Marriage is a solemn legal contract and it is vital that all the necessary preliminaries for a marriage be
 completed in order that the marriage is legally valid. The marriage provisions of the Civil Registration
 Act, 2004 became law on 5^th November 2007.

 This legislation brought about major changes in the procedures for solemnising and registering
 marriages in the Republic.

 The information on this webpage reflects the requirements of the new legislation and should be noted
 carefully. If you have any enquiries about the details in this section, you should contact the Marriages
 Unit at the General Register Office, Government Buildings, Convent Road, Roscommon.
 Phone LoCall 1890-252076 or direct lines +353 (0) 9066-32945/7/8/9, 32964 or 32970,
 or email via the ‘contact us’ option on their website : www.groireland.ie.

 However, to make an appointment to give notification of intention to marry (‘three months’ notice’), you should
 contact your local Health Service Executive (HSE) headquarters.

 (some counties have more than one Registration Office; the HSE will be able to advise you accordingly).

 PLEASE NOTE: This webpage is designed to provide general information on the solemnisation and registration
 (in the civil records) of a valid marriage in Ireland. It does does not purport to be a legal interpretation of the
 relevant legislation and should not be construed as such. Nor does it deal with the religious preliminaries which
 are required for church or other religious marriage. The relevant religious preliminaries should be arranged with
 the appropriate celebrant of marriages.

 SECTION 1: Preliminaries to a valid Marriage, including the Marriage Notification Process
                               THIS APPLIES TO ALL MARRIAGES

 To contract a valid marriage in this state the parties to the marriage must:
  * have the capacity to marry each other;
  * freely consent to the marriage; and, 
  * observe the marriage notification process as required by the laws of this State (detailed below).

 Marriage by civil ceremony is a civil contract. Marriage by certain religious ceremonies is also recognised by civil
 law as being a civil contract. Persons wishing to get married by religious ceremony should approach the
 authorities of the religious denomination concerned for advice on how to proceed, and also make an appointment
 to attend their local Registrar. Those wishing to get married by civil ceremony should make an appointment to
 attend a Registrar of Civil Marriages. Some counties have more than one registrar; the HSE will be able to advise
 you of their contact details.

 1.1 Minimum Age of Marriage:
 From August 1, 1996 (under the Family Law Act, 1995) the minimum age at which a person, ordinarily resident in
 the State, may contract a marriage valid in Irish law is eighteen years of age; whether the marriage takes
 place in Ireland or elsewhere. This provision also applies where one party to the proposed marriage is ordinarily
 resident in the State and is over eighteen years of age, and the other party is under eighteen years of age.
 All persons applying to marry in the State must provide a Registrar with evidence of age and identity.
 Failure to produce such evidence will result in refusal to proceed with the marriage. Persons aged under 18 must
 obtain the permission of the Circuit Family Court or the High Court to get married.

 If the permission of the Circuit Family Court or High Court has not been obtained and either party to the marriage
 is under eighteen years of age, the Registrar or person solemnising the marriage must not proceed with the
 marriage ceremony. Any party to such marriage, or any Registrar or person solemnising a marriage, who is
 convicted of knowingly breaching the provisions regarding the minimum age for the marriage shall be liable to a
 fine of up to €635.

 There is no requirement to obtain parental consent for a marriage.

 1.2  The Marriage Notification Process (including documents required)
 From 5^th November 2007 each person marrying in the State must either attend (by appointment only) at the
 office of a Registrar in person to give at least three months notification of intention to marry; or obtain an
 exemption from this requirement under Section 47 of the Civil Registration Act, 2004. For example, any person
 marrying on or after August 1st 2007 must have given notification to the appropriate Registrar on or before May
 1st 2007. Assuming all the legal requirements are met, the couple are then issued with a Marriage Registration
 Form (MRF) which is effectively a civil marriage licence.

 Transitional arrangements
 If you have already sent in a notification of intention to marry prior to 5^th November 2007 but are not getting
 married until after this date, transitional arrangements will apply as follows:-

 Roman Catholic marriages – you should complete a registration form (Form A) after the marriage ceremony
 which must be returned to a Registrar for the marriage to be civilly registered; you should also ensure that the
 priest solemnising the marriage is on the Register of Solemnisers (see Section 2.2 below)

 Civil marriages – you should make an appointment with your local Registrar (if you have not already met with
 him or her) and he or she will arrange for you to be issued with a completed Marriage Registration Form, provided
 you are free to marry;

 Non-Roman Catholic religious marriages – you should contact your local Registrar and he or she will arrange
 for you to be issued with a completed Marriage Registration Form, provided you are free to marry; you should
 also ensure that the priest or clergyperson solemnising the marriage is on the Register of Solemnisers (see
 Section 2.2 below).

