Marriage in Australia (Canberra)
DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED TO THE U.S. CONSULATE GENERAL IN CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA BY A PRERESENTATIVE OF THE REGISTRAR
OF BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES. THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS ACCURACY AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE AUSTRALIAN REGISTAR.
To be married in the Australian Capital Territory, a notice of intended marriage must be filed with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages for a ceremony at the office of the Registrar, or by a marriage celebrant, or with the selected religious institution, not more than six months and not less than one month and one day prior to the marriage date. The address of the Registrar is below.
The notice of intended marriage can be submitted from overseas but must be signed by both parties and notarized by an Australian consular or diplomatic officer. Both parties must be free to marry at the time of signing the notice. Birth certificates or passports must be either sent with the notice or produced upon arrival in Australia. Copies of final divorce decrees or death certificates, if applicable, must also be lodged at this time. Copies of divorce decrees must be certified by the court where the divorce was granted.
No blood tests are required.
A fee of 30.00 Australian dollars in the form of a cashiers check drawn on a bank represented in Australia must be submitted with the notice of intended marriage. For civil celebrants, and additional 65.00 Australian dollars will be assessed. If the marriage is to take place outside of the civil celebrants office, up to 30 kilometers away, an additional 12.00 Australian dollars will be charged. For distances over 30 kilometers, the fee will be arranged between the civil celebrant and the couple to be married.
Notice of intended marriage forms can be obtained by writing to:
Registrar General's Office
P.O. Box 788
Canberra City, A.C.T. 2601
Australia
Notice of intended marriage forms may also be available at some Australian posts in the U.S. Australia has diplomatic and consular representation in the following cities: Washington, D.C. (202-797-3000); New York (212-245-4000); Chicago (312-645-9440); Houston (713-629-9131); Los Angeles (213-469-4300); San Francisco (415-362-6160); Honolulu (808-524-5050).
