Getting married in WA

The Perth Registry Office has two wedding rooms which offer magnificent views overlooking the Swan River. Friendly civil ceremonies are conducted Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) commencing at 9.00 am and concluding at 4.00 pm.

Grevillea Room (seats 35 guests)

Banksia Room (seats 20 guests)

All couples are required to lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage (PDF 884KB), identification (passport or birth certificate) and, if previously married, a divorce certificate or death certificate of their previous spouse. These documents must be lodged via appointment with the Perth Registry Office at least one month before the desired date of marriage.

To book your initial lodgement appointment you must contact the Registry’s Marriage Services Team on 1300 305 021. Appointments are a requirement.

Overseas / Interstate / Regional Couples

If you are located overseas, interstate or in regional Western Australia, you may be eligible to post or email the Notice of Intended Marriage (PDF 884KB), however,  you will need to arrange for your signatures to be witnessed by a qualified person (as stated on the Notice) . Original documents will need to be presented to the Marriage Services Team a week before your marriage ceremony.

On the day of the ceremony, two witnesses must be present to witness your marriage and sign the marriage documentation. Your witnesses:

• must be 18 years or older
• know either party
• can be family or friends.

Note: The Registry does not supply witnesses for your ceremony.

On occasion where the couple or witnesses do not speak and/or understand English the Registry will provide an interpreter free of charge. This includes Auslan.

As the Registering Authority for all marriages in Western Australia, the Perth Registry Office is the only establishment that can issue the certified (legal) marriage certificate immediately after your marriage ceremony. This certificate is used to legally recognise your changed marital status and entitlement to use your married name.

Note: The Perth Registry Office is not affiliated to the Perth Marriage Office which is operated by a private authorised marriage celebrant.

If you were married in Australia, a formal change of name is not always required if you wish to take your spouse’s surname. A certified marriage certificate, issued by an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, is usually sufficient evidence to have personal documentation changed to a married surname. The same process applies should you wish to revert to your maiden surname after marriage, using your birth certificate as evidence of entitlement..

If you were married overseas, you may be required to register a formal change of name with the Registry before your married surname is accepted by some organisations. Refer to Changing your name for full details.

It is recommended that you check with the relevant authority to determine their specific requirements.

While overseas marriages cannot be registered in Australia, they would generally be recognised as a legal marriage if it is recognised by that country as a lawful marriage. For evidence of your overseas marriage, it is recommended that you obtain a marriage certificate from their registering authority before you leave that country. The marriage certificate may require an official translation if not in English.

If you are planning to get married overseas, the foreign country's marriage authorities often require evidence that parties to a prospective marriage are free to marry. Such evidence may be a Result of Marriage Search Certificate from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages which certifies that you have never been married in Western Australia, or if previously married, no further marriage/s has been registered. Only the person who is a party to the prospective marriage can apply and applications can only be issued from the Registry Office in Perth.

For further information about getting married overseas visit the Smartraveller website.

For information on getting divorced or obtaining a divorce certificate please refer your enquiries to Family Court of Western Australia.

Although the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages maintains a register of Western Australian Authorised Marriage Celebrants, all requests for appointment must be referred to the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department. This also includes Ministers from independent religious organisations.

Ministers from recognised denominations should contact their Nominating Authority for further information about becoming an authorised marriage celebrant.

The Marriage Celebrant’s Online Portal is available to Western Australian marriage celebrants to complete and lodge marriage documents directly with the Registry online.

Western Australian marriage celebrants wanting access to MCOL should email MCOLSupport@justice.wa.gov.au for further information.

Marriage Celebrant’s Online Portal

You can apply for a certified marriage certificate if the marriage was registered in Western Australia. If the event occurred in another State or Territory please contact the relevant Registry Office.

Current as at 24 January 2018 and subject to change without notice.

Forms

• Refer to Marriage application forms.

Fees

The fees for applying for a marriage certificate:

• $55 Certified Marriage Certificate
• $36 Reduced Fee Marriage Certificate (for a Marriage or Birth or Death that was registered 75 or more years ago)
• $20 Uncertified copy of a Marriage Registration (+75 yrs. old)
• $35 Single Status Certificate (for each 10 year range)
• $42 Priority Service - processing the issue of a certificate in priority to other applicants (in addition to the certificate fee)

To get married at the Perth Registry Office:

• $190 Lodgement of Notice of Intended Marriage (non-refundable)
• $232 Registry Marriage - Ceremony Fee (non-refundable if cancelled less than 14 days of the scheduled date of marriage)
• $32 Marriage Ceremony Reschedule Fee (if rescheduled less than 14 days of the booked date of marriage)
• $55 Certified Marriage Certificate
• $45 Shortening of Time (if approved)

The following payment methods are accepted:

• Credit card - MasterCard or Visa only
• EFTPOS Debit card or Cash - When paying in person
• Cheque or money order - Payable to Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. When paying at a WA court payable to the Department of Justice.
• Overseas applicants - $AUD via credit card (MasterCard or Visa only) or international money order or bank draft payable to Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Refund policy

• The Refund Policy (PDF 541.32KB) outlines the circumstances that are considered for refund of fees paid for goods or services provided by the Western Australian Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages.

Applicants are required to provide at least three forms of evidence-of-identity documents before being eligible to receive certificates.

One from List 1, 2 and 3. At least one containing a photograph

or

One from List 1 and two from List 2. At least one containing a photograph

or

Two from List 2 and one from List 3. At least one containing a signature.

List 1 – Link between photo and signature

• Australian Driver’s Licence
• Australian Learner Driver’s permit card
• Australian Citizenship Certificate (with evidence of residential status)
• Australian Firearm Licence
• Australian Passport
• Defence Force/Police Id Card
• Western Australia Photo Card, Over 18 or Proof of Identity Card

List 2 – Evidence of Operating in the Community

• A financial institution Debit or Credit Card (not accepted for online applications)
• Australian Security or Crowd Control Licence
• Birth Certificates (birth extracts are not accepted)
• Centrelink/Veterans Affairs Entitlement Card
• Document of identity issued by the Passport Office
• Medicare Card
• Naturalisation, citizenship or immigration papers issued by the Department of Home Affairs
• Overseas passport
• Student Identity Document or Statement of Enrolment
• Working with Children Check card

List 3 – Proof of Residency

• Drivers licence renewal notice
• Financial institution statement less than 6 months old
• Motor vehicle registration
• Property Lease or Tenancy Agreement
• Shire/Water rates notice
• Student Report or Certificate less than 12 months old
• Utility Account less than 6 months old

For overseas applicants, the Registry will consider overseas equivalent evidence-of-identity documents.

Certificate applications can be submitted:

Online

Apply online at the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Online

In person

At the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Perth or at any court location in Albany, Armadale, Broome, Bunbury, Busselton, Carnarvon, Collie, Derby, Esperance, Fremantle, Geraldton, Joondalup, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Katanning, Kununurra, Mandurah, Manjimup, Merredin, Midland, Moora, Narrogin, Northam, Rockingham and South Hedland.

By post

Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
PO Box 7720
Cloisters Square
PERTH WA 6850