To get married in Ireland you need to get a marriage registration form. You get this from a HSE civil registration service. It is sometimes called a marriage licence. It is needed for all civil, religious or secular marriages.
You bring the marriage registration form to your marriage ceremony. The person marrying you will sign the form. You use it to register the marriage.
Marriage registration form
To get a marriage registration form you need to give your local civil registration service 3 months' notice that you intend to get married.
To do this you need to book a marriage notification appointment. The appointment needs to be at least 3 months before you intend to get married.
3 months' notice period
The 3 months' notice starts from the marriage notification appointment date.
You cannot get married until after the 3 month notice period.
Book a notification appointment
Book your appointment as far in advance as possible. Waiting times may vary.
You can book a marriage notification appointment online for a civil, religious or secular marriage in some areas of the country.
If you cannot book online, phone your local civil registration service to book an appointment.
The marriage notification appointment
Both of you must attend the marriage notification appointment.
You will meet the registrar and you will both sign a declaration. This states that you do not know of any legal reason why the marriage cannot happen.
If everything is in order, the registrar will give you a marriage registration form. This is valid for 6 months from the date you intend to get married.
Notification appointment fees
The non-refundable notification fee is €200. It is usually paid at the appointment.
If you need to postpone your marriage ceremony
If the new date is within the 6 month period, your form can be amended. If you need advice, contact the civil registration office that did your paperwork.
If you are not getting married within 6 months, contact the civil registration office and give them your new date. Do this at least 3 months before your new marriage date. You will need to meet with the registrar again to get a new marriage registration form. There is no charge for this.
EU and foreign nationals
You will need to attend an interview with the registrar if:
- you are an EU national marrying a non-EU national
- one of you is a foreign national
If a couple are only marrying for an immigration advantage, the registrar cannot issue a marriage licence.
Who can marry you
For a marriage to be legal, a solemniser must perform the ceremony.
The solemniser must be on the register of solemnisers.
For a civil ceremony, the registrar will solemnise the marriage.
Civil ceremonies
You will need 2 witnesses aged 18 or older.
The registrar who conducted the ceremony will register the marriage.
You may need to pay an additional fee to have a civil ceremony in a venue that is not a registrar's office.
Religious and secular ceremonies
You must book a notification appointment for a church, religious or secular ceremony.
Contact the religious or secular authority to arrange the ceremony.
You will also need to register the marriage.