Getting Married in Fiji

Note for Guidance to Foreign Citizens Who are Intending to Get Married in Fiji

1. Application for Marriage Licence
   Section 16(3) & Section 21 (1)
   Overseas visitors intending to get married in Fiji are required by law to obtain and sign a marriage license of their choice from a nearest marriage registry prior to the marriage ceremony.  It is important that the marriage parties must forward photocopies of their personal documents to the Registry for verification purpose at least two weeks before the wedding.  Original (Personal) documents to be presented to the Registry by the party on arrival.

• Original birth certificate;
• Passport
• Divorce and Death certificate if either one or both party were previously married
• The minimum age to marry without parental consent is 21 years of age.  If you are under this age you will need to obtain an affidavit made by your father giving consent.
• Certificate of Single Status (or) Certificate of no legal impediment is required to be produced by the following marriage applicant:

1. marriage applicants where one party is a local while the other is a foreigner
2. marriage applicants who were former citizens of Fiji
3. marriage applicants who are foreigners and residing in Fiji; and
4. Asians with Fiji residential visa, permanent citizenship and work permit intending to marry in Fiji

• Marriage applicants from Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, UK, and European Countries are fully exempted from producing single status certificate (except those were previously married and have divorced three years ago – they must produce evidence of their single status in some form.
• Marriage applicants from Japan must produce the Koseki – Shouhon, to certify their personal details.
• Asian Tourists with sole intention to marry in Fiji may be exempted from the standard marriage requirements covering the Asians and it will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
• Presence of Names of two witnesses who are 21 years of age and over.
• Marriage applicants from Asian countries including: China, Philippines, Pakistan, India, Korea and etc must apply one month in advance and produce police clearance together with other translated personal documents

2. Special Licence
   Section 21(1)
   Applications for a Special Marriage License can be obtained from Registries located in Suva, Lautoka, Labasa and District Registries in Nadi, Sigatoka, Navua, Ba, Tavua, Rakiraki, Korovou, Nausori, Levuka, Nabouwalu, Savusavu and Taveuni.  This licese is valid for 28 days effective from the date of issue and within this period the marriage must be officiated.  The Marriage Officer/Celebrant must satisfy that the license is still valid.
   
   
3. Notice of Intention to Marry Licence
   Section 16,17,19
   This type of marriage license is available at all Registries including the Assistant District Registrars located at rural and remote areas.  The notice to marry shall be filed in by the intended parties and posted up for 21 days in a conspicuous place for the members of the public to see.  If no objection filed in towards the marriage at the expiry of the 21 days, a marriage license valid for 3 months will then be issued to the party.
   
   
4. Marriage Officers/Celebrants
   Section 3,4 & 8
   Marriage Celebrants in Fiji are made up of two main categories –

• Government Officers who are working in the Marriage Registry and are registered as civil marriage officers
• Ministers of Religion of the Christian/Hinduism & Muslim faith or other suitably qualified person professing any recognized religion.  Their names must be registered and published in the Fiji Republic Gazette annually at the beginning of each year.  The marriage party is to ensure that the marriage celebrant assign to solemnize their marriage has already been registered.   If party selected to have the marriage in a garden, hotel and places away from the registry, arrangement for a marriage celebrant should be made two weeks before the marriage.  Traveling and meal expenses for the marriage celebrant should be met by the party concerned.
  

5. Witnessing & Signing of Marriage Certificate
   Section 21(1)

• Every marriage in Fiji shall be performed in the presence of at least two witnesses who can sign  their names and are 21 years of age and over;
• The particulars filled in the certificate of marriage in duplicate must be typed or hand written neatly with the same particulars as appeared in the special marriage license;
• All copies of the certificate of marriage must be signed by the party, witnessed by the witnesses and endorsed by the Marriage Officer/Celebrant.
• One of the original certificates must be given to the wedded couple while the second original certificate is forwarded with the license to the Registrar General’s Office, P O Box 2236, Government Buildings, Suva, Fiji, within 7 days ……….

6. Additional Religious Ceremony
    Section 36 (1) (2)
   Where the Registrar General or District Registrar has already performed a civil marriage, a religious marriage officer may perform further religious marriage ceremony or blessing.  No further certificate of marriage shall be issued by the religious marriage officer.
   
   
7. Embossed Marriage Certificate with "Apostille Stamp"
   All member countries adopting the agreement on the Convention have abolished the requirement of legalization for Foreign Public Documents.

The Convention was opened for signatures to member countries at the Hague on the 5th October, 1961.  The agreement includes public document which has been executed in one country and is required to be presented into the Territory of another country.

The Convention have allowed and include civil documents such as Marriages, Births and Deaths Certificates exempted from legislation of documents and the only formality required is the affixing of a certificate by the competent authority of the country from which the document is issued.  This certificate or stamp is titled: “Apostille (Convention de La Hague du 5 October 1961”)
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is equipped with the designated authority to certify public documents under the convention.

8. Marriage Fees
   The current marriage fees (VAT inclusive) are shown below in Fijian currency.  Payment should be made in cash, postal money order made payable to the Registrar General:

• Application for Special License    F$20.25
• Marriage officiated in the Registry    F$22.50
  (include normal standard Marriage Certificate)
  Marriage officiated by the Registrar
• TAPA designed Marriage Certificate   F$15.34
• Standard Marriage Certificate    F$5.63

9. Office Hours

Registrar General’s Office (Suva)
 8.30 am – 3.00 pm Monday – Friday
 Tel. #:  331 5280
 Fax #:  330 4917

 Divisional Registrar Lautoka
 9.00 am – 3.00 pm Monday – Friday
 Tel. #: (679) 666 5132
 Fax #: (679) 666 5132

 Divisional Registrar Labasa
 9.00 am – 3.00 pm Monday – Friday
 Tel. #: (679) 881 2477 
 Fax #: (679) 881 4181

 District Registrar (DOs)
 8.00 am – 3.00 pm Monday – Friday
 Nadi, Sigatoka, Navua, Ba, Rakiraki, Tavua, Korovou, Nausori,
 Levuka, Nabouwalu, Savusavu, Taveuni