Get a marriage licence | New Zealand Government

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class="col-md-7 col-md-offset-1 ga-content-container main-content"> <div class="title-row"> <h1 id="toplink" tabindex="-1">Get a marriage licence</h1> <p class="page-description">Before you get married, you need to apply for a marriage licence. This confirms it’s legal for you to marry. A marriage licence costs $150.</p> </div> <div class="block-middle hidden-md hidden-lg"> <div class="NavButtonsPageFeature page-feature hidden-md hidden-lg"> <ul class="nav-buttons"> <h2 class="imitate-h4">Contact</h2> <li class="sidelink-blue icon"> <a class="no-external-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240406224402/https://www.govt.nz/organisations/births-deaths-and-marriages/births-deaths-marriages-offices/in-new-zealand/"> <span>Births, Deaths and Marriages</span> <i aria-hidden="true" class="fa fa-None"></i> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <h2>What you need to know</h2><ul> <li>You need to arrange your licence at least 3 working days before you get married.</li> <li>It expires after 3 months.</li> <li>If you’re using a celebrant, they have separate fees.</li> <li>Only one of you needs to complete the application, but you need information about both of you.</li> </ul><h2>Apply online</h2><p>Anyone can apply online, whether you’re in New Zealand or not.</p><p><a class="link--prominent" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240406224402/https://marriages.services.govt.nz/">Apply online for a marriage licence</a></p><h3>If you want to use the paper form instead</h3><div class="accordion-toggle inline-accordion"> <div class="accordion-trigger"> <span class="accordion-title"> <button type="button" class="accordion-toggle__btn" hidden="">Expand all</button> </span> </div> </div> <details class="accordion-item inline-accordion expander-type-accordion heading-h3"> <summary class="accordion-item-button accordion-trigger" data-ga-event="click" data-ga-category="In-page accordion" data-ga-action="If you’re in NZ" data-ga-label=""> <h3> <span class="accordion-icon" aria-hidden="true"></span> <span class="accordion-title">If you’re in NZ </span> </h3> </summary> <div class="accordion-content"><h4>1. Start the form</h4><p>Fill in all parts of the form, except the statutory declaration.</p><p><a href="/web/20240406224402/https://www.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Family-and-whanau/Notice-of-intended-marriage-BDM60.pdf">Notice of intended marriage form BDM 60 (PDF 229KB)</a></p><p><a href="/web/20240406224402/https://www.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Family-and-whanau/Notice-of-intended-marriage-BDM60-accessible-alternative.txt">Notice of intended marriage form BDM 60 — accessible alternative (TXT 21KB)</a></p><h4>2. Sign the form in front of a Registrar of Marriages</h4><p>You or your partner needs to take the notice to your local Registrar of Marriages in person, so they can witness you signing the declaration. The address is on the form.</p><div class="callout-note" role="note"> <p>If you live in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch, you can make the booking online.</p> <p><a title="Births, Deaths and Marriages offices" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240406224402/https://www.govt.nz/organisations/births-deaths-and-marriages/births-deaths-marriages-offices/">Births, Deaths and Marriages offices</a></p> </div><p>After you’ve signed the declaration and posted it to <a href="/web/20240406224402/https://www.govt.nz/organisations/births-deaths-and-marriages/births-deaths-marriages-offices/in-new-zealand/">Births, Deaths and Marriages</a>, you have to wait until you get the licence before getting married. It takes 3 days to get the licence. If you’re using a celebrant, you can have your licence sent directly to them by email or courier.</p><div class="callout-note" role="note"> <p>Signing the declaration is not your wedding ceremony.</p> </div><p>You’ll need to declare:</p><ul> <li>you’re legally allowed to get married</li> <li>you’ve been truthful on your marriage licence form</li> <li>you’ve got consent from a Family Court judge if you’re 16 or 17.</li> </ul><h4>3. Pay the fee</h4><p>If you’re in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch, pay the fee when you make the declaration in front of the Registrar of Marriages.</p><p>If you’re anywhere else in New Zealand, when you make your declaration, you’ll be given information about how to post your payment to the Births, Deaths and Marriages office in Wellington.</p></div> </details> <details class="accordion-item inline-accordion expander-type-accordion heading-h3"> <summary class="accordion-item-button accordion-trigger" data-ga-event="click" data-ga-category="In-page accordion" data-ga-action="If you’re outside of NZ" data-ga-label=""> <h3> <span class="accordion-icon" aria-hidden="true"></span> <span class="accordion-title">If you’re outside of NZ </span> </h3> </summary> <div class="accordion-content"><h4>1. Start the form</h4><p>Fill in all parts of the form, except the statutory declaration</p><p><a href="/web/20240406224402/https://www.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Family-and-whanau/Notice-of-intended-marriage-where-both-parties-ordinarily-resident-outside-NZ-BDM58.pdf">Notice of intended marriage where parties are ordinarily resident outside form BDM 58 (PDF 367KB)</a></p><p><a href="/web/20240406224402/https://www.