|
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 then 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 6-8 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. |
