Marriage Certificates Application in South Africa: Complete Home Affairs Guide
South African marriage certificates are issued through the Department of Home Affairs. For a civil marriage or civil union, the marriage officer issues a handwritten marriage certificate free of charge at the ceremony. If the marriage is registered and you later need another certificate, you can apply through Home Affairs. The first abridged marriage certificate is free, while a second issue or an unabridged/full marriage certificate is subject to the prescribed Home Affairs fee. For immigration, citizenship, foreign registration or document legalisation, you will usually need an original unabridged or full marriage certificate rather than only the handwritten certificate issued at the ceremony.
A South African marriage certificate proves that a marriage has been recorded through the country’s official civil-registration system. It can be needed years after the wedding for immigration, citizenship, a passport or surname matter, a deceased estate, pension administration, insurance, divorce-related records, foreign registration or another legal process.
The correct process depends on what you actually need. Someone getting married now follows a different process from someone whose marriage is already registered but who has lost the certificate. A customary marriage that has never been recorded also requires a different process from ordering another copy of an existing certificate.
This guide explains each situation separately, including civil marriages, civil unions, customary marriages, replacement certificates, unabridged certificates, marriages concluded abroad, deceased spouses, foreign legalisation and what to do if Home Affairs cannot locate the marriage record.
For other official South African document guides, browse the Certificate category .
What Is a South African Marriage Certificate?
A marriage certificate is an official document confirming that a marriage has been solemnised and recorded through the South African civil-registration system.
The Department of Home Affairs manages the solemnisation and registration of civil marriages, customary marriages and civil unions.
The document you receive at the wedding is not necessarily the same version you will need later for an immigration, foreign citizenship, legalisation or international family-law process.
If you need another South African marriage certificate later, the underlying marriage first needs to be registered in the Home Affairs system. Ordering another certificate and registering an unrecorded marriage are different processes.
Which Types of Marriage Are Recognised in South Africa?
| Marriage type | How it is handled |
|---|---|
| Civil marriage | A marriage solemnised under South African civil marriage law by an authorised marriage officer. |
| Customary marriage | A marriage negotiated, celebrated or concluded according to recognised indigenous African customary law and regulated by the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act. |
| Civil union | A legally recognised union registered under the Civil Union Act. |
Which Marriage Certificate Do You Actually Need?
| Your situation | What to request |
|---|---|
| You have just been married in South Africa | The marriage officer issues the handwritten certificate at the ceremony for a civil marriage or civil union. |
| You need ordinary proof of a registered marriage | An abridged marriage certificate can be sufficient where the receiving organisation accepts it. |
| You need the document overseas | Ask the foreign authority whether it requires an unabridged/full marriage certificate and whether legalisation or an apostille is required. |
| Your certificate was lost or damaged | Apply for another certificate. Do not register the same marriage again. |
| Your customary marriage has never been recorded | Use the customary-marriage registration process rather than applying for a replacement certificate. |
| You married outside South Africa | The foreign certificate remains the marriage document. Home Affairs can be notified so that the South African citizen’s marital status can be updated. |
What Certificate Do You Receive at the Wedding?
When a civil marriage or civil union is solemnised in South Africa, the marriage officer issues a handwritten marriage certificate free of charge at the ceremony.
This provides immediate evidence of the marriage.
Even after the marriage has been captured on Home Affairs’ records, the original certificate issued by the marriage officer can help when tracing the record or showing when and where the marriage took place.
What Is an Abridged Marriage Certificate?
An abridged marriage certificate is the shorter Home Affairs version confirming the registered marriage.
The South African Government currently states that the first issue of an abridged marriage certificate is free.
A second issue is subject to the prescribed Home Affairs tariff.
For a local administrative purpose, an abridged certificate can be sufficient. Foreign governments, citizenship authorities and legalisation processes often require a fuller certificate.
What Is an Unabridged or Full Marriage Certificate?
An unabridged or full marriage certificate contains the fuller official marriage record and is commonly requested when a South African marriage document will be used internationally.
