Marriage registration is necessary
in India. Still there is no awareness about it. Marriage registration is
similar in importance to birth and death registration. Marriage registration is
different from Court marriage. In India there are two marriage acts (here).
Marriage registration certificate is useful if you need to prove that you are
legally married to someone. It is also useful to change your maiden name and
get a passport.
Normal people easily get mistaken by
court marriage and marriage registration. Court marriage is different from
marriage registration. Court marriage refers to getting married in the court in
front of lawyer and judge, where you need presence of two witnesses. In the
court there is no ceremony more than to garland each other.
From the point of view marriage
registration is more important for a girl than a boy, because a girl need to
prove she is married to someone.
There are two marriage acts in
India, here I am discussing about Hindu Marriage Act. At the time of marriage
the age of the girl should be at least 18 and the age of the boy should be at
least 21.
The real process of marriage
registration can be different in other cities and states of India but here in
Ahmedabad it is easy. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has Civic Centers and
Urban health Centers according to area wards, both centers can be on different
places, each area has different wards. Marriage registration is done in Urban
Health Centers. In future it can be transferred in Civic centers.
Marriage registration form is
available in each urban health centers. You will get three pieces of papers in
the form of form, there are two same information forms to fill about marriage
details and one is application form.
There is some fee for marriage
registration, if marriage registration made within 30 days of registration it
it’s only 5 rupee fee, after 30 days it is 15 rupee and after 3 months it is 25
rupee.
You need 2 stamp ticket of Rs. 100
for each detail form, there are two detail forms whose are same. You have to
fill same information. You can get it in GPO (General Post Office). It is not
recommended to stick the stamp ticket in advance because if there is any
mistake in the form you may be asked to resubmit the form. You can stick the
stamp at the time of registration in the office.
You need some documents for
registration such as photograph of bridegroom and bride of marriage ceremony,
true photocopy of identity card such as Election card or driving license of
both, true copy of school-leaving certificate or birth certificate or
affidavit. You also need to collect true copy of identity card of the priest
and witnesses. Self-attested copy may work, depending on the registrar.
On the marriage detail form there
should be the signature of bridegroom, bride, priest and witnesses, on the
application form signature of bridegroom and bride is needed.
The marriage registration process
can take more than two days, you can collect registration form from any urban
health center, it will take a day. You will complete the form and collect the
documents and signatures. You also need the Kankotri (wedding invitation card
from bride side).
You cannot apply in any ward or
office for marriage registration; it can be applied in only area where the
marriage ceremony of the girl was held. If bridegroom’s home is in ward A and
bride’s home is in ward B then the marriage ceremony (kanyadan and Vivah
Sanskar) obviously would be held in ward B. You should go for registration in
right ward otherwise you will be sent to right ward. If both are from same ward
there is no problem.
Sometimes the distance between
bridegroom’s and bride’s home can longer like both are from different states.
If the boy is from Ahmedabad and the girl is from Delhi and the marriage
ceremony was held in Delhi then the registration process will be done in Delhi
not Ahmedabad.
When everything is ready anyone can
go to the registration office (Urban health center) such as Bridegroom, Bride,
father or mother of bride or bridegroom. You may get the registration
certificate at the same day while applying for registration or you may be asked
to come later. You may be asked for some extra money from your Rajji Khussi
(willingness).
Registration is done only three days
in a week in any office as Money…Wednesday…Friday.
It is not necessary to take any
witness with you to registrar but registrar can ask to come with witness if
he/she wants.
It is good to go both husband and
wife for marriage registration certificate.
Registration process was easy for
me, though it took me 6 days (6 trips) to complete and get registration
certificate. The cost was about 1000 rupees including registration fee, stamp
card, petrol price and extra expanses while on trip.
This process can be easy of tough
for you, depending on the distance, situation and registrar. You can get the
regurgitation form, stamp ticket the same day. The other day you can get the
true copy of ID card and signature of priest and witnesses. And the next day
you can apply for registration.
Required Documents For Getting
Marriage Registration Certificate
1. Application Form
2. Memorandum of Marriage ( Two Copies with 100 Rupees Agreement Stamp on both copies)
3. Two photographs each of Bride and bride groom
4. Certified copies of Birth Certificate or School leaving Certificate of both Bride and bride groom (True Copy)
5. Certified copy of photo identity of the person holding marriage procession/ holding Nikah (Any one of the Passport, PAN Card, Election Card, Driving License) If the person holding marriage procession/ holding Nikah is dead then it should be clearly written in the Memorandum of Marriage that he is DIED.
6. Certified photo identity proof of the two witnesses(Any one of the Passport, PAN Card, Election Card, Driving License)
7. Wedding Invitation Card ( If it is not available then an affidavit on stamp paper of Rs. 20 has to be produced mentioning that “ OUR MARRIAGE WAS HOLD IN AHMEDABAD CITY AT __________________________________________ PLACE AND ON ________________DATE”
On production of the above documents in concerned ward where marriage took place, the marriage certificate is issued
It is not necessary for witnesses and the person holding marriage procession/ holding Nikah to remain present at the time of marriage registration. But marriage Registrar deems necessary he can call them.