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Marriage is a brilliant achievement for most
people. However, the process of obtaining a marriage certificate can be
quite stressful if you have no idea of how to go about it.
If you are intending on getting married
anytime soon, then there are a couple of things that you need to bear in
mind in order to avoid breaking the law.
This article will take you through everything
you need to know about getting a marriage certificate in Kenya.
What Is a Marriage
Certificate?
A marriage certificate is a legal document
that you are going to use when you need to prove that your marriage has been
legally recognized by your State and, by extension, the local authorities.
For you to obtain a marriage certificate, you
need to get married first before you proceed to the office of the Registrar of
Marriages to file the Certificate of Marriage.
There are three legal ways to get married in
Kenya:
A traditional customary union.
A religious wedding.
A civil wedding
What’s the importance
of Marriage Certificate
1. The certificate gives you the eligibility to
inherit your spouse’s property and also jointly own properties without fear of
being denied the right to share the matrimonial property when your spouse dies.
2. The certificate enables your spouse
joining your health benefits.
3. The certificate is needed when
applying for a foreign visa where one of the couple is working in a foreign
country
4. The certificate is equally needed when
applying for a passport and/or some other such document, which contains the
name of one’s spouse.
5. It will be very handy if you have to prove
that you are a legally married couple in front of any authority.
6. The certificate is needed for spouses
to file joint taxes and receive tax breaks.
7. If you plan on buying a house and need
to apply for a mortgage loan, many lenders will ask for a marriage certificate.
This is so lenders can check your credit history jointly and separately.
8. A marriage certificate can also help
you migrate with your family to any country without any restrictions.
9. If the wife changes her second name and adopts the husband's, all her old documents are in her maiden name. The marriage certificate will bind them to her as it will show both her maiden name and the newly adopted name.
How much does it cost
to get a Kenyan Marriage Certificate?
A.) Civil Marriage by
Notice: Kenyans (only)
Fee, of Ksh 3,900 is charged for the whole
process.
B.) Civil Marriage by
Speial License ( Applies to Kenyans and foreigners)
A fee of Ksh 9,700 is charged if the
wedding is being conducted in the Registrar’s office and Ksh 16,700 if the
wedding will take place in a garden.
C.) Christian/ Hindu
marriages by Notice
A fee Ksh 1,400.00 is charged for the whole
process if the wedding is to be done in place of worship.
If parties had placed a notice of marriage
with the intent to celebrate their marriage in a garden, the fee is Ksh 7,200.
D.) Christian/ Hindu
Marriages by Special License
A fee is Kshs. 7,200.00 is charged if the
wedding is being conducted in a licensed place of worship and Kshs 14,200.00 if
the wedding takes in a garden.
E.) Marriages by
Special License ( where one party or both parties are foreigners)
A fee of Ksh 14,200 is charged if
the wedding is being conducted in a licensed place of worship and Ksh
21,200 if the wedding takes place in a garden.
F.) Registration of an
Existing Customary Marriage
A fee of Ksh 3,900 is payable.
G.) Registration of
new customary Marriages
A fee of Ksh 3,900 is payable.
What are the required
documents for getting a Kenyan Marriage Certificate?
A.) Required Documents
for Marriage by Notice
(For civil and religious marriage where both
parties are Kenyan nationals)
1. Both parties to appear at the Registrar’s
office to fill a Notice form;
2. Valid ID’s/Passports are required (Copy and
original);
3. Colour Passport size photos;
4. Death certificate if widowed or
divorce decree absolute if divorced;
5. In the event the divorce decree is
more than a year old or a death certificate is more than 2 years old, an
Affidavit is required to confirm marital status;
B.) Required documents
for Marriage by Special License
(Both civil and religious marriages)
Where both parties are
Kenyan nationals
1. Valid ID’s or Passports (Copy and
original)
2. Birth certificates (Copy and original)
3. Proof of no impediment to marriage
through:
• Affidavits to state
marital status: Separate Affidavits if single or joint affidavit if married
under customary law;
• Death Certificate (In the
case of widowed persons): Copy and original;
• Divorce Decree Absolute.
(In the case of divorced persons indicating current status): Copy and original;
• In the event the divorce
decree is more than a year old or a death certificate is more than 2 years old,
an Affidavit is required to confirm the marital status.
4. A documented reason to show proof that
you do not have time to give a 21-day notice;
5. Colour passport size photos;
6. Copy of license of the Minister of
Faith to officiate and serial number of the marriage book to be used; (in case
of Christian or Hindu marriage).
7. Wedding invitation card (in case of
Christian or Hindu marriage).
Where One Party is a
Kenyan National and the Other a Foreign National
Kenyan National
1. Valid Kenyan National ID’s or
Passports (Copy and original).
2. Birth certificates (Copy and
original).
3. Proof of no impediment to marriage
through:
• Affidavits to state marital
status: Separate Affidavits if single or joint affidavit if married under
customary law;
• Death Certificate (In the case of
widowed persons): Copy and original;
• Divorce Decree Absolute. (In the
case of divorced persons indicating current status): Copy and original;
• In the event the divorce
decree is more than a year old or a death certificate is more than 2 years old,
an Affidavit to confirm marital status.
4. A documented reason to show proof that
you do not have time to give a 21-day notice;
5. Colour passport size photos;
Foreign Nationals
1. Valid passport (Copies and Original)
2. Birth Certificate (Copies and Original)
3. Passport size photo (Coloured)
4. Proof of no impediment to marriage through:
• A Certificate of No Impediment to
Marriage.