It can be required for:
- Foreign citizenship applications.
- Immigration and residence applications.
- Registering a South African marriage with a foreign authority.
- Foreign passport or nationality matters.
- International estate or family-law matters.
- Apostille or authentication through DIRCO.
South African Government guidance also says that where one spouse has died and proof of the marriage is required, an unabridged marriage certificate is issued.
How to Apply for Another Marriage Certificate
If the marriage is already registered, you can apply through the Department of Home Affairs for another certificate.
If you have an old certificate, marriage-register information or another Home Affairs record, keep it available.
Check whether the organisation receiving the document wants an abridged certificate or an unabridged/full certificate.
Use the names, surnames, identity numbers and marriage information recorded when the marriage took place.
Marriage-certificate applications use the DHA/BI-130 marriage-certificate form in Home Affairs and consular processes.
Include the identification and previous marriage-certificate information required by the office handling the application.
The first abridged issue is free. Additional and unabridged/full certificates are subject to the current Home Affairs tariff.
This can help if you need to follow up with Home Affairs later.
What Documents Should You Take?
For a certificate application, prepare enough information for Home Affairs to identify the correct marriage record.
- Your South African ID document or passport.
- Your spouse’s ID or passport details.
- Both spouses’ full names as recorded when the marriage took place.
- South African ID numbers where available.
- Date of marriage.
- Place of marriage.
- Any previous marriage certificate or photocopy you still have.
- The completed DHA/BI-130 form where required.
- Proof of payment where the certificate requested is not free.
An old abridged certificate, handwritten certificate or even a clear copy can help Home Affairs trace older records and identify the correct marriage entry.
What Is Form DHA/BI-130?
DHA/BI-130 is the Home Affairs form used in marriage-certificate and marriage registration processes.
South African missions dealing with marriage-certificate applications require the form to be completed fully, normally using block letters and the required ink colour specified by that office.
If applying inside South Africa, obtain the current accepted version and instructions from the Home Affairs office processing your application.
What If Your Marriage Certificate Is Lost?
If your marriage is already registered, you do not get married again and you do not register the marriage for a second time.
Apply for another certificate from Home Affairs.
Provide as much information as possible about the original marriage so that Home Affairs can locate the correct record.
How Much Does a Marriage Certificate Cost?
| Certificate or service | Fee position |
|---|---|
| Handwritten certificate at a civil marriage or civil union ceremony | Free |
| First abridged marriage certificate | Free |
| Second or later abridged certificate | Prescribed Home Affairs fee applies |
| Unabridged/full marriage certificate | Prescribed Home Affairs fee applies |
The central South African Government marriage-certificate page confirms which services are free and which are charged, but it does not currently publish a clear current rand amount for every additional or unabridged marriage certificate.
Some embassy and historical government pages still display older South African tariffs. Confirm the current fee with the Home Affairs branch handling your application before paying.
How Long Does a Marriage Certificate Take?
There is no single reliable processing time for every marriage-certificate application.
The time depends on factors such as:
- Whether the marriage is already correctly captured on Home Affairs’ records.
- Whether you are requesting an abridged or full certificate.
- The age of the marriage record.
- Whether the original marriage register has to be traced.
- Whether names or ID numbers differ from the recorded information.
- Whether the application is submitted inside South Africa or through a mission abroad.
Some South African missions currently warn that applications requiring tracing of original marriage records in Pretoria can take many months.
Apply early. Do not wait until shortly before your foreign application deadline, especially where the marriage is old or you need an unabridged certificate.
How to Follow Up on a Marriage Certificate Application
Keep your application receipt and any reference information given when the certificate request is submitted.
For follow-up:
- Contact the Home Affairs branch where you applied.
- Take the receipt or reference number when visiting the branch.
- If you applied through a South African mission abroad, follow up with that mission.
- Use the Home Affairs Contact Centre for general assistance.
Phone: 0800 60 11 90
Email: [email protected]
Can You Apply for a Marriage Certificate Online?
The current eHomeAffairs platform advertises online applications for South African IDs and passports. It does not currently advertise ordinary marriage-certificate applications as a standard eHomeAffairs service.
