CBR012- Registration of Marriage in Sri Lanka or at the Mission

Steps to be taken if you decide to marry in Sri Lanka

Congratulations on Your Decision to Get Married in Sri Lanka!

We are delighted that you have chosen Sri Lanka as the destination for your marriage. To ensure a smooth and legally recognized marriage in Sri Lanka, please carefully review the following requirements and prepare the necessary documents.

Legal Requirements for the Registration of Marriages of Foreign Nationals in Sri Lanka

You are required to present the following documents to the Additional District Registrar in the area where your marriage will take place:

1. Valid Passports: Both parties must present valid passports.
2. Original Birth Certificates: Both parties must provide their original birth certificates.
3. Certified and Authenticated Documents: The following documents must be certified and authenticated by the Australian Passport Office and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) or the respective Foreign Mission in your residence country:

* Unmarried Certificate (for singles)

This must be an affidavit or statutory declaration signed by a solicitor confirming your identity and marital status (unmarried/free to marry) – Affidavit for Unmarried certificate.  Separate affidavits may be required for periods lived in different countries,  authenticated by the Australian Passport Office, DFAT, or the respective Foreign Mission in your residence country.

For Australians, the Unmarried certificate can be obtained through Certificate of No Impediment

* Divorce Certificate/Court Order (for divorcees)

* Death Certificate of Late Spouse and previous marriage certificate and Free to Marry Certificate (for widows/widowers)

* Name Change Certificate (if you have changed your name, including divorcees who have reverted to their maiden names)

4. Security Clearance Certificate: Obtain the original copy from the security authorities (link here). This certificate should be sent to the Civil Registration Unit of the Registrar General’s Department of Sri Lanka, indicating that you have not been convicted of any offense in the past six months. The Registrar General’s Department will issue a license to register the marriage based on this report.

5. Self-Declaration of Health: Submit a health declaration form confirming your health status. [Click here to download the format].

6. Tourist Visa: Ensure you obtain a tourist visa to visit Sri Lanka for your marriage. [For visa details, click here]

 Important Post-Marriage Steps

• Marriage Certificate Authentication: You must have your marriage certificate certified by the Consular Affairs Section of the Foreign Ministry in Colombo.
• Translation and Certification: If your marriage certificate is issued in Sinhalese or Tamil, obtain an official English translation from the Registrar General’s Office (www.rgdept.lk). This translation must also be certified by the Foreign Ministry and this Mission.

Only after these steps will your marriage certificate be valid for submission to authorities outside Sri Lanka.

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A Marriage can be registered by the High Commission and Consulate General offices, if

• One of the parties to the marriage is a Sri Lankan Citizen and has given Notice of Marriage to the Mission;
• The marriage may be registered in the High Commission after a lapse of twelve (12) working days from the date of receipt of the Notice of Marriage and within three (03) months from such date.

2. Where to apply? Forward your application to the following respective offices, closest to your place of residence

	Respective area	Office & Contact Details
1	New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Samoa Western Australia (WA), Northern Territory (NT),Australian Capital Territory (ACT), New South Wales, Queensland	Sri Lanka High Commission, 61, Hampton Circuit, Yarralumla 2600, ACT, Australia Tele: 02-6198-3756 Fax : 02-6198-3760 E-mail : slhc.canberra@mfa.gov.lk http://www.slhcaust.org
2	Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania	Sri Lanka Consulate General in Melbourne Suite 536, No 1 Queens Road, Melbourne, VIC,3004 Australia Telephone: +61 3 9290 4200 Fax: +61 3 9867 4873 Email:mail@slcgmel.org Web: http://www.slcgmel.org

3. Steps to be taken and checklist

	Description	Important details
1.	Application process and documents to be submitted	Application Form
2.		Valid passports of both parties
3.		Two (02) witnesses with photo identification documents
4.		Bachelor Certificate by both parties If he/she is a Sri Lankan, this should be obtained from the Grama Niladari (Village Headman) in the applicant’s city/village, which should be endorsed by the Divisional Secretary and thereafter by the Consular Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Colombo 01. If he/she is a non-Sri Lankan, this should be obtained from the Embassy/ High Commission of the country of his/her nationality.
5.		Notice of Marriage –Notice of Marriage Form B 100
6.		Declaration – Declaration Form for Marriage
7.		Proof of Residence
8.	Applicable fees	Notice of Marriage (General/Kandyan) AUD 45.00 Registration and issuance of a Marriage certificate (General/Kandyan/Muslim) AUD 69.00 Registration of Marriages under special License (General/Kandyan) AUD 89.00 Certified copies (General/Kandyan/Muslim) AUD 33.00 Caveat AUD 45.00 Application for marriage licenses under Section 24 (Notice of Marriage) No fee may be levied Note : Postage within Australia AUD 10.00 Outside Australia AUD 40.00
9.	Payment method	If the applicant physically visits the High Commission or Consulate offices, he/she can pay by Cash. Note: Credit/ATM/Debit cards AND personal or Company cheques will not be accepted. If the applicant desires to pay by a Money order,  direct bank transfer, please contact the High Commission or consulate for prior instructions. Note: If the applicant sends Money orders  directly credit money into the High Commission or consulate bank accounts, without prior instructions, the responsibility lies with the applicant for any loss/shortage or delay.
10.	Special Notes (Important)	Fees will not be refunded under any circumstance, after issuance of an official receipt; Translations will not be accepted as originals; All photocopies should be on A4 size paper; High Commission will attest the documents and return the originals to the applicant If the applicant needs to send/receive documents (by express courier service or speed post etc) on an urgent basis, he/she must organise them independently. The High Commission is unable to take any responsibility for documents lost or delayed in the post/courier.