the place and the date of marriage, date of birth, marital status at the time of marriage, and nationality.
• Do not forget to bring two people who witnessed your wedding along with you to the sub-registrar office. www.registermarriage.org