Home Affairs has also moved branch appointment booking to MyHomeAffairsOnline, but booking an appointment is not the same as ordering a marriage certificate online.
Do not assume that because you can book a Home Affairs appointment online, you can download or order a full marriage certificate through the same service.
How to Register a Customary Marriage
Customary marriages are regulated by the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act.
For a customary marriage entered into after the Act came into operation, the normal statutory rule is that the marriage should be registered within three months after it was concluded.
Registration can be handled through a Department of Home Affairs office or, where applicable, through a designated traditional leader.
People and Documents Used for Customary Marriage Registration
Justice Department guidance identifies the following for registration:
- Both spouses.
- Copies of the spouses’ valid identity documents.
- A lobola agreement, if available.
- At least one witness from the bride’s family.
- At least one witness from the groom’s family.
- Family representatives where applicable.
The customary marriage registration process uses Form BI-1699, after which Home Affairs issues an acknowledgement of receipt, BI-1700.
Important Current Deadline for Previously Unregistered Customary Marriages
Home Affairs has announced that qualifying customary marriages that were not registered within the normal prescribed period can currently be registered under a special registration period that ends on 31 August 2026.
The special period covers qualifying customary marriages concluded before the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act came into effect in November 2000 as well as later qualifying marriages that were not registered within the prescribed time.
People who need to use this special registration period should visit Home Affairs before the deadline rather than waiting until the final days.
Is an Unregistered Customary Marriage Automatically Invalid?
No, not in every case.
Justice Department guidance explains that failure to register an otherwise valid customary marriage between one husband and one wife does not automatically invalidate that marriage.
However, failing to register it can create major practical problems when the marriage later has to be proved for:
- A deceased estate.
- Inheritance.
- Pension benefits.
- Property rights.
- Divorce proceedings.
- Insurance.
- Home Affairs records.
An official marriage record provides strong evidence that the customary marriage exists. An unregistered marriage can become difficult to prove when family members or other interested parties dispute it.
What About Civil Union Certificates?
Civil unions are one of the recognised forms of legally registered relationship managed through Home Affairs.
As with a civil marriage, the marriage officer issues a handwritten certificate free of charge when the civil union is solemnised.
If another official certificate is later required, apply through Home Affairs using the registered civil-union record.
Can a South African Marriage Certificate Show a Muslim Marriage?
Yes. Home Affairs changed its internal systems in 2024 so that marriage certificates can formally reflect the marriage type as Muslim.
Home Affairs also announced that existing qualifying records can be updated retroactively so that a reprinted certificate reflects the Muslim marriage type.
If this is the certificate wording you need, tell Home Affairs specifically that you need the marriage type reflected correctly when requesting the reprint.
What If a South African Citizen Was Married Outside South Africa?
A marriage solemnised in another country is different from a marriage originally registered in South Africa.
South African consular guidance states that there is no separate process that turns the foreign marriage into a newly issued South African marriage certificate.
Home Affairs can instead be informed of the foreign marriage so that the South African citizen’s marital status, and surname where applicable, can be updated on the National Population Register.
Documents Used to Notify Home Affairs of a Foreign Marriage
- A written request with the applicant’s contact information.
- A certified copy of the South African citizen’s passport, ID document or other accepted identity record.
- A certified copy of the foreign marriage certificate.
- An English translation by an appropriate sworn translator where the foreign certificate is not in English.
Home Affairs updating your South African marital status does not mean it issues a new South African marriage certificate replacing the certificate issued by the country where the marriage took place.
What If Your Spouse Has Died and You Need Proof of the Marriage?
South African Government guidance states that where one partner has died and the surviving spouse needs to prove that the couple had been married, an unabridged marriage certificate is issued.
This can be important for:
- Deceased-estate administration.
- Pension or retirement-fund claims.
- Insurance.
- Inheritance.
- Foreign estate matters.
- Property administration.
If you also need proof of the spouse’s death, see our Death Certificates guide .
