Parties who do not wish to marry in a religious ceremony can instead opt for a civil ceremony pursuant to the Indian Special Marriage Act of 1954.

In case a marriage between an Indian and a foreign national is to take place in India, generally its required to file a notice of intended marriage with a Marriage Registrar of your choice in India. That notice is required to be published for the stipulated 30 days. At the end of the 30 days the Marriage Registrar is free to perform the marriage.

The notice of intended marriage can only be given in India, if at least one partner is permanently and the other partner temporarily resident in India.

If one partner is residing in a foreign country then the partner who is resident in India will have to fill out the Marriage Notice collected from the Marriage Registration Office of his/her choice in India and send it to his/her partner in the foreign country who will also have to fill it out. This Notice should then be sent back to the partner in India who will have to re-submit it at the Marriage Registration Office. After the stipulated waiting period of 30 days the marriage can take place in India. Under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 a certificate showing the signatures of the persons married, the registrar and the witnesses will be issued. This Certificate is required as proof of the marriage and when applying for a visa to for a foreign country.

Advantages Of Marriage Certificate:-

• Certificate of marriage is a document providing social security, self-confidence particularly among married women.
• Certificate of marriage is useful in getting the visa for the wife/husband. For the proof of marriage in foreign embassies in India and Foreign Countries outside India, you need to have Marriage Registration Certificate. While applying for Spouse VISA, the foreign Embassies ask for Marriage Registration Certificate is necessary.
• Certificate of marriage is a document, which provides valuable evidence of marriage. In the unhappy circumstances of disputes (whether civil or criminal) between the spouses relating to divorce, dowry, maintenance and other cases, Marriage Registration.
• It will be helpful in claiming the Bank deposits or Life Insurance benefits when the depositee or the Insurer dies without a nomination or otherwise.

For Registration Of Marriages Which Have Already Been Solemnized, Following Documents Are Required:

• Application form duly signed by both husband and wife.
• Documentary evidence of date of birth of parties (Matriculation Certificate / Passport / Birth Certificate). Minimum age of both parties is 21 years for male and 18 years for female, at the time of registration under the Special Marriage Act/Hindu Marriage Act.
• Affidavit duly signed by the couple.
• Five passport size photographs of both the parties and one marriage photograph.
• Marriage invitation card.
• If marriage was solemnized in a religious place, a certificate from the priest is required who solemnized the marriage.
• Affirmation that the parties are not related to each other within the prohibited degree of relationship as per Special Marriage Act.
• Attested copy of divorce decree/order in case of a divorcee and death
  certificate of spouse in case of widow/widower.
• Attested copy of divorce decree/order in case of a divorcee and death certificate of spouse in case of widow/widower.
• In case one of the parties belong to other than Hindu, Budhist, Jain and Sikh religions, a conversion certificate from the priest who solemnized the marriage (in case of Hindu Marriage Act).