Legal Requirements - Your Marriage Licence

You will need to complete a "Notice of Intended Marriage" form which is obtained from the Office of Births Deaths and Marriages at the Department of Internal Affairs.  Phone toll-free on 0800-22-52-52 for a form to be sent to you, or go to http://www.bdm.govt.nz where all the legal requirements are explained and a "Notice of Intended Marriage" form can be down-loaded.  The form incorporates a statutory declaration that can be signed when one of the parties to the intended marriage lodges the form or picks up the licence.  The current fee for a Marriage Licence is $122.60 (inclusive of GST).

Applicants aged 16 and 17 need parental/guardian consent. Those who have been previously married need to provide evidence of the dissolution of the previous marriage or their current status.

Hint: If being married outdoors, and with Auckland's variable weather,
          it is recommended you indicate on your licence an alternate all-weather venue.

Allow at least three working days for your application to be processed.  Once the licence is issued, it is valid for 90 days. Ceremonies may take place at any time, on any day, but only at the location specified on the Marriage Licence.

Only a licensed independent marriage celebrant can conduct a wedding ceremony in New Zealand in a form chosen by the parties where they exchange the following words: "I .... take you .... to be my legal wife/husband" (or words to similar effect).  This means your vows can be in words that you choose, as long as the intent is clear.