Checklist
Documents Required for Marriage Registration
The complete list for court marriage and marriage registration in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad — broken down by situation, including what changes for divorcees, NRIs, foreign nationals and older marriages. Get this right and most of the process takes care of itself.
The core set, everyone needs these
- Age proof for both partiesBirth certificate, Class X board certificate, passport or driving licence. The groom must have completed 21 years and the bride 18.
- Address proof for both partiesAadhaar, voter ID, passport, a recent electricity or water bill, or a registered rent agreement.
- Photo identity for both partiesAadhaar, PAN, passport or voter ID.
- Passport-size photographsSix to eight of each of you, plus a joint photograph. Offices differ; carry extras.
- WitnessesTwo for registration, three for a Special Marriage Act marriage. Each brings their own photo ID and address proof and attends in person.
- Completed application and affidavitsThe prescribed forms plus affidavits of marital status, date of birth and residence.
If the wedding has already happened
This is the group most people fall into, and it is the group that most often arrives at the counter with a gap. Identity documents prove who you are. They do not prove you got married. You also need:
- Wedding invitation cardThe printed card, with both names and the date.
- Photographs of the ceremonyShowing the rites clearly — the havan, the pheras, the nikah, the church service.
- Certificate from whoever solemnised itThe priest, temple, gurudwara, Arya Samaj, church or Qazi, on their letterhead.
No card, no photographer, no priest’s letter is a solvable problem — usually through affidavits from people who were present. But it needs solving before the appointment, not discovered at the counter. Tell us early.
If either of you was married before
- DivorcedThe certified decree of divorce, final and with no appeal pending. A foreign decree usually needs apostille or attestation and may need recognition in India.
- WidowedThe death certificate of the former spouse.
- Annulled marriageThe decree of nullity.
If one of you is a foreign national
- PassportValid, with the pages showing the current Indian entry stamp.
- Valid visaCovering the marriage and registration dates. Permitted categories change — check the current position rather than relying on what someone did last year.
- No Impediment CertificateFrom their embassy or consulate in India, confirming there is no legal obstacle to their marrying. Apply for this first; it is usually the slowest step.
- Proof of residence in IndiaFor the 30-day notice period — rent agreement, landlord or hotel letter, and in some districts a police report or C-Form.
- Certified translationsFor any document not in English.
Detail on this route is on the foreigner marriage page.
If you are an NRI or OCI
- Passport and OCI card, or valid visaWith the current entry stamp.
- Proof of overseas addressUtility bill, bank statement, lease or driving licence.
- Proof of Indian residenceOnly where you are the party relying on the 30-day residence requirement for a Special Marriage Act marriage.
See NRI marriage registration for how to fit this into a short trip.
What actually gets files rejected
In our experience it is almost never a missing document. It is a document that exists but disagrees with another one.
- Name mismatches. A middle name on Aadhaar that is missing from the passport. A surname spelled two ways. An initial expanded on one document and not another.
- Date of birth mismatches between the school certificate and the voter ID.
- Father’s name recorded differently across documents.
- Address that no longer matches where you actually live, when residence matters for jurisdiction.
- An Aadhaar that has not been updated — fatal in Uttar Pradesh, where verification is automated and an officer cannot exercise judgement.
Fixing these takes days. Discovering them at the counter costs you the appointment, and sometimes a flight. Have someone read the file adversarially before you go.
How to prepare the file
- Collect originals of everything on your list.
- Make two sets of self-attested photocopies. Originals are inspected and returned; copies are retained.
- Lay the documents side by side and check every name, date and parent’s name against each other, not just against your memory.
- Fix any mismatch before booking the appointment.
- Confirm your witnesses can attend on the day and have their own ID.
- Carry everything, including documents you think you will not need.