What If Information on the Marriage Certificate Is Wrong?
Check the certificate for errors in:
- Names.
- Surnames.
- ID numbers.
- Date of marriage.
- Place of marriage.
- Marriage type.
- Other information appearing on the record.
If the certificate does not match the underlying marriage information, ask Home Affairs to identify the correction or rectification process that applies.
Changes to an official marriage record must be made through Home Affairs. A handwritten correction on your copy does not change the official record.
What If Home Affairs Cannot Find Your Marriage Record?
Do not immediately assume that the marriage was never registered.
Older records can require tracing, especially where names, ID numbers or marriage-officer information were captured differently.
Provide as much original information as possible:
- The handwritten marriage certificate.
- An old abridged or unabridged certificate.
- Copies of both spouses’ IDs or passports.
- Both spouses’ names at the time of the marriage.
- Date and place of marriage.
- Name or details of the marriage officer, if known.
- Any marriage-register or Home Affairs reference available.
Ask Home Affairs whether the issue is a tracing problem, an incomplete registration or incorrect information in the existing record. The solution depends on the actual problem.
What Happens to Your Surname After Marriage?
A marriage certificate provides evidence of the marriage and can be used when dealing with surname and identity-record matters.
If a South African citizen married abroad, Home Affairs can be informed so that the person’s marital status and surname, where changed, can be updated on the Population Register.
If you later need the marriage certificate to prove a previous or maiden surname for another application, keep the certificate with your other civil documents.
For example, SAPS can require documentary proof such as a marriage certificate if a maiden or previous surname must appear on a Police Clearance Certificate .
How to Apostille or Legalise a South African Marriage Certificate
Getting a marriage certificate from Home Affairs and legalising it for use outside South Africa are two separate processes.
DIRCO’s Legalisation Section can legalise original South African civic documents for use abroad by issuing the appropriate Apostille Certificate or Certificate of Authentication, depending on the destination country.
If the marriage certificate needs to be legalised for overseas use, DIRCO requires the original unabridged marriage certificate obtained from Home Affairs.
DIRCO also states that certified copies of marriage certificates are not accepted as a substitute for the original public document for this legalisation route.
Official information: DIRCO Legalisation Services .
DIRCO has announced that walk-in legalisation service will be discontinued from 1 September 2026. Individual clients will need confirmed bookings for in-person legalisation submissions.
What Happens to the Marriage Certificate After Divorce?
A divorce does not erase the historical fact that the marriage took place. The marriage certificate remains evidence of that marriage.
However, if an organisation wants proof that the marriage was legally dissolved, the marriage certificate alone is not enough. The relevant divorce order or divorce decree is the document proving dissolution.
For Home Affairs records, the divorce also needs to be correctly reflected against the person’s marital status.
What Is a Marriage Certificate Used For?
A marriage certificate can be required for:
- Immigration applications.
- Visa and residence applications.
- Foreign citizenship.
- Foreign marriage registration.
- Passport or surname matters.
- Police Clearance Certificate surname proof.
- Deceased estates.
- Pension and retirement-fund claims.
- Insurance claims.
- Inheritance.
- Property transactions.
- Family-law matters.
- International legalisation and apostille purposes.
Common Marriage Certificate Application Mistakes
1. Confusing Marriage Registration With Ordering Another Certificate
If the marriage already exists on Home Affairs’ records, request another certificate. Do not register the same marriage again.
2. Requesting an Abridged Certificate for a Foreign Application
Ask the receiving authority whether it requires an unabridged/full certificate before applying.
3. Losing the Handwritten Certificate
Keep the certificate issued by the marriage officer. It can help when tracing an older marriage record.
4. Using Old Certificate Fees From the Internet
The first abridged certificate is free, but current tariffs for additional and full certificates should be confirmed with Home Affairs.
5. Waiting Too Long to Register a Customary Marriage
The normal rule is registration within three months. Unregistered customary marriages can later become difficult to prove.
6. Assuming an Unregistered Monogamous Customary Marriage Is Automatically Invalid
Justice Department guidance explains that non-registration does not automatically invalidate every otherwise valid monogamous customary marriage, although proof can become much more difficult.