 The requirement to give three months notification of an intended marriage is a legal requirement for a valid
 marriage. A marriage will not be valid in civil law unless three months notification has been given, or; unless
 permission to marry has been granted by the High Court or Circuit Family Court under Section 47 of the Civil
 Registration Act. Even where a court exemption has been granted in relation to the three months’ notice,
 the parties must still attend a Registrar’s office by appointment to provide the details set out below and
 be issued with a Marriage Registration Form.

 After 5^th November 2007 any couple proposing to marry should begin the process by contacting their local
 Registration Office to make an appointment to meet the Registrar to give him/her their marriage notification.
 Notifications can be taken only by prior appointment with the Registrar. While only three months’ notice
 is required by law, couples are advised to contact the Registrar well over three months before their
 intended date of marriage to ensure they can get a timely appointment. The notification details will be
 entered on a computerised notification system by the Registrar on the basis of the information given by the
 couple. When attending the Registrar’s office in relation to the notification, the couple must also pay the
 notification fee of €150 and provide the Registrar with evidence of their name, address, age, marital status
 and nationality.

 In general, all couples will be asked to produce:-
  * Passport or driving licence as ID
  * If either party is divorced, original final decrees in respect of all previous divorces
  * If widowed, death certificate of the previous spouse and the civil marriage certificate for their first
     marriage
  * Their PPS Numbers (where either or both of the parties have one)
  * Fee of €150 as above

 Additional documentation may be required in some cases, such as where a divorce has been granted outside the
 State and it must be determined whether it is recognised under Irish law. The Registrar will advise what is
 required in each case.

 In addition to their personal particulars, the couple will be requested to provide details in relation to
 their proposed marriage such as
  * the intended date of marriage,
  * whether they require a civil or religious ceremony,
  * the names and dates of birth of their witnesses, and
  * details of the proposed solemniser and venue.

 They will also both have to complete a declaration of no impediment stating that they are not aware of
 any lawful impediment to the proposed marriage. A list of impediments is contained at Appendix 1 at the
 end of this webpage.

 The Registrar will issue each party to an intended marriage, and the proposed solemniser, with an
 acknowledgement confirming the date of the receipt of the notification.

 It should be noted that these acknowledgements are for record only and are not intended to be a licence or
 certificate signifying the approval of the Registrar concerned to any proposed marriage. All the other legally
 required marriage preliminaries, as set out in this webpage, must also be complied with.

 A person who solemnises or is a party to a marriage where he/she is aware that the three months’ notification of
 intention to marry has not been given is guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine
 not exceeding €2,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or both.

 1.3 Postal Notifications
 In very limited circumstances (i.e. critical illness of one of the parties or one or both parties being resident
 outside the State) and only by prior agreement with the Registrar, it is possible for a couple to post a marriage
 notification to the Registrar. However, in such cases the couple must still attend the Registrar’s office in person
 at least 5 days before the marriage to complete their declarations of no impediment and produce the necessary
 documentation and particulars as set out above, and be issued with their MRF.
 NOTE:- Special arrangements can be made where one or both parties is seriously ill; the Registrar will advise you
 of these if required.

 Postal notifications of intention to marry should not be returned to the General Register Office; they should be
 returned to the Registrar who has authorised the notification to be made by post. In such cases, if either party
 has been previously married, they must submit the original final divorce decree or death certificate of the former
 spouse along with the notification. In the first instance, couples should contact a Registrar at one of the
 Registration Offices on the list below to discuss the matter. 

 The marriage notification can be given to any registrar. It does not have to be a Registrar in the area where the
 marriage is taking place, or where the couple are living. It may for example be more convenient for a couple to
 attend a Registrar near their place of work or business. Some counties have more than one registrar; the HSE
 will be able to advise you of their contact details. Whichever office you choose to attend, you MUST make a
 prior appointment with the Registrar in order to give three months notice of your intention to marry.

 1.4  The Marriage Registration Form (MRF)
 When the Registrar is satisfied that all required details have been provided and that the couple are free to marry,
 he or she will issue them with a Marriage Registration Form (MRF) based on the information they have provided.
 This is a critical document as it is effectively the civil authorisation for the marriage to proceed. All couples
 wishing to marry in Ireland (whether they require a religious or a civil ceremony) must first be issued with a
 Marriage Registration Form (MRF) and any marriage that takes place without a MRF having been issued cannot
 be civilly registered. The MRF should be given to the registrar or religious solemniser solemnising the marriage
 prior to the ceremony.

