Idoweddings2

Question: Do I need to obtain a Marriage Licence?
Answer: No. This is no longer required in South Africa. If you are from a country that does require a marriage licence eg. Sweden, please obtain this prior to your wedding.

Question: Do one or both of us need to be a South African Citizen?
Answer: No. Anybody can be married in South Africa as long as you provide the necessary documentation.

Question: If we are coming to South Africa to get married, is there a certain time we need to be in the country before the wedding day?
Answer: No. There is no time limit prior to or after the ceremony that you need to be in the country. As long as your Visa or Passport is valid for the date of the wedding.

Question: Can I marry outside?
Answer: YES, you can. The ceremony can take place anywhere. However, please note that the signing of the register needs to take place in a building.

Question: Do we need to have a roof over our heads for the ceremony?
Answer: No. This is not a requirement for the ceremony. Only the register needs to be signed indoors.

Question: Do we have to say vows?
Answer: A verbal consent to the marriage is required. Personal vows are encouraged and can be discussed with your Marriage Officer.

Question: Do we need to belong to a church?
Answer: No. We have no requirements in this regard

Question: Do you conduct marriages for couples from different faiths or religions?
Answer: Yes. We will shape the ceremony to suit you completely. We can incorporate aspects or elements into the ceremony that will be meaningful to both parties. Alternatively we can conduct a strictly civil ceremony or simply conduct a "Paperwork" service.

Question: Do we need witnesses and who can witness?
Answer: Yes, you need 2 witnesses. Witnesses can be anybody over the age of 16 years and who must produce a copy of their ID or Passport . They can be family member or friends.

Question: Do we have to attend Pre-marital counselling sessions?
Answer: No. This is not required. However we do offer this for couples who want it.

Question: Can we get married on any day at any time?(eg. Sunday)
Answer: Yes you can, there is no restriction on days and times? This is completely up to the Marriage Officer's availability.

Question: Will our marriage be legally recognized in other countries?
Answer: Yes. South African marriages are recognized in most countries around the world. We will provide all the necessary certificates and documents that you will need on request.

Question: When will we receive our Marriage Certificate?
Answer: Your Abridged certificate is issued immediately on the day of the ceremony. The Unabridged certificate will be processed in approximately 6-8 weeks, however, over the Christmas period there can be delays. Please see our documents page on this site for more information.

Question: What about Pre-Nuptial contracts?
Answer: If you wish to be married with a Pre-nuptial agreement, you need to have a lawyer draw this up prior to the date of the wedding.

Question: Will we be married under South African Marriage law?
Answer: You will be married under the marriage law of the country in which the man is a permanent resident.

Question: If our documents are not in English do we need to have them translated?
Answer: Yes you will need to do this at your own expense.

Question: Do our documents have to be certified?
Answer: No. This is not a requirement. However, the Marriage Officer may request to see the original documents for comparison.

Question: Do you conduct Blessings, Commitment ceremonies and Renewals?
Answer: Yes. However, this does not constitute a legal marriage. No paperwork will be issued.

Question: Can we have someone else (a friend or family member) perform the ceremony?
Answer: Absolutely yes. You can have anybody take part in any way that you wish. The Marriage Officer will need to conduct the legal side of the ceremony and the signing of the register.