# Foreign national marrying SA citizen



## Spiggles (Mar 19, 2014)

Hi All,

Can you please share your experience with me regarding marriage in SA?

I am getting married to a Foreign national soon, and need to clarify a few things.
We are getting married in Church, not in DHA.

1. Do we need to go for an interview at DHA before the wedding?
I see everywhere saying that we NEED to have an interview and get a report, however the marriage officer at DHA told us that we DO NOT NEED to.

2. If we need an interview, Immigration officer or Marriage officer(at DHA) which one do we need to have interview with?

3. If we need an interview, Does our marriage officer need to be present or can we just take a letter from him stating he is the officiator?


4. We know that my fiancée needs a Letter of No Impediment, copy of her current visa and Passport as well as a copy of my ID and photos. 
Are there any document I have left out besides application forms? 

Any help would be appreciated!


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## Yb2014 (Aug 15, 2014)

Hi Spiggles,

I got married last month in SA to a South African citizen and had to go for an interview. My husbands called few HAs to check whether we would need one and 75% of them said yes.

1. You need an immigration interview before your wedding. So the date on your marriage register has to be after your interview date. After the interview, you get issued a letter saying your marriage is not of convenience.

2. The interview is with an immigration officer at a HA. 

3.We took a letter from our marriage officer but were not asked to present it.

4. I took my passport, a photocopy of the visa stamp and the affidavit in place of the letter of no impediment as the UK doesn't issue one for a marriage in SA. One thing you need to remember though is that the immigration officer is required to verify your entry record in their system. Your entry record appears on their system only 3 working days after your arrival in SA though. I was running back and forth between the Johannesburg CBD HA, airport and phone to the head office in Pretoria as I went the day after my arrival...

Hope this helps!!


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## Spiggles (Mar 19, 2014)

Yb2014 said:


> Hi Spiggles,
> 
> I got married last month in SA to a South African citizen and had to go for an interview. My husbands called few HAs to check whether we would need one and 75% of them said yes.
> 
> ...


Hi Yb2014,

Thank you very much for your help and advice!
Our marriage officiant has asked local DHA and confirmed that an immigration officer will do a marriage interview for us.
However, the immigration officer told him that we have to provide a written consent (affidavit) from both parents stating they will allow us to get married along with all the documents as we are an international marriage???
We are both over 21 and no other source stipulates that we need an affidavit from our parents.:rolleyes2:


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## Yb2014 (Aug 15, 2014)

Yes... That's why it helped to check with different HA offices. Our marriage officer told us that this new requirement is relatively new and no one knows what the actual rules are... When you go for your interview though, they validate whether the foreigner has the valid passport, entered the country legally (i.e. Visa stamp on her passport) and whether she is free to marry. Then they issue 'Declaration Letter' confirming your marriage is not of convenience.

Our nearest HA office is Randburg but we ended up going to the Johannesburg CBD HA as they operated a walk-in service and seem to know the requirements.

Hope all goes well!!


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## Spiggles (Mar 19, 2014)

Yb2014 said:


> Yes... That's why it helped to check with different HA offices. Our marriage officer told us that this new requirement is relatively new and no one knows what the actual rules are... When you go for your interview though, they validate whether the foreigner has the valid passport, entered the country legally (i.e. Visa stamp on her passport) and whether she is free to marry. Then they issue 'Declaration Letter' confirming your marriage is not of convenience.
> 
> Our nearest HA office is Randburg but we ended up going to the Johannesburg CBD HA as they operated a walk-in service and seem to know the requirements.
> 
> Hope all goes well!!


I agree.
I have contacted DHA call center and they confirmed that we DO NOT need a written consent from our parents even though its international marriage as we are not under age.
We got a letter of no impediment from my fiancee's country, and she is also in SA on TRV. So all should be fine.:fingerscrossed:


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