You will receive your official issue Abridged Marriage Certificate (DHA – 27) on your wedding day. This is a hand written document issued by your Marriage Officer/Celebrant.

Normally within 2 weeks of your marriage the process will be completed by the registration of your marriage onto the Population Registry.

Any discrepancy – or documentation difficulty might delay the process.  Your Marriage Officer/Celebrant will probably be in touch with you to rectify the issue.

Apply at any Home Affairs office. (You will require a copy of your Registry Document from your Marriage Officer/Celebrant.)

The expected waiting time is 3-6 months.

You can also use the services of a fast track company who will manage the process for you.  Please make contact if you require more detail.

Your marriage is a legal contract with a financial component to it.

This is the most straight-forward application to Home Affairs for the registration of your marriage.  The end goal is that your Marital Status is updated from Single to Married on the National Population Registry.

Documentation Required;  

• A copy of your ID
• A copy of your partner’s ID
• 3 x ID photo’s each
• If yours is an ante-nuptial agreement, we will need a copy of the cover letter from your lawyer.

• This application to Home Affairs for the registration of your marriage is slightly more complicated.  The end goal is that your Marital Status is updated from Single, Divorced or Widowed to Married on the National Population Registry.  There are occasions where your divorce or even widow/widower status has not been correctly amended on the Population Registry.  It is important that we verify that you are in fact divorced, widowed or single – This can be verified by visiting the link – http://www.dha.gov.za/status/Status.html (follow the instructions given there) to ensure that Home Affairs will accept your application for your new marriage.

  Documentation Required:

• A copy of your ID
• A copy of your Partner’s ID
• 3 x ID photo’s each
• If one or both of you have been previously married, Home Affairs will require a copy of the decree of divorce/death certificate (whichever applies) which will be submitted on your behalf.
• If yours is an ante-nuptial agreement, we will need a copy of the cover letter from your lawyer.

We no longer require that your witnesses provide their ID documentation.

There are a few possible ways for you to manage the legal aspect of your Marriage in South Africa as an international couple.

The first option would be to exercise your right to legally marry without the celebration in your home country,
Your event in South Africa will therefore simply be a celebration of what is already legally in place  . .

No documentation or information will be required for Home Affairs, but you might prefer to have some reference to your Full Names in the vows that you choose with your Marriage Officer/Celebrant to enhance your experience of your ceremony.  (We will also very happily design and issue a commemoration certificate for your pleasure.)

The second option is to have your marriage legally solemnized in South Africa – but without the registration onto the South African Population Registry.

In this case, you will receive the official Abridged Marriage Certificate (DHA 27) from your celebrant/Marriage Officer – along with the right to receive an Unabridged Certificate (which will be required for the registration of your marriage in the country of your choice).

The most efficient means of obtaining this Unabridged Certificate is to personally apply at the nearest Home Affairs to you while you are still in South Africa..

If you are not able to personally apply you are allowed to authorize a family member to apply for an unabridged marriage certificate on your behalf. A letter giving the family member permission to apply on your behalf and to collect the certificate must be drawn up by you and must be accompanied by a copy of their ID and copies of your documents as listed below.”

A third option would be to apply through your nearest South African embassy, mission or consulate abroad.

Documentation Required:

• 1. A copy of the front page of your passport
  2. A copy of the Visa Page in your passport – or the last entry stamp through customs, found in your passport
  3. A copy of the front page of your partner’s passport
  4. A copy of the Visa Page in your partner’s passport – or the last entry stamp through customs, found in your passport
  5. 3 x ID photo’s each

• If one or both of you have been previously married, Home Affairs will require a copy of the decree of divorce/death certificate (whichever applies) which will be submitted on your behalf.
• A letter of non-impediment (certificate from your country of citizenship confirming freedom to marry)
• A letter of non-impediment (certificate from your country of citizenship confirming freedom to marry) for your partner.

Note: British Authorities do not supply this Letter to Common-Wealth Countries such as South Africa.  If you are a British Citizen, a sworn affidavit stating that you are not married, and that there is no legal impediment to your intended marriage will be accepted by the South African Home Affairs Office.

Each of you will be required to sign an Affidavit on the day of your wedding – This is a stationery document supplied by Home Affairs (BI 31) – Required to verify that you are using your international passport as a means of documentation (Your Marriage Officer will have this stationery on hand.)

As of December 2014 – Home Affairs have an added stipulation that all South African citizens applying to have a Marriage solemnized with any Non-South African citizen need to comply with the following:

• At least one of the couple that wishes to get legally married in South Africa will need to appear in person (with the correct documentation) at a Home Affairs Office (Preferably the same office where your Marriage Officer is registered- to make an appointment booking with the immigration interviewing officer..)
• The documentation (especially the “Letters/Certs of No Impediment”) will be verified by the official on duty to secure your Interview date/time (An Affidavit is permissible for all UK Citizens in lieu of this letter – Please request a pro-forma if needed).
• Both parties of the couple will have to attend the pre-arranged interview. Once the interview has been successfully concluded, an Immigration Report will be drawn up and submitted to the marriage section

Documentation Required;  

For the South African Citizen –

1. A copy of your ID
2. 3 x ID photo’s
3. If you have been previously married, Home Affairs will require a copy of the decree of divorce/death certificate (whichever applies) which will be submitted on your behalf. If yours is an ante-nuptial agreement, we will need a copy of the cover letter from your lawyer.
4. If yours is an ante-nuptial agreement, we will need a copy of the cover letter from your lawyer.

We no longer require that your witnesses provide their ID documentation.

 For the Non- South African Citizen –

1. A copy of the front page of your passport
2. A copy of the Visa Page in your passport – or the last entry stamp through customs found in your passport
3. 3 x ID photo’s
4. If you have been previously married, Home Affairs will require a copy of the decree of divorce/death certificate (whichever applies) which will be submitted on your behalf.
5. A letter of non-impediment (certificate from your country of citizenship confirming freedom to marry)

You will be required to sign an Affidavit on the day of your wedding – This is a stationery document supplied by Home Affairs (BI 31) – Required to verify that you are using your international passport as a means of documentation