Legal Requirements

What do we need to do to get married?

To get married in Australia, you must:

  • not be married
  • not be marrying a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother or sister
  • be at least 18 years old, unless a court has approved a marriage where 1 person is 16-18 years old
  • understand what marriage means and freely agree to marry
  • use specific words during the ceremony
  • give a notice of intended marriage form to an authorised marriage celebrant at least 1 month and no more than 18 months before your wedding
  • be married by an authorised marriage celebrant

You don’t have to be:

  • an Australian citizen
  • a permanent resident of Australia

Before you get married, you need to:

  • complete a notice of intended marriage form
  • give it to an authorised marriage celebrant at least 1 month (but not more than 18 months) before your wedding