Be it a traditional marriage or court marriage, getting a marriage registered is important. The couple looking for marriage registration can visit the office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate under whose jurisdiction the couple got married or where either of the parties resided for at least 6 months. In the following article, we detail out the documents necessary for the process of marriage registration in India. Further the process with respect to the registration of marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act and Special Marriage Act has been discussed.
The requirement of documents for the registration of marriage in India varies slightly from one state to another. But the common documents are the same in every district.
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As mentioned earlier, marriage registration in India takes place under the Hindu Marriage Act or Special Marriage Act. The Supreme Court of India made it mandatory to register marriage in 2006 for legalizing it. Registration of marriage can be done online as well as offline:
A marriage certificate is an essential document that declares the marriage between two individuals legally. Registration of marriage online has been setting a trend recently. Registering for marriage online is a convenient process, cost-effective, and saves time. It serves a purpose in the pandemic situation where people don’t have to stand in long queues. One can register for marriage online through the following steps.
After the form has been filled and submitted, the Marriage Registrar summons the applicant on a given date and time. The parties to the marriage must be present on the given date with all the documents along with two witnesses at the Registrar's office.
In the case of registration under the Hindu Marriage Act, it takes 15-30 days after the submission of the form to send the given date and time by the Marriage Registrar. Whereas, it takes 60 days in the case of the Special Marriage Act.
Irrespective of the religion of the parties, the registration can be made under Hindu Marriage Act or Special Marriage. Marriage under both the Act is applicable to all the citizens of India. However, the parties to the marriage if belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jian, or Buddhist are eligible to apply for registration of marriage under this Act. Registration for marriage can be also applied for by a couple whose marriage has been solemnized.
By visiting the sub-registrar office where the marriage had been solemnized and under whose jurisdiction it comes, or where the partner has resided more than 6 months a marriage registration can be applied for. Hindu Marriages are solemnized according to the rituals and customs of either party.
Similarly, citizens of India can get their marriage registered under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. A couple can have their marriage registered under this Act by solemnization by a marriage officer. As mentioned earlier, it takes 60 days for marriage to be registered after filling up and submitting the form.
A notice with respect to the registration of marriage is put for 30 days and if no such objection is received, the marriage subsequently gets registered. In the Special Marriage Act, the registration of marriage is complete without performing any religious ceremony. This Act enables those parties who are not prohibited to register their marriage under Hindu Marriage Act.
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