Legal Marriage Requirements in Canberra
The basic legal requirements for getting married in Canberra, explained in plain Australian English.
The legal rules for marriage in Canberra come from Commonwealth law, not local wedding custom.
Here are the main points most couples need to know.
You can usually marry if
- you are both at least 18, or a court has approved a marriage involving a 16 or 17 year old in the limited cases allowed by law
- you both freely consent to the marriage
- you are not already legally married to someone else
- you are not in a prohibited relationship
- your celebrant receives a valid NOIM in time
You do not need to be
- an Australian citizen
- an Australian permanent resident
- from the same country
- religious
Before the marriage
You will usually need to:
- complete a NOIM
- give it to your celebrant at least one month before the marriage
- provide your supporting documents
- meet separately and in person with your celebrant before the marriage is solemnised
On the day
For a civil marriage, you need:
- both parties there in person
- the celebrant there in person
- two witnesses aged 18 or over
- the required legal words and signatures
If you want the shortest, simplest version of all of that, our paperwork-only marriage service is designed for exactly that.
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No fuss. No frills. No wedding. Just paperwork.
Ready to get married without the fuss?
We are private celebrants, not a government registry. This service is for couples who want a low-cost, paperwork-only marriage in Canberra.
- 1. Click Get Married and fill in the booking form.
- 2. Pay the booking fee.
- 3. Prepare your Notice of Intended Marriage with NOIM Easy and have it witnessed by an authorised witness.
- 4. Once we receive your paperwork, we confirm the date, time, and place, subject to our availability.
Want more than the legal paperwork? For a full ceremony, book a Canberra celebrant like Josh Withers. For an elopement, see an elopement creator like Elopement Collective. You can also browse the wider Australian Marriage Offices network.