Notification requirements for marriage

Information

Following the commencement of Part 6 of the Civil Registration Act 2004, anyone notifying a Registrar after 5 November 2007 of their intention to get married in Ireland must give 3 months notification in person to the Registrar. This applies to all marriages, whether solemnised by a Registrar or according to religious rites and ceremonies. The Registrar does not have to be the Registrar for the district where you live or where you intend getting married.

You need to make an appointment with the Registrar in order to give the notification. In order to ensure the notification is given at least 3 months before the date you intended getting married on, it is advisable to arrange the appointment well in advance.

If you plan to get married by civil ceremony and a different Registrar will be solemnising the marriage, you must also contact the Registrar's Office for the district you intend getting married in.

Rules

Since 5 November 2007, a couple getting married are required to to give notification in person of their intention to marry to a Registrar at least 3 months before the intended date of the marriage. The notification can be given to any Registrar.

When you make the appointment with the Registrar you will be informed what information and documents you need to bring with you. Generally, you and your intended spouse will be required to bring the following:

• Passports or driving licences as identification.
• Original final divorce decree if either of you is divorced. Further information will be required if it was a foreign divorce and you will require an approved English translation of the divorce decree.
• Deceased spouse's death certificate and previous civil marriage certificate if either of you is widowed.
• PPS Numbers

You will also have to provide information about the intended marriage such as:

• Whether it will be a civil or religious ceremony
• The intended date and location of the marriage
• Details of the proposed solemniser of the marriage
• The names and dates of birth of the two proposed witnesses

You will also have to pay a notification fee of €150.

When you attend the Registrar you will have to make a declaration of no impediment. 

The Registrar will issue an acknowlegement to both of you and the proposed solemniser of the marriage confirming the date of receipt of notification. This does not give you permission to marry. 

If all the information required has been supplied and there is no impediment to the marriage, the Registrar will issue you with a Marriage Registration Form.

Postal notification

If either of you are living abroad or are unable to attend a Registration Office due to serious illness, you should contact a Registrar to get permission to make your 3 month notification by post. If permission is granted, the Registrar will send you a form which you must complete and return.

You will still have to make arrangements to meet the Registrar at least 5 days before you get married in order to make the declaration. This is required before a Marriage Registration Form can be issued.

Court Exemption Order

In certain special circumstances, for example, in the case of very serious illness, you may be able to get a Court Exemption Order allowing the marriage to proceed without the 3 months notification. You should contact either the Circuit Family Court or the High Court in the area in which either of you lives for details on how to proceed.

This is an informal procedure. You may apply in person (without hiring a solicitor). There is no court charge for an application for a Court Exemption Order. However, if you hire a solicitor to represent you, you will have to pay him/her. The court will require you to show:

• that there are good reasons for your application
• that the granting of such an Exemption Order is in the best interests of the parties to the intended marriage.

If you are granted a Court Exemption Order, you still have to make arrangements to meet the Registrar at least 5 days before you get married in order to make the declaration. This is required before a Marriage Registration Form can be issued.

Declaration of no impediment

When you meet the Registrar you will be required to sign, in the Registrar's presence, a declaration that you know of no lawful impediment to your proposed marriage.

Marriage Registration Form

A Marriage Registration Form (MRF) is like a marriage licence.  It gives authorisation for a couple to marry and you require one in order to get married in Ireland. Providing there is no impediment to the marriage, the Registrar will issue you with an MRF. If you bring all the documentation and information required to the meeting with the Registrar, the Registrar may be able to issue the MRF immediately.

If the marriage does not take place within 6 months of the date of marriage given on the MRF, a new MRF will be required if you still intend to marry. You will be required to repeat the notification process. 

Cost

You have to pay a notification fee of €150.

How to apply

Three months notification can be given to any Registrar but must be given in person. 

Where To Apply

You can find a list of Registrars offices here. Contact details for your local Registrar are also available from your Local Health Office in the Health Service Executive (HSE).