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Family-and-whanau/Notice-of-intended-marriage-where-both-parties-ordinarily-resident-outside-NZ-BDM58-accessible-alternative.txt">Notice of intended marriage where parties are ordinarily resident outside form BDM 58 — accessible alternative (TXT 26KB)</a></p><h4>2. Sign the declaration</h4><p>You need to sign the declaration in front of an authorised person. Check the form for a list of people who can witness your declaration.</p><h4>3. Pay the fee</h4><p>Send it to the <a href="/web/20240406224402/https://www.govt.nz/organisations/births-deaths-and-marriages/births-deaths-marriages-offices/in-new-zealand/">Births, Deaths and Marriages office</a>. Include an international bank draft in NZ dollars to pay the fee. Make it payable to the Department of Internal Affairs.</p><h4>4. When you arrive in NZ</h4><p>You’ll need to visit a registry office to sign a declaration before your ceremony. There’s a list of addresses on the application form.</p></div> </details> <h2>Cost</h2><h3>Personalised ceremony</h3><p>The marriage licence costs $150. </p><p>Celebrants set their own fees on top of the cost of the licence. </p><h3>Registry ceremony</h3><p>The marriage licence costs $150. </p><p>The ceremony has a set fee of $90, which you pay to the celebrant in advance</p><h2>Who can get it</h2><p>Most people can get a marriage licence. Same-sex marriages are legal in New Zealand.</p><p>You do not need to be a New Zealand citizen. Visitors to New Zealand can marry or have a civil union here.</p><div class="accordion-toggle inline-accordion"> <div class="accordion-trigger"> <span class="accordion-title"> <button type="button" class="accordion-toggle__btn" hidden="">Expand all</button> </span> </div> </div> <details class="accordion-item inline-accordion expander-type-accordion heading-h2"> <summary class="accordion-item-button accordion-trigger" data-ga-event="click" data-ga-category="In-page accordion" data-ga-action="Who cannot legally marry" data-ga-label=""> <h2> <span class="accordion-icon" aria-hidden="true"></span> <span class="accordion-title">Who cannot legally marry </span> </h2> </summary> <div class="accordion-content"><p>You cannot legally marry if you’re:</p><ul> <li>already married or in a civil union, unless you’re changing your relationship with the same person</li> <li>closely related by birth, marriage or adoption</li> <li>under 16.</li> </ul><p><a class="ss-broken" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240406224402/http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1955/0092/latest/DLM292028.html?src=qs">Full list of people you cannot marry — Marriage Act 1955</a></p></div> </details> <details class="accordion-item inline-accordion expander-type-accordion heading-h2"> <summary class="accordion-item-button accordion-trigger" data-ga-event="click" data-ga-category="In-page accordion" data-ga-action="If you’re 16 or 17" data-ga-label=""> <h2> <span class="accordion-icon" aria-hidden="true"></span> <span class="accordion-title">If you’re 16 or 17 </span> </h2> </summary> <div class="accordion-content"><p>You need consent from a Family Court Judge before you can marry.</p><p><a title="Get consent to marry if you’re aged 16 or 17" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240406224402/https://www.justice.govt.nz/family/get-consent-to-marry-if-you-are-16-or-17/">Get consent to marry if you’re aged 16 or 17</a></p><p>If you get consent, you’ll be given a Court Order. You need to attach the Court Order to your marriage licence application form and post it to <a href="/web/20240406224402/https://www.govt.nz/organisations/births-deaths-and-marriages/births-deaths-marriages-offices/in-new-zealand/">Births, Deaths and Marriages</a>.</p></div> </details> <h2>What happens after you apply for a licence</h2><div class="accordion-toggle inline-accordion"> <div class="accordion-trigger"> <span class="accordion-title"> <button type="button" class="accordion-toggle__btn" hidden="">Expand all</button> </span> </div> </div> <details class="accordion-item inline-accordion expander-type-accordion heading-h3"> <summary class="accordion-item-button accordion-trigger" data-ga-event="click" data-ga-category="In-page accordion" data-ga-action="If you’re having a personalised ceremony" data-ga-label=""> <h3> <span class="accordion-icon" aria-hidden="true"></span> <span class="accordion-title">If you’re having a personalised ceremony </span> </h3> </summary> <div class="accordion-content"><p>You’ll be sent the licence, and 2 copies of the “Copy of Particulars of Marriage” — a form with all the details of the people getting married.</p><p>Give all 3 of these documents to your celebrant before your wedding.</p></div> </details> <details class="accordion-item inline-accordion expander-type-accordion heading-h3"> <summary class="accordion-item-button accordion-trigger" data-ga-event="click" data-ga-category="In-page accordion" data-ga-action="If you’re having a registry ceremony" data-ga-label=""> <h3> <span class="accordion-icon" aria-hidden="true"></span> <span class="accordion-title">If you’re having a registry ceremony </span> </h3> </summary> <div class="accordion-content"><p>Your celebrant will be sent the licence, and 2 copies of the “Copy of Particulars of Marriage” — a form with all the details of the people getting married.</p><p>You do not need to do anything else until the ceremony.</p></div> </details> <div class="callout-note" role="note"> <p><strong>Tip:</strong> Put a back-up venue in your application. 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