Legal Documentation
Arranging marriage documents for a foreign country on your own can be very time-consuming and frustrating. NZ Wedding Services will arrange all the necessary documentation on your behalf before you come to NZ leaving you more time and energy to enjoy your honeymoon!

NZ marriage documents are recognized in the USA, UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and most other countries, however you should check with the authorities in the country where you normally live to see if there are any special steps you must take or rules that apply when you marry in New Zealand.

Obtaining a NZ Marriage Licence
Anybody can marry in New Zealand, as long as they are legally free to marry. Under New Zealand law this means that:

• They are not married already (or if they have been married, the marriage has been dissolved by a court of law).
  
• They are old enough (16 or over, although parental consent is required if either party is under 20 years old).
  
• They are not closely related by blood, marriage or adoption. Details of these "prohibited" marriages appear on the form "Notice of Intended Marriage", which is used to apply for a marriage licence.

Our company has special permission to apply for a NZ Marriage Licence on your behalf and the licence fee is included in all of our wedding packages. You are not required to provide copies of passports or birth certificates to apply for a NZ Marriage Licence and blood tests and other complicated acts are also not required to marry in NZ. You will need to provide copies of the Decree Absolute or equivalent proof of the dissolution of your marriage if you have been divorced.

NZ law requires that you make a statutory declaration in person stating that there is no lawful impediment to the marriage (ie. no legal reason that you cannot marry), that the details you give are true, that the bride and groom are not within the "prohibited degrees of relationship" and that parental consent has been given (where relevant).

This MUST be done before your wedding either:

• In the presence of a Registrar of Marriages in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch.
  
• Or in the presence of a Commonwealth representative in your home country. This must be done no earlier than three months prior to the wedding date, as the licence is valid for three months only. Please click here for a list of the NZ Embassies & High Commission's overseas and here for a list of countries who are members of the Commonwealth.

When planning your itinerary, please note that time on a week day PRIOR to your wedding must be set aside in order to uplift your marriage licence from the government office. Marriage licence offices are only open on weekdays (not public holidays) during normal working hours (9am to 5pm). We will advise which office is going to be most suitable for you and will provide assistance including transport. Please click here to download the information we will require to apply for a marriage licence on your behalf.

The government office closes over Christmas & New Year (generally 23 Dec. - 03 Jan. inclusive), so if you wish to marry during this period you must arrive in Christchurch, Auckland or Wellington on, or prior to, 22 December. Alternatively, you can sign the statutory declaration section of the licence application in the presence of a Commonwealth representative in your home country. This must be done no earlier than three months prior to the wedding date, as the licence is valid for three months only. Please click here for a list of the NZ Embassies & High Commission's overseas and here for a list of countries who are members of the Commonwealth.

Standard NZ Marriage Licence
Once your marriage has been officially registered in Wellington (this takes about 30 days after your wedding) we can then apply for a "Standard NZ Marriage Certificate" on your behalf. The certificate fee and courier to your home is included in all of our wedding packages. This is the legal document that is recognised in most countries including the USA, UK, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Authentication of NZ Marriage Documents
Some countries including Germany and Holland require additional authentication (sometimes also referred to as verification or legalisation) of the "Standard NZ Marriage Cerificate" before it can be used as proof of marriage. This is because foreign government officials and agencies are not always able to determine on sight the authenticity of foreign documents. The NZ Department of Internal Affairs (Authentication Unit) carries the primary responsibility for the authentication of documents.

In some cases authentication is still carried out at the Embassy or Consulate of the relevant country, however Apostille Certification through Internal Affairs in NZ is now available for use in countries that have signed the Hague Convention. The convention simplifies the use of public documents outside the country in which they are used by abolishing the requirement of authentication. Under the convention, the authorities of the state where the document originates attach a certificate in the prescribed form to the document. This certificate is referred to as an apostille. In New Zealand, the apostille will be attached to the document by the Department of Internal Affairs and the document will not require further authentication by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the diplomatic and consular mission where the document is to be presented. The convention only abolishes the requirement of legalisation between states which are a party to it.

Fees are payable at each stage of the authentication process if required and we will advise you if this is necessary for the country of your residence.

Please take the time to read through the answers to our Frequently Asked Questions