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17 October 2026
Category : Anant Khandelwal
Getting Legally Married in India as an NRI, OCI Holder or Foreign Citizen
Most couples who marry in India from abroad hold the ceremony in India; the legal step is either registration in India or registration at home. Which route suits you depends on your faiths, your passports and how long one of you can stay in India before the wedding. This guide sets out the three routes, the documents and waiting periods, and how to get an Indian marriage certificate accepted in the USA, UK, Canada and other countries.
This is general information, not legal advice. Procedures differ by state and district in India and change from time to time; IWP connects every couple with a local lawyer before dates are fixed.
Three ways to make an Indian wedding legal
| Route | Who it suits | Waiting period | Witnesses | Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Religious ceremony, then registration under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 | Both partners Hindu, Sikh, Jain or Buddhist (any nationality) | None after the wedding; documents checked and a date given (Delhi: normally within 15 days) | Both partners appear with a witness who attended the wedding | Issued on the day of appearance (Delhi) |
| 2. Civil marriage under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 | Any faiths, including interfaith couples and a foreign national marrying an Indian citizen | One partner must have lived in the district for 30 days before the notice; then a 30-day public notice period | 3 witnesses at the solemnisation | Issued after solemnisation (Delhi: normally within 60 days of applying) |
| 3. Ceremony in India, legal marriage at home | Couples who cannot spend about two months in India, or who prefer their home registry | As per your home country | As per your home country | Home-country certificate |
Minimum ages in India are 21 for the groom and 18 for the bride.
Route 1: registering a Hindu, Sikh, Jain or Buddhist wedding
If both of you are Hindu, Sikh, Jain or Buddhist, the religious ceremony in India is the marriage; registration records it. In Delhi, for example, the couple applies at the office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate where either spouse lives (or where the wedding took place, if neither lives in Delhi). The fee there is ?100. Typical documents:
- Application form signed by both spouses
- Proof of date of birth and of address for each (a passport serves for both)
- A separate affidavit from each spouse in the prescribed format
- Two passport photographs of each, and photographs of the ceremony
- The wedding invitation, if available, and the priest's certificate if the wedding was at a temple or gurdwara
- For a foreign national: a certificate from his or her embassy on current marital status
- A divorce decree or death certificate of a former spouse, where it applies
Plan the appearance for the days after the wedding, while both of you and a witness who attended are still in India.
Route 2: a civil marriage under the Special Marriage Act
The Special Marriage Act covers couples of any faith and applies to a foreign national marrying an Indian citizen in India. It has two waiting periods that shape the whole calendar:
- 30 days' residence. At least one partner must have lived in the district for 30 days before giving notice of the intended marriage.
- 30 days' notice. The Marriage Officer displays the notice; anyone may object within 30 days. With no objection, the marriage can be solemnised once the 30 days have passed, before the officer and three witnesses.
In practice one partner needs to be in India for about two months before the civil marriage, and both must be there for the solemnisation. Documents in Delhi include proof of age, proof of 30 days' residence, affidavits on marital status and prohibited relationships, and photographs attested by a Gazetted Officer; the fee there is ?15. Couples who cannot spend that long in India usually choose Route 3.
Getting the Indian certificate accepted abroad: the apostille
India has been a member of the Hague Apostille Convention since 2005. An Indian marriage certificate carrying an apostille from the Ministry of External Affairs is accepted in every other member country without further legalisation; the USA, the UK, Canada and Australia are among them. The MEA charges ?50 per apostille, and its authorised agencies add a service charge of ?84 plus ?3 per page. Allow time for this before you leave India, or use a family member with authority to collect the documents.
On recognition at home: Canada's government says marriages legally performed in another country are usually valid in Canada and do not need to be registered there. In the USA recognition is a matter of state law, and in the UK and elsewhere the rules depend on your circumstances, so check with your local registry or a lawyer before the wedding.
How the legal step fits the wedding calendar
| When | Route 1 (Hindu Marriage Act) | Route 2 (Special Marriage Act) |
|---|---|---|
| 6–12 months before | Obtain embassy marital-status certificate (foreign partner) | Decide which partner will stay in India; confirm the district and its documents with a lawyer |
| About 60 days before | – | Partner arrives and starts the 30-day residence |
| About 30 days before | – | Give notice; 30-day objection period runs |
| Wedding week | Religious ceremony | Civil solemnisation with 3 witnesses, then the family ceremony |
| After the wedding | Registration appearance; certificate; apostille | Certificate; apostille |
For a Hindu wedding the muhurat sets the date: in 2027 there are no Hindu wedding dates from August to October (see our 2027 wedding dates).
What IWP arranges
We build the legal step into the plan: a local lawyer for your district, a document checklist for each partner, the registration appointment in the wedding week, and witnesses from the family. Read our guides for families planning from the USA, UK and Canada, or our pages on Indian-American fusion weddings, Anand Karaj and Nikah ceremonies.
Legal marriage in India: questions we are asked most
Can a foreign citizen legally marry in India?
Yes. A foreign national can marry an Indian citizen under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, after a 30-day residence by one partner and a 30-day notice period. If both partners are Hindu, Sikh, Jain or Buddhist, the religious wedding can be registered under the Hindu Marriage Act; the foreign partner provides an embassy certificate on marital status.
How long does it take to register a marriage in India?
Under the Hindu Marriage Act there is no waiting period after the wedding; in Delhi a date is normally given within 15 days and the certificate is issued that day. Under the Special Marriage Act allow about two months: 30 days' residence, then 30 days' notice.
Do NRIs have to register their marriage in India?
Not if the marriage is registered in their country of residence. Many NRI couples hold the ceremony in India and complete the legal marriage at home. If you want an Indian certificate, register while both of you are in India.
Is an Indian marriage certificate valid in the USA, UK and Canada?
India's Ministry of External Affairs apostilles marriage certificates, and an apostilled certificate needs no further legalisation in Hague Convention countries. Canada says marriages legally performed abroad are usually valid there; in the USA recognition is decided by state law, so check with your state or a lawyer.
Do we need witnesses to register a marriage in India?
Yes. The Special Marriage Act needs three witnesses at the solemnisation. For Hindu Marriage Act registration in Delhi, a witness who attended the wedding appears with the couple.
What documents does a foreign partner need to marry in India?
A valid passport (for age and identity), photographs, an affidavit on marital status and a certificate from his or her embassy on current marital status; a divorce decree or death certificate if previously married. Requirements vary by district, so confirm the list with a local lawyer.
Share your dates, passports and faiths through Plan My Wedding; we reply within 24 hours with the legal route that fits and a wedding plan around it.