 It is strongly advised that couples bring all documents and information requested by the Registrar to
 their notification meeting, so that the entire process can be completed in one meeting and the MRF can
 be issued to them immediately. 

 1.5 Exemption of some marriages from the age and notification requirements:
 If one or both of the parties to the proposed marriage is under eighteen years of age, or if the provision of three
 months notification poses a difficulty, you may make an application to the Courts for an exemption order and the
 Court will then decide if the marriage should be allowed to proceed or not. Such applications are made through
 either the Circuit Family Court or High Court Office in the area where either of the parties reside, with whom
 contact should be made directly for details as to how to proceed. This is an informal procedure and you may
 apply in person without employing the services of a solicitor. There is no (Court) charge for such an application.
 For contact details of the Circuit Courts see the list at the end of this webpage or www.courts.ie. 

 The Court requires applicants for exemptions to show that their applications are justified by demonstrating good
 reasons and also that the granting of such an application is in the interests of the parties to the intended
 marriage.

 If the permission of the High Court or Circuit Family Court has not been obtained and either party to the marriage
 is under eighteen years of age, the Registrar or person solemnising the marriage must not proceed with the
 marriage ceremony.

 Any party to such a marriage or person solemnising a marriage, who is convicted of knowingly breaching the
 provisions regarding the minimum age for marriage shall be liable to a fine of up to €635.

 There is no requirement to obtain parental consent for a marriage or for the making of an application to the
 Courts.

 In cases where an exemption from the 3 months’ notice has been given, the couple must still attend the
 Registrar’s office in person by appointment at least 5 days before the marriage to complete their
 declarations of no impediment and produce the necessary documentation and particulars as set out
 above, and be issued with their MRF. Also, where an exemption is granted from the age requirements
 only, the couple must of course comply with the notification requirements set out in Section 1.2

 SECTION 2: The Solemnisation and Registration Process:-
                               Requirements for a valid Marriage in the Republic of Ireland

 The following is a broad summary of the procedure for marriages in this State. It applies to both Irish citizens
 and non-Irish citizens. In all cases the preliminaries outlined at section 1 above must also be complied
 with and a Marriage Registration Form (MRF) must have been issued by a Registrar and given by the
 couple to the person solemnising the marriage.

 2.1 MARRIAGE BY CIVIL CEREMONY:
 Marriages by civil ceremony may take place at the Office of a Registrar of Civil Marriages or at a venue which
 has been agreed between the couple and the Registrar and approved in advance by the Registrar. If you wish to
 have a civil ceremony at a venue other than a Registry Office, you must contact the Registration Office in the
 area where the venue is located and apply to have the venue approved for the solemnisation of your civil
 marriages. This may involve the Registrar making an inspection of the venue. In order that the venue can be
 inspected in good time for your intended marriage, it is recommended that you make these arrangements well in
 advance of your notification appointment with the Registrar. 

 Please note there will be additional fees for civil marriages at venues other than registry offices. The Registrar
 will advise you of what fees are due when you are giving your notification.

 Couples undergoing a civil ceremony must have been issued with a MRF by a registrar, not necessarily the same
 registrar who is performing the ceremony. As of 5^th November 2007, there are no longer any residency
 requirements for civil marriages. The ceremony must be performed in the presence of two witnesses who should
 be both over 18 years of age.

 At the end of the ceremony, the Registrar, the couple and the witnesses must all sign the MRF. The marriage will
 then be civilly registered by the Registrar on the basis of the information contained in the MRF as soon as
 possible after the ceremony.

 2.2 MARRIAGE BY RELIGIOUS CEREMONY
 Marriages by religious ceremony may be performed according to the customs and ceremonies of the church or
 religious body which is carrying out the ceremony. However, all the civil requirements set out in Section 1 must
 first be complied with and the couple must have been issued with a Marriage Registration Form by a registrar
 which they must show to the person solemnising the marriage. The solemniser must also be a registered
 solemniser, nominated by his or her church or religious body, and it is the responsibility of the couple to
 ensure that the person they wish to solemnise their marriage is on the Register of Solemnisers.              

 Temporary registrations of solemnisers of religious marriages are possible for those who only wish to solemnise a
 specific marriage or to solemnise marriages for a specific period of time.

