Getting married in India? Know the laws!

India, with its millennium-long history, beauty and spirituality, is not only popular among tourists and backpackers, but also among people who want to get married here, yes, really. Places like Jaipur and Goa offer huge potential for an exotic destination wedding of dreams. Even some of Hollywood stars have tied the knot in India, such as Katy Perry & Russell Brand and Heidi Klum & Seal.

Marrying in India

If you are also someone who dreams of getting married in India, it is wise to ensure that all your paperwork is in order before you book your ticket. The wedding process in India can be long-term and time-consuming for someone who wants to do this 'legally'. Moreover, you may also have to deal with 'scammers' who want extra money from you in order to prepare the necessary paperwork. Lack of transparency about the law and regulations also offers room for corruption. Therefore, always be advised by our experts.

Basic condition for marriage in India
The western states Goa and Rajasthan are the most popular destinations for foreigners to marry in India. If you are going to India to get married, you have to take into account the fact that you have to spend at least 60 days in India in total.

According to Indian law, the bride or groom must have lived in India for at least 30 days before he/she registers with the local local registrar's office to marry. You can see this as a waiting time to get married. Blood relatives or family members can not marry each other, as well as family members who are related to each other by adoption.

After the wedding ceremony, it takes about 30 days before you can pick up your marriage certificate. This applies as legal evidence that you are legally married.

Procedure for marriage in India
First, the bride or groom must be registered as living in India. This can be done at one of the Foreigner Registrations Offices (FRO) throughout India. After having lived in India for 30 days, the bride or groom can submit a notification of the intended wedding to the local marriage registry office (similar to the municipality in the Netherlands).

This announcement must then be stated in the register for 30 days. One reason is that in the time after the announcement others have the opportunity to object to the wedding. You have to ask yourself, who could object to your wedding in India?

Before the wedding can be completed, the bride and groom must also sign a declaration that they can marry legally (inter alia in terms of age). After this the wedding ceremony can take place. When the ceremony is completed, the couple will receive a marriage certificate and are formally married.

How can Miss Legal India help?

For foreigners, NRIs or even people of Indian origin marrying in India, it is often not clear what steps one has to take to legally marry in India. Miss Legal India can not only guide you through the process of getting married in India but also render advise based on your specific situation and queries.