Marriage is a new stage of life when a couple makes life-long commitment to each other. Before you speak the wedding vows to your beloved, please remember to register your marriage.
The minimum age for getting married is 16 years of age (Gregorian reckoning). There are no residential requirements for marriage and the marrying parties may be of any nationality.
Under the Laws of Hong Kong, you will have to go through the following procedures for solemnizing a marriage in Hong Kong:
- Either one of you has to give a Notice of Intended Marriage (the notice) to the Registrar of Marriages (the Registrar) in the prescribed form either directly or through a civil celebrant of marriages.
- The Registrar shall exhibit Part I of the notice in his office until the issue of a Certificate of Registrar of Marriages or the expiry of the 3-month period.
- The Registrar may, at least 15 days after the giving of a notice, issue a Certificate of Registrar of Marriages to enable you to celebrate your marriage within three months from the date of notice giving if all the statutory requirements are met.
- A marriage has to take place at a marriage registry by a Registrar; or in a licensed place of worship by a competent minister or at any other place in Hong Kong by a civil celebrant of marriages.
If the marriage does not take place within three months after the giving of the notice, the notice and all proceedings thereupon shall be void. You have to give another notice before getting married.
You can click on the following links for information of registration of a marriage, including giving the notice on the prescribed form in Hong Kong or from places outside Hong Kong, celebrating your marriage in different venues as well as post-registration of marriage taken place in Hong Kong before 7 October 1971.
Important Notice:
From 16 April 2012 to 15 June 2012, the bride’s room at Sha Tin Marriage Registry will undergo refurbishment to improve the quality of service. During the period, temporary facilities will be provided to serve the purposes of a bride’s room. Sha Tin Marriage Registry will continue to provide normal marriage registration services. Marrying parties may also make use of services provided in the four other marriage registries, namely, Tsim Sha Tsui Marriage Registry, City Hall Marriage Registry, Cotton Tree Drive Marriage Registry and Tuen Mun Marriage Registry.
- How to Give a Notice of Intended Marriagehttp://www.gov.hk/en/residents/immigration/bdmreg/marriage/marreg/givingnotice/
- How to Give a Notice of Intended Marriage from Places Outside Hong Konghttp://www.gov.hk/en/residents/immigration/bdmreg/marriage/marreg/intendmarout.htm
- Celebration of Marriagehttp://www.gov.hk/en/residents/immigration/bdmreg/marriage/marreg/celebration.htm
- Post-registration of Marriagehttp://www.gov.hk/en/residents/immigration/bdmreg/marriage/marreg/postreg.htm
Last review date: December 2011
