Marriage

In Australia, the law says that marriage is the “union of two people to the exclusion of all others entered voluntarily for life”.

You can get married in a ceremony with a civil marriage celebrant, or in a church ceremony by an authorised minister of religion. The marriage will then be registered with the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

The Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department can provide information on registered marriage celebrants in your area.

If you wish to get married overseas, you should find out more information from the embassy or consulate of the country in which you would like to marry.  Foreign governments may require you to provide Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (CNI) before your marriage can go ahead. These CNI certificates can be issued by DFAT before you leave, but some foreign governments may require your CNI certificate to be provided by the Australian embassy or consulate within their country, and there may be documents, such as a Single Status Certificate, that you need to take with you.