Legal Advice - Marriage

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Marriage Registry

The Marriage Registry was established on the 12th August 1975, the year in which the Marriage Act was enacted. The Act regulates all marriages in the Maltese Islands and also introduced civil marriages.

The process as regards formalities in preparation for marriage is as follows:

Religious Marriages
Two or three months prior to the marriage date, the couple should make a request for the publication of marriage banns at the Public Registry. To avoid queuing, couples are requested to call for an appointment on telephone number 25904 200 / 25904 212 -7.

The couple should provide:

Birth certificates (In case of applicants whose birth is not registered at the Malta Public Registry);
Identity cards and copies thereof; and
A photocopy of the identity cards of the witnesses.
The Marriage Registrar should be given the following information:

The church or place where the marriage will be held;
The date of marriage;
The name and surname of the priest who will celebrate the marriage ceremony; and
The surname which the bride will be using after marriage (her maiden surname, her husband's or, in the case of widows, possibly that of her predeceased spouse).
Ten days prior to the marriage date the couple are to collect three documents prepared by the Marriage Registry and submit them to the Parish Priest of the place where the wedding ceremony will be held.

After the Nuptial Mass, together with the witnesses and the priest who administered the Marriage Sacrament, the couple should sign their Marriage Certificate; the bride should sign using her maiden surname, or if she is widowed, her late husband's surname.

Maltese nationals who plan to marry foreigners or persons who have lived abroad for a period of time, should request more information from the Marriage Registrar.

Those couples who are getting married in Gozo should apply for their marriage banns at the Marriage Registry in Victoria, Gozo. (Call on telephone number 2215 6380.)

Marriages can take place on board Maltese Registered Cruise Liners. Marriage has also been delegated to Local Council Mayors. One has to apply at the Marriage Registry for these types of marriages.


Civil Marriages
The Marriage Registry provides also services for Civil Marriages. Those couples who opt for a Civil Marriage have to satisfy the same obligations and formalities requested for a religious marriage.

A Civil Marriage may take place at:
The Marriage Registry, or
At any other public place that is accepted by the Marriage Registrar.

Other Services offered by the Marriage Registry
Registration of all marriages which have taken place abroad where at least one of the married couple is a Maltese national;
As regards women who have completed procedures for Legal Separation, the Marriage Registry annotates the change to their maiden surname;
Legitimation of children born out of wedlock, when the parents marry each other. 



Terry