Marriage Requirements in Brisbane

These are the main legal requirements for getting married in Brisbane under Australian law.

The basic requirements

You generally need to:

• be 18 or older
• not already be married to someone else
• not be marrying a close relative prohibited by law
• understand what marriage means and give real consent
• give your celebrant a completed Notice of Intended Marriage
• wait at least one calendar month unless a shortening of time is approved
• attend the marriage in person with an authorised celebrant and two witnesses aged 18 or over

Documents you usually need

Before the marriage, each party needs to show evidence of:

• date and place of birth
• identity
• the end of any previous marriage, if relevant

Most couples use:

• a passport, or
• a birth certificate plus photo ID

See the full details on our ID requirements page.

The NOIM timing rule

The NOIM must usually be given to the celebrant:

• no earlier than 18 months before the marriage
• no later than one month before the marriage

The one-month period starts when the completed and signed NOIM is received by the celebrant.

Previous marriages

If either of you has been married before, you need evidence that the earlier marriage ended, such as:

• a divorce order, or
• a death certificate

Overseas and non-English documents

If your documents are not in English, you will usually need a translation.

See translation and interpreter requirements.

A note about the ceremony

Even a paperwork-only marriage still needs a short legal ceremony.

There must be:

• the authorised celebrant
• both parties in person
• two adult witnesses
• the required legal words and signing

Helpful next pages

• Who can get married?
• NOIM guide
• ID requirements
• Divorced?
• Pricing