How To Get Married at Home Affairs
Getting Married In Court
Up until approximately 2002 you could go to court and be married by a Magistrate. This is no longer the case. This role was moved to Home Affairs. Every office has at least one designated Marriage Officer. This is most often a secondary role in that it is not his person’s primary duty to conduct marriages.
Same Sex Marriages
Same Sex marriages were formalised in 2006 with the promulgation of the Civil Union Act. This law made is optional for Home Affairs Marriage Officers to decide if they were okay with concluding same sex marriages. This has resulted in many offices refuses to assist same sex couples. This is untenable and in late 2018 regulations were issued stating that Home Affairs were no longer allowed to turn away same sex couples. There is a 2 year period stipulated to rectify this.
The Only Advantage Getting Married At Home Affairs
Marriages are not concluded every day. Each office has their own schedule of which days they do marriages. The fact that there is no cost involved in getting married through the Department of Home Affairs is the only advantage unfortunately.
The Process of Getting Married at Home Affairs
Keep in mind that each office tends to have their own variations on the process but generally the process of arranging to be married at a Home Affairs office is as follows:
- You or your partner have to visit your local home affairs with your original IDs and a copy.
- They will check their diary and advise you of the next available day and time.
- On the scheduled date you must arrive with your IDs and two witnesses who must bring their IDs and a copy as well.
- You can bring additional people with but space is generally limited and you will be sharing the space with other couples who have been scheduled to be married on the same day.
- The Marriage Officer will check your IDs and witnesses IDs, fill in the marriage register, take your left thumb print and then ask you each two questions. This is know as the “marriage formula”.
- The register is signed by the two of you, your two witnesses and the Marriage Officer.
- You will be given a manual Marriage Certificate. This is an A5 size certificate with your details hand written on it.
That’s it! Excluding any wait time, which is very likely, the process takes about 15 minutes.
How should I dress for my Home Affairs wedding?
There is no dress code. Most couples make some sort of effort with a suit or dress. But they also come in jeans and overalls. It all depends on circumstance.
How to Find Marriage Officers in Johannesburg South Africa
Finding a Marriage Officer in Johannesburg can be a little intimidating. Firstly, you’re in the position of finding someone you don’t know to perform something personal. Secondly, there are so many options. No worries, we’re...
Do We Have To Get Married Under A Roof?
Do We Have To Get Married Under A Roof? As marriage officers, we are frequently asked a few questions, one of which you may find strange: "Do We Have To Get Married Under A Roof?" No, is the short answer. Of course, that is not the complete answer. Some marriage...
The Fastest Way to Get Married in South Africa
What Is The Fastest Way To Get Married in South Africa? The fastest way to get married in South Africa is to find a Marriage Officer, make an appointment and let them take care of the rest. A Marriage Officer can come to your home or venue or you may go to the...
Get in touch!
Ask us anything or get more information by filling in the form. We're pretty quick!
You're welcome to Whatsapp us right now on 082 960 0933.