7. Trying to Legalise the Handwritten Wedding Certificate at DIRCO
DIRCO requires the original unabridged marriage certificate from Home Affairs for the normal marriage-certificate legalisation route.
8. Assuming a Foreign Marriage Produces a South African Marriage Certificate
When a South African marries abroad, Home Affairs can update the citizen’s marital status, but the foreign marriage certificate remains the original marriage document.
9. Waiting Until the Last Minute for an Overseas Application
Older or difficult-to-trace marriage records can take considerably longer to process than a straightforward recent record.
10. Using the Wrong Names When Tracing an Old Record
Provide the names and surnames used when the marriage was originally registered, including maiden or previous surnames where relevant.
Related South African Certificate Guides
Browse the Certificate category for South African birth, marriage, death and Police Clearance Certificate guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I get a marriage certificate in South Africa?
Marriage certificates are handled by the Department of Home Affairs. If the marriage is already registered, you can apply to Home Affairs for another certificate.
Is the first marriage certificate free?
For a civil marriage or civil union, the marriage officer issues a handwritten certificate free of charge at the ceremony. The South African Government also states that the first abridged marriage certificate is free.
What is the difference between an abridged and unabridged marriage certificate?
An abridged certificate is a shorter proof of the registered marriage. An unabridged or full certificate contains the fuller official marriage record and is commonly required for international or legalisation purposes.
What should I do if I lost my marriage certificate?
If the marriage is already registered, apply to Home Affairs for another certificate. Do not register the marriage again.
Which form is used for a marriage certificate application?
DHA/BI-130 is used in Home Affairs and South African consular marriage-certificate application processes.
Can I apply for a South African marriage certificate online?
The current eHomeAffairs platform advertises ID and passport applications, not ordinary marriage-certificate applications.
How much is an unabridged marriage certificate?
Home Affairs charges the prescribed tariff for an unabridged/full marriage certificate. The central government marriage-certificate page does not currently publish a clear current rand amount for every full-certificate application, so confirm the tariff with the branch handling your request.
How long does an unabridged marriage certificate take?
There is no single processing time that applies to every application. Older records and applications requiring tracing can take significantly longer than straightforward recent records.
When must a customary marriage be registered?
The normal statutory rule is that a customary marriage entered into after the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act came into operation should be registered within three months after it was concluded.
Is an unregistered customary marriage invalid?
Not automatically in every case. Justice Department guidance explains that failure to register an otherwise valid monogamous customary marriage does not by itself invalidate that marriage, although non-registration can make the marriage much harder to prove.
What is the current deadline for previously unregistered customary marriages?
Home Affairs has announced a special registration period for qualifying unregistered customary marriages that ends on 31 August 2026.
Can I get proof of marriage if my spouse has died?
Yes. South African Government guidance states that where one spouse has died and proof of the marriage is required, an unabridged marriage certificate is issued.
Can I legalise the handwritten marriage certificate issued at my wedding?
Not through DIRCO’s normal civic-document legalisation route. DIRCO states that the marriage-officer certificate is not accepted for legalisation and that the original unabridged marriage certificate from Home Affairs is required.
What if I was married outside South Africa?
Home Affairs can be informed of the foreign marriage so that a South African citizen’s marital status can be updated. The foreign marriage certificate remains the original marriage document.
Can a marriage certificate show that the marriage is Muslim?
Yes. Home Affairs has enabled its systems to record Muslim marriage as the marriage type, including retroactive recognition for qualifying existing records.
Official Sources and Home Affairs Information
- South African Government: Getting Married and Marriage Certificates
- South African Government: How to Obtain a Marriage Certificate
- Department of Justice: Customary Marriages
- Recognition of Customary Marriages Act
- Home Affairs: Special Customary Marriage Registration Deadline
- DIRCO Legalisation Services
- eHomeAffairs
Home Affairs Contact Centre: 0800 60 11 90
Email: [email protected]
9 Comments
Comments are closed.