B. Procedures for marriage registration

B. Procedures for marriage registration

Marriage registration requires giving of a Notice of Intended Marriage to the Registrar of Marriages in the prescribed form either directly or through a civil celebrant of marriages. If all the statutory requirements are met and the notice has been exhibited in the marriage registry for at least 15 clear days, a Certificate of Registrar of Marriages would be given to enable the marrying parties to celebrate their marriage within three months from the date of notice.

If you have successfully made an appointment for giving the notice at the marriage registry via telephone or online booking, either one of the marrying parties have to attend the selected marriage registry/office in person to give the notice as scheduled, bringing along proof of identity such as Hong Kong Identity Cards or travel documents of both marrying parties.

If you intend to hold your marriage ceremony at a marriage registry, you can use the appointment booking system within 14 days before the 3 months period preceding the date of intended marriage, which will provide you with the date and time of the appointment for giving of the Notice of Intended Marriage and the priority number to choose a time slot of your marriage ceremony on the intended date of marriage. On the day of giving of the Notice of Intended Marriage, you will be allowed to select the exact time for marriage registration at your selected marriage registry, on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Celebration of marriage shall take place in the presence of two or more witnesses.

Religious celebration and civil celebration

A marriage has to take place at a marriage registry by a Registrar of Marriages; in a licensed place of worship by a competent minister; or at any other place in Hong Kong by a civil celebrant of marriages.

For religious celebration, the parties need to consult the officiating minister for the exact date, time and place of the wedding, then make an appointment booking for giving the Notice of Intended Marriage only. After giving the notice and exhibition of which for 15 clear days, the Certificate of Registrar of Marriages has to be collected at the respective registry and pass it to the concerned licensed place of worship. No marriage shall be celebrated in a licensed place of worship in the absence of a Certificate of Registrar of Marriages.

For a marriage celebrated by a civil celebrant of marriages, the Notice of Intended Marriage could be given through the civil celebrant and the marriage could be celebrated after the issuance and within the validity of the Certificate of Registrar of Marriages. The venue of a Civil Celebrant Wedding is more flexible, basically it can be at any place in Hong Kong, other than the office of the Registrar and a licensed place of worship.