 The venue for a religious marriage is a matter for the authorities of the church or religious body under whose
 auspices the marriage is being performed.

 All marriages, civil or religious, must take place at venues which are open to the public

 The ceremony must be performed in the presence of two witnesses who are both over 18 years of age. Both
 parties must make two declarations:- a) that neither of them knows of any impediment to the marriage; and
 b) that they accept each other as husband and wife.

 At the end of the ceremony, the solemniser, the couple, and the witnesses must all sign the MRF. The completed
 MRF should be given to a registrar (not necessarily the registrar who issued it) within 1 month of the ceremony,
 so that the marriage can be civilly registered. Please note that you will not be able to obtain a civil marriage
 certificate until such time as the MRF has been returned to a registrar and the marriage is civilly registered.

 2.3 USE OF INTERPRETERS
 The services of an interpreter must be obtained where any of the parties to the marriage, the witnesses or the
 solemniser does not have sufficient knowledge of the language of the ceremony to understand it.
 It is the responsibility of the couple to arrange this service.

 SECTION 3: RE-MARRIAGE OF PREVIOUSLY MARRIED PERSONS AND MARRIAGE OUTSIDE IRELAND:

 3.1 - Re-marriage of persons who have been previously married:
 If either party has been married previously (i.e. is divorced or widowed), it is necessary for that party to produce
 either a Divorce Decree (Absolute) or a Death Certificate, as appropriate.

 If either of the parties to a proposed marriage were previously married this fact should be brought to the
 attention of the Registrar of Marriages at the time that the notification to marry is being given by the parties to
 the proposed marriage.

 3.1.1 - In the case of a divorce granted by a Court of another State the following procedure applies.
   * If the Divorce Decree is in a foreign language, an English translation of the Divorce should be provided, duly
      certified by a relevant official body or recognised translation agency. In the case of a foreign divorce,
      consideration is given to the question of whether the divorce is recognisable under Irish law.
   * Where the divorce comes within EU regulations, it is sufficient to confirm that both parties to the divorce
      were notified of the proceedings and had an opportunity to give evidence to the court which granted the
      divorce.
   * Where EU regulations do not apply, certain information as to place of birth, countries of residence and other
      relevant facts must be supplied on a questionnaire provided by the Registrar. The information is then
      forwarded to the General Register Office, whose consent must be obtained before the ceremony can take
      place.

 The rules regarding the recognition of foreign divorces under Irish law are complex and it is advised that specific
 enquiries in that regard be addressed to the Marriages Unit of the General Register Office at
 090-6632945/6/7/8/9 or 6632970 through their website www.groireland.ie.

 3.1.2 - In the case of a divorce granted by the Irish Court the Court decree in relation to the divorce should
 be presented to the appropriate Registrar of marriages at the point in time when the notification of intention to
 marry is being given by both parties.

 It should be noted that a distinction exists between nullity, separation and divorce and the broad distinctions
 are outlined below:
   * if no valid marriage existed in the first instance a decree of nullity may be sought from the Irish Courts - a
      civil decree of nullity means that the first marriage had no legal effect and the parties concerned are free, in
      civil law, to marry.
   * If a valid marriage is in place and a couple separate (by judicial means or by agreement) re-marriage of the   
      parties concerned is not permitted;
   * If the parties to a valid marriage subsequently divorce (and this divorce is granted by an Irish court or
      recognised by this State) the parties concerned may re-marry in civil law.

 The procedures involved in seeking decrees of nullity, separations or divorces are a matter for the appropriate
 Courts and Registrars of Marriage do not have any function in regard to those procedures. Contact should be
 made directly with the appropriate Courts Offices.

 It should be noted that an annulment granted by the authorities of the Roman Catholic Church does not
 have any effect in civil law and persons who have obtained a church annulment only are not free to
 remarry in civil law.

 3.2 Marriage outside of Ireland:
 Marriages which take place outside the State are normally registered in the country in which they occur and are
 NOT registered in Ireland. Persons marrying abroad should ensure that all the legal requirements of the country
 in question are met, and should enquire as to the procedure for obtaining a marriage certificate from that
 country - the relevant Embassy and/or religious authorities may be able to advise.

 In particular, the Italian Embassy, (63 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4, tel: +353 (0) 1 660 17 44) can provide
 useful information on marriage in Rome. If a marriage certificate is in a foreign language, it should normally be
 accepted for official purposes in this State if accompanied by an official translation, or a translation from a
 recognised translation agency. If one or both of the parties to a marriage contracted abroad is or are
 ordinarily resident in the State, both of them must be over 18 for the marriage to be valid in Irish law.

