Couples can register their marriage and get certificates online
Getting married is a significant milestone in any couple’s life, and the process of registering your marriage should be as seamless as possible. Singapore is taking a leap towards digitization and convenience and starting from September 25th 2023, the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth announced on Wednesday (16 Aug 2023) that couples will be able to register their marriages online. The enhanced portal turns the entire marriage registration process digital, from application to the issuing of marriage certificates.
This guide will highlight the key differences between the current and new process, and walk you through the briefly steps you need to know to successfully register your marriage in Singapore.
What Are The Key Differences
The biggest difference would have to be the additional choice couples will get from 25 September onwards. Instead of heading down to the Registry of Marriages (ROM), eligible couples can complete the online process using their Singpass.
Another difference would be the legal requirement to sign a hard copy marriage certificate in front of a solemnizer. With the new process rolled out, couples will be issued a digital certificate via email after the ceremony, which serves as proof of marriage. Should the couple choose to get the ceremonial certificate in hard copy as a keepsake, they can request to do so (FYI, it’s also customizable).
On top of these major differences, couples should also know the differences between the current and new process – nicely summarised by MSF and MCCY.
What Are The Other Things You Should Know About?
For couples who like the human touch and would still prefer to do the solemnization in person. Great news, you can still solemnize your unions in person. Alternatively, couples can also choose to do it via a video link – an option introduced during the Singapore 2020 Circuit Breaker that has been made permanent.
On top of this fully digitalized process being rolled out, the enhanced portal will also provide mentoring programs such as Journey with You (JOY), which pairs couples with licensed solemnizers who will serve as mentors in their first year of marriage. Bersamamu (Malay for “with you”) provides Muslim couples with mentoring from their solemnizers in their first two years of marriage.
Step-By-Step Guide
Step 1: File a Notice of Marriage online
You will first need to file a Notice of Marriage on the ROM website – Our Marriage Journey, at least 21 days before your intended ROM date. Your marriage also needs to take place within 3 months of the notice, or it will be voided. When filling up the Eligibility Check on the website, you may check your for eligibility and whether your date fits in the required timeframe.
Before filing the notice, it would be also good to think about who you want your witnesses and solemnizer to be, as well as your date, time, and venue of solemnization. Moving forward, with the new process being implemented the trouble of going through these extra thoughts can be ceased if you choose to do all processes online.
Another good to note point would be that you can still make changes after filing, there will be a standard fee of $25 payable before each application for change. Apart from that, you would need to pay $42 if you are Singaporeans/SPRs or $380 if both parties are foreigners.
Step 2: Go to the Registry of Marriages to verify documents and for the statutory declaration
Once you have successfully filed a Notice of Marriage, you will be allocated an appointment date and time for the Verification of Documents and Statutory Declaration. This is so that a marriage license can be issued within the legal time frame to proceed with your solemnization. This appointment will take place regardless of whether your marriage takes place within or outside ROM in Singapore. Any requests to change this date are subject to approval by ROM. However, with the new digitized process being rolled out, you can conduct the declaration online as well. This would be excellent if you are as busy as a bee! On top of that, it can save you the hassles of bringing along important documents such as NRIC and a printout of your Summary of Notice of Marriage.
Step 3: Proceed to marriage solemnization, in the presence of a licensed solemnizer and 2 witnesses above 21 years old
After all that planning, it’s finally D-day! As mentioned, currently couples are required to sign the marriage certificate and the solemnizer returns the signed certificate to ROM. However with the new process, it is optional for couples to sign the ceremonial certificate, and the solemnizer registers the couples’ marriage online as well.
After a period, couples will receive a digital certificate of marriage over email!
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