• Death Certificate. (In the case
of widowed person)- or
• Divorce Decree Absolute. (In the
case of divorce person indicating current status)- Copy and original
• In the event the divorce
certificate is more than a year old or a death certificate that is more than 2
years old, a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage
4. Return air ticket/visa/work permit.
5. Copy of license of the Minister of
Faith to officiate and serial number of the marriage book to be used; (in case
of Christian or Hindu marriage).
6. Wedding invitation card (in case of
Christian or Hindu marriage)
Where Both Parties Are
Foreign Nationals
1. Valid passports (Copies and Original);
2. Passport size photos (Coloured);
3. Birth certificates (Copies and
Original)
4. Prove of no impediment to marriage
through:
• Certificates of No Impediment to
Marriage.
• Death Certificate. (In the case
of widowed person)- Copy and original
• Divorce Decree Absolute/Decree
Nisi. (In the case of divorce person indicating current status)- Copy and
original
• In the event the Divorce
decree is more than a year old or a death certificate that is more than 2 years
old, a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage
5. Return air ticket./Visa/Work permit
6. Copy of license of the Minister of
Faith to officiate and serial number of the marriage book to be used; (in case
of Christian or Hindu marriage)
7. Wedding invitation card (in case
of Christian or Hindu marriage)
Marriage by Refugees:
• Must have a valid UNHCR Refugee
Mandate or Alien Card
• An Affidavit to confirm marital
status if applying for a special license.
How to get marriage
certificate Kenya
Civil /Religious
marriage registration
The minimum age allowed for marriage by the
constitution of Kenya is 21 years of age.
Notably, the constitution doesn’t have a
provision for same-sex marriage. Therefore, it’s not possible to have a legally
recognized marriage ceremony when both parties to the union are of similar
gender.
At least two witnesses must attend the
ceremony and both must have attained a minimum 21 years of age.
The witnesses will be obliged to append their
signatures on the Certificate of Marriage offered by the religious or civil
leader.
This certificate will also be signed by the
civil officer or minister officiating the wedding, and the duplicate, within
seven days, will be presented to the office of the Registrar of Marriages.
You can deposit the duplicate at your local government office.
Process of having a
civil wedding at Sheria House
1. It is advisable that you be punctual on the
specific appointment day.
Normally, civil wedding celebrations are
usually conducted from 9.00am to 3.00am on every weekday that comes after the
21-day notice has expired. In fact, by the time you arrive, you will find
several other couples in the queue.
2. Once you get to the office of the
Registrar at Sheria House, you will be allocated a number on the queue, and you
will be asked to wait for your turn from the common waiting area.
Once it’s your turn, you will be called to one
of the rooms where you are required to provide all details of your witnesses.
You will also confirm all details as captured on the certificate soft copy
before the actual printing.
3. You will then be ushered to another
waiting room next to the room set aside for the wedding alongside your guests
and witnesses.
Notably, you are allowed to bring a minimum of
two witnesses and a maximum of 15.
Here, you will have access to another changing
room where brides and grooms can change into their wedding attire or apply make
up to glam their civil marriage ceremony.
4. Once it’s your turn, an officer will
call out your names and those of your guests.
You will then access the marriage room on one
door as the couple that was right ahead of you leaves through another door.
The couple and the two witnesses will sit in
the front seats, and the ceremony will now commence.
5. You will be asked to confirm your intention
and decision to get married before repeating the vows after the registrar. The
registrar will then ask for the rings and afterwards you may kiss.
6. You will be issued with three hard
copies of the marriage certificate to sign alongside your witnesses. At this
point, your guests are allowed to sing, and the registrar will sign all copies of
the certificates and issue two to the couple.
7. You will then move to one decorated side of
the room for the photo session.
This will be followed by lots of
congratulatory handshakes and hugs before it’s time for you to exit via the
other door and the officer invites another couple in the room.
Note: No cake-cutting, dancing, or popping of
champagne takes place at the registrar’s office.
Customary Marriage
registration
1. The two individuals willing to enter a
marriage contract must take part in the critical customary rites depending on
their Kenyan communities.
2. After the customary rites, they must notify
the registrar within 90-day period of their intention to register their union.
This notification completes with Form CM1 that
attracts a fee of Ksh 600.
3. The registrar then puts up a fourteen-day
notice inviting objections from parties that may be disputing the union.
4. In the event of objections, claimed
are received, heard and determined.
5. If no objectives or objections are
arising have been handled, the Registrar will then issue the parties with an
acknowledgment certificate also known as Form CM2 that attracts an additional
Ksh 600 fee.
6. The two individuals must then apply
for registration of their marriage using Form CM3 and must attach a copy of the
acknowledgment certificate they got from the registrar in step five.
Form CM3 attracts a fee of Ksh 2500 and Ksh
200.
7. This is the final step whereby after
the Registrar is satisfied with the application and having done the relevant
investigations issues a marriage certificate.
The whole process will attract a fee of Ksh
3900.
Online Application for a Certified Copy of a Marriage Certificate
This is a certificate issued by the Registrar to certify and verify that a marriage certificate is registered under Civil, Christian, Hindu, or Customary Marriage, confirming that the marriage record exists.
Requirements:
Fill the online application form
Indicate:
- System of marriage
- Names of the parties to the marriage
- Date of the marriage
- Place of marriage
Upon a successful search, the applicant will be notified to pay a fee of Kshs 1,100/= on the online platform
Time frame – 4 days after payment
How to contact the
Registrar of Marriages
It is recommended that any couple intending to
get married in any part of Kenya visit the Registrar of Marriages office in
Nairobi for proper guidance.
Physical address: Sheria House, Harambee
Avenue, Nairobi
The Registrar General’s Reception - Room 209
The Registrar General’s Office - Room 210
Telephone number: 222 7461 Text 37180/37015.
Postal address: P. O. Box 30031, Harambee
Avenue