# 189 Visa - Marriage Certificate



## mathew2k (Jul 17, 2014)

Dear All Experts,

can you please help answering my doubt.

I'm busy lodging the visa application and i had gone through the document checklist and i found that i need to provide proof for our marriage. What i have is an Indian christian church marriage certificate. which states our names, our old passport numbers and date of marriage etc. is this a valid proof document?

In My passport, My wife's name is added under Spouse name field
In my Wife's passport, we got my name added manually into a different page.

so is these info are enough to prove that we are married?

Can you please help me clearing the above doubts.

Mathew


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## mainak (Feb 14, 2014)

No

Religious institution issued certificates are not valid for immigration purpose.

You need a document which is notarized by a certified marriage registrar and the document should show all necessary legal stamps. Being a legal document, it would also show the jurisdiction of the registrar but that's not necessary.

If your current document has legal stamps and seals, then fine else procure one quickly.

Rgds


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## mathew2k (Jul 17, 2014)

mainak said:


> No
> 
> Religious institution issued certificates are not valid for immigration purpose.
> 
> ...



Thanks Mainak,

Since the spouse names are already there in both of our passports is it really required to produce a marriage certificate?

My current church marriage certificate is attested from govt of India and ministry of foreign affairs in UAE.

Will any of the above will suffice or I have to obtain new one?

Mathew


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## mainak (Feb 14, 2014)

Well, wait for CO then...

Forum is the experience sharing platform but we cannot vouch that this will happen - see if you get any other reply here...

Or wait by Case Officer to come and ask question/aceept


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## girlaussie (Nov 21, 2012)

Well your passports are just not enough hence you have to provide Marriage Certificate.

Is Church Marriage Certificate issued by Indian Authority? You guys married in India?

As per the law, 'If you were married in a country other than Australia and that marriage is valid in that country, generally it will be recognised as valid under Australian law' so if your certificate was issued by the government agency/authority where you were married then absolutely no problem.

Hope this helps.

Girl Aussie



mathew2k said:


> Thanks Mainak,
> 
> Since the spouse names are already there in both of our passports is it really required to produce a marriage certificate?
> 
> ...


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## _shel (Mar 2, 2014)

Names in each other's passports doesn't necessarily mean you are legally married which is the evidence DIBP need. A church certificate from any country is not evidence of a legal marriage. It must be issued as directed by the laws of the country, not a church.


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## girlaussie (Nov 21, 2012)

_shel sorry for being bit naive but I don't get this: church certificate is not evidence of a legal marriage? so if it is issued by the Authority would it still not consider as Marriage Certificate? 

Girl Aussie



_shel said:


> Names in each other's passports doesn't necessarily mean you are legally married which is the evidence DIBP need. A church certificate from any country is not evidence of a legal marriage. It must be issued as directed by the laws of the country, not a church.


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## mainak (Feb 14, 2014)

girlaussie said:


> _shel sorry for being bit naive but I don't get this: church certificate is not evidence of a legal marriage? so if it is issued by the Authority would it still not consider as Marriage Certificate?
> 
> Girl Aussie


A religious authority and a legal authority is not the same - ain't that true?

Main priest of a temple or the head of a church can declare any x & y married, does that make them married on paper?

You are married legally only when you register the marriage - which is done by Marriage Registrar, none else. Certificate issued by this registrar will have legal seal and stamps and also the authority of that registrar as another stamp. All these together will make the document legal.

At lease this is the scenario in India...


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## _shel (Mar 2, 2014)

Much the same in the UK. 

If you marry in a church/temple/mosque the council registrar attends and after the religious ceremony you go aside and sign the (legal) goverment register and get your marriage certificate. You will also get one from the officator of the religious ceremony but that is not proof of marriage. Only the one from the registrar is. 

Or you can get married only by the registrar in a designated non faith building if you do not want a religious ceremony, which is what many people do especially with so many mixed faith couples.


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## mainak (Feb 14, 2014)

_shel said:


> Much the same in the UK.
> 
> If you marry in a church/temple/mosque the council registrar attends and after the religious ceremony you go aside and sign the (legal) goverment register and get your marriage certificate. You will also get one from the officator of the religious ceremony but that is not proof of marriage. Only the one from the registrar is.
> 
> Or you can get married only by the registrar in a designated non faith building if you do not want a religious ceremony, which is what many people do especially with so many mixed faith couples.


I know another short of people do like the later case...

Who elope!!!


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## girlaussie (Nov 21, 2012)

Fair enough, thank you guys for the explanation.

Girl Aussie


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## amitferns (Sep 9, 2013)

Hi Mathew and rest of the team,

I received my grant and wanted to post a reply only after I received it. I was not sure if my church marriage certificate would be accepted. But it was. As per christian marriage act in India, marriage certificate is valid and we do not need to register it seperately. We need to go to mantralaya and get it stamped. Dibp did not raise any further queries. Hope this helps.


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