 Certificates of Freedom to marry (also known as 'Civil Letters of Freedom', "Certificates de Coutume" or
 "Certificates of Nulla Osta") which state that a person is not married, may be needed for marriage in some foreign
 countries, and are not issued by the General Register Office. Irish citizens living in Ireland wishing to obtain such
 a Certificate should apply to the Consular Section of the Department of Foreign Affairs, 72/76 St. Stephen's
 Green, Dublin 2, Tel.: +353 (0) 1 4082568.
 Irish Citizens living abroad should contact their nearest Irish Embassy.

 The General Register Office has no function in advising on, or in the registration of, marriages which take place
 outside the State. There is no facility for registering such marriages in the State, and the civil marriage
 certificate would normally be accepted as the legal proof of the marriage. In cases where a serious doubt exists
 as to whether the marriage is recognised in Irish law, legal advice may be sought and an application made to the
 Circuit Family Court for a ruling under Section 29 of the Family Law Act, 1995 as to whether the marriage is
 recognisable under Irish law.

 SECTION 4: USEFUL ADDRESSES & TELEPHONE NUMBERS:

 Registrar-General of Marriages, General Register Office, Government Offices, Convent Road, Roscommon.
 LoCall 1890-252 076 or 0906-632900

 Department of Foreign Affairs, Consular Section, 80 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2.
 Tel. +353 (0) 1 4082568 (Civil Letter of Freedom for marriage abroad).

 United Kingdom Divorce Registry, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LP.

 General Register Office (N.I.), Oxford House, 49-55 Chichester Street, Belfast BT1 4HL.
 Tel. +44 (0) 4890 252 000

 The Embassy of Italy, 63 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4.
 Tel: +353 (0) 1 660 17 44

 The Embassy of the United Kingdom, 31 Merrion Road, Dublin 4.
 Tel. +353 (0) 1 2053700

 The addresses of the other embassies appear in the telephone directory under Diplomatic & Consular Missions,
 Embassies.

 Registrars of Marriage

 Locating the Circuit Family Court to whom an application for a Court Exemption Order may be made

 County Registrar and Circuit Court offices (with telephone numbers):

 Appendix 1
 Checklist for couples applying to marry
   * Make appointment with Registrar to give notification of intention to marry (notification must be given at
      least 3 months in advance of ceremony; couples are advised to do so at the earliest possible stage)

 Documents Required when giving Notification:-
   * Passport or driving licence as photo ID (if neither is available, you should discuss this with the Registrar when
      making your appointment);
   * If either party is divorced, original final decrees in respect of all previous divorces
   * If either party is widowed, death certificate of the previous spouse and the civil marriage certificate for the
   * first marriage

 (Additional documentation may be required in some cases, such as where a divorce has been granted outside
 the State and it must be determined whether it is recognised under Irish law. The Registrar will advise what is
 required in each case).

 Additional details required:-
   * the intended date of marriage,
   * whether the couple require a civil or religious ceremony,
   * the names and dates of birth of the two witnesses, and
   * details of the proposed solemniser and venue
   * PPS No if you have one (normally applicable only to Irish residents)

 Documents Required When Notification Process Complete
   * Declarations of no impediment (these is given to the couple by the Registrar when they are giving notification
      and should be signed by couple in Registrar’s presence);

 Marriage Registration Form (MRF) (this is issued to the couple by the Registrar when the notification process
 is complete). This is the couple’s civil licence to marry. It is a crucial document and your marriage cannot be
 civilly registered without it.

 Registering Your Marriage
   * Ensure that the MRF is signed by both parties, both witnesses and the solemniser immediately after the
      ceremony;
   * Return your MRF to a Registrar (from list below) within a month of the ceremony, so it can be civilly
      registered.

 Appendix 2
 Impediments to Marriage

 Capacity to Marry
 A marriage solemnised between persons either of whom is under the age of 18 years is not valid unless an
 exemption from this provision is granted by the Circuit Family Court or High Court.

 Monogamy
 Marriage is a union between one man and one woman. If at the time of the marriage ceremony either party is
 already validly married to a third party, the marriage is void.

 Mental Illness/Handicap
 One or both parties is incapable by reason of mental handicap or illness of understanding the nature and effect
 of the marriage contract (a medical report is required to establish the facts in such cases);

 Sex
 One party to a marriage must be male and the other female.