The marriage should take place in accordance with South African law. Should the couple wish to get married in terms of a specific contract, they should approach a South African attorney beforehand to draw up the contract. If such contract is not produced to the marriage officer, the marriage will be registered as "In community of Property".
The couple need to submit their original valid passports to the Marriage Officer on the day of the wedding. No other documents or any certified translations will be necessary. In all cases, whether being married by a Home Affairs official or a Minister of Religion, the couple will need to make an appointment for the ceremony. In the case of Home Affairs, they should contact the nearest regional office of the Department of Home Affairs to arrange such an appointment.
The couple need to complete a BI-130 form (Registration of Marriage) that will be supplied to them by the Marriage Officer. The form is also available on the website of the Department of Home Affairs. Should they only request an abridged certificate, they will need to pay R10.00 to the Marriage Officer. This will be issued to them on the day of the ceremony. However, should the couple also want to register their marriage abroad they will also have to apply for an unabridged certificate at a cost of R45.00. This can be done immediately or they can apply at a later stage. Such certificate takes six to eight weeks to be issued and will be mailed to them or can be collected at a Department of Home Affairs office. The recommended option is to first obtain an abridged certificate to have proof of the marriage and to then apply for the unabridged certificate at Department of Home Affairs before returning abroad. In most cases the signature on this unabridged version will need to be legalized by the Legalization Section before it can used abroad to register the couple's marital status.
Revision date: Wednesday, 17 October, 2018
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