Useful information
Getting ready
To get married in Australia, you must:
not be married
not be marrying a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother or sister
be at least 18 years old, unless a court has approved a marriage where 1 person is 16-18 years old
understand what marriage means and freely agree to marry
use specific words during the ceremony
give a notice of intended marriage form to an authorised marriage celebrant at least 1 month and no more than 18 months before your wedding
be married by an authorised marriage celebrant
You don’t have to be:
an Australian citizen
a permanent resident of Australia
If you are not an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia and you want to live in Australia after your marriage, you should find out about getting a visa.
Before you get married, you need to:
complete a notice of intended marriage form
give it to an authorised marriage celebrant at least 1 month (but not more than 18 months) before your wedding
Ask your authorised marriage celebrant if you need help with the form.
You can complete it if you are overseas and plan to get married in Australia.
If there is less than 1 month until your wedding, talk to your authorised marriage celebrant. You may be able to get married if a prescribed authority approves it. Reasons for getting married in less than one month include:
employment-related or travel commitments
wedding or celebration arrangements
medical reasons
legal proceedings
error in giving notice
Your authorised marriage celebrant will also need:
evidence of your date and place of birth (birth certificate or passport)
identity (driver’s licence or passport)
proof that a previous marriage has ended
Getting married overseas
Smartraveller has information on getting married overseas.
Overseas marriages cannot be:
performed by an Australian-authorised marriage celebrant
registered in Australia
An overseas marriage is generally recognised in Australia if it:
was a valid marriage in the overseas country
would have been a valid marriage here
You may be able to use your overseas marriage certificate to prove that you got married. However, some states and territories don’t accept overseas marriage certificates if you want to change your name.
For more information, visit your state or territory’s registry of births, deaths and marriages.
Marriage equality in Australia
On 9 December 2017, the right to marry in Australia was no longer determined by sex or gender.
In 2017, Australians voted in favour of marriage equality via a postal survey.
On 9 December 2017, the Marriage Act 1961 was updated to allow for marriage equality. The Act defines marriage as ‘the union of 2 people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life’.
Other rules to get married in Australia did not change.
Download the fact sheet :
Council permits and regulations
Do you want to get married in a park or garden in your City or Town. Please check with your Local Council to obtain the correct approval
Healthy Relationships
All relationships have one law. Never make the one you love feel alone, especially when you're there.
To prepare you for this next exciting step in your relationship click here to take a look at some valuable resources.
Wedding Ideas and Information
There are a number of Australian websites that offer comprehensive information and ideas to plan your perfect day.