Marriage Registration FAQ — Delhi NCR & Gurugram

Court marriage creates a marriage: it is a civil marriage solemnised before a Marriage Officer under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, with a mandatory 30-day notice period. Marriage registration records a marriage that has already taken place and has no notice period. If you have had a wedding of any kind, you want registration.

No. It takes place in a government office before a Marriage Officer, usually the SDM or an ADM. There is no judge, no hearing and no litigation.

Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh all have compulsory registration rules, and the Supreme Court in Seema v. Ashwani Kumar directed states to make registration compulsory. In practical terms it is unavoidable, because without the certificate you cannot prove the marriage to a bank, embassy, insurer or passport office.

Yes. A validly solemnised marriage is valid whether or not it is registered. But proving it without a certificate is very difficult in practice.

You can register an already-solemnised marriage the same day in Delhi through the Tatkal facility, if the file is complete and consistent. You cannot complete a Special Marriage Act court marriage in a day, because the 30-day notice is statutory.

No. It is written into the Special Marriage Act. Any offer to shorten it should be treated as a warning about who you are dealing with.

In Delhi: same day under Tatkal, otherwise days. In Gurugram and Faridabad: usually one to three weeks within the 90-day window, longer after it. In Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad: usually one to two weeks for an Aadhaar-consistent file.

Registration of an existing marriage, comfortably. A Special Marriage Act marriage, no — the notice period alone is 30 days. Some couples file the notice on one trip and return to solemnise, or one party stays on.

No. The Special Marriage Act, 1954 exists precisely so that neither party has to convert. Both of you keep your own faith and the marriage is fully valid.

Completely. No Indian marriage law treats caste as a condition of validity, and the Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the right of consenting adults to marry the person of their choice.

No. An objection under the Special Marriage Act succeeds only if it establishes a breach of the statutory conditions — an existing spouse, an underage party, a prohibited relationship, or incapacity to consent. Disapproval, caste and religion are not lawful grounds, and a wrongful refusal can be appealed to the district court.

No. Adults who meet the age requirements — 21 for the groom, 18 for the bride — do not need anyone’s permission.

Registration is not publicised. For a Special Marriage Act marriage the notice goes into a public book, but the Allahabad High Court has held that publishing it and inviting objections is optional — you can ask in writing that it not be published. Raise it when you file. If you are facing threats rather than disapproval, tell us on the first call.

Two for registration in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Three for a Special Marriage Act marriage anywhere in India. Each brings their own photo ID and address proof and attends in person.

Yes. Both spouses and the witnesses appear before the Registrar or Marriage Officer. No Indian state offers a fully remote route to a marriage certificate.

A name or date-of-birth mismatch between documents — not a missing document. This is fatal in Uttar Pradesh, where verification is Aadhaar-automated. Reconcile everything before you book.

Yes, there is no cut-off. You will need an affidavit explaining the delay, a late fee where applicable, and stronger proof that the wedding happened — the invitation card, ceremony photographs and the solemnisation certificate matter much more for an old marriage.

Not for a visa, passport or bank. It proves the ceremony took place; you use it to obtain the government certificate from the Registrar of Marriages, which is what those authorities accept.

Yes, under the Special Marriage Act. The foreign national needs a valid passport and visa, proof of the 30-day residence where they are the party relying on it, and a No Impediment Certificate from their embassy in India.

The Registration of Marriage of Non-Resident Indian Act, 2019 requires registration within 30 days where an NRI marries an Indian citizen, whether the marriage takes place in India or abroad.

Generally yes, once apostilled by the Ministry of External Affairs for Hague Convention countries, or attested by the MEA and the destination country’s embassy for others.

Often yes, particularly if either of you is an Indian citizen or you will need to prove the marriage in India for property, succession or visa purposes. The route depends on where and under what law you married.