How to obtain a marriage certificate in Ghana
If you are reading this article, then congratulations! You are most probably going to get married soon in Ghana and may want to obtain an official marriage certificate. Well, rest assured because you will find the information you need here. Like in any other country, there are certain conditions that have to be met in order for you to obtain a marriage certificate in Ghana. It is most important to make sure you have all the required documents for obtaining your marriage certificate. Read down below in order to know how to get a marriage certificate in Ghana.
Procedure of obtaining a certificate of marriage in Ghana
In general, it is not so hard to obtain a marriage certificate in Ghana. There are just a few simple steps that have to be followed in order to get done with the process fast enough. First, in order to obtain a marriage certificate in Ghana, there should be a marriage registration and a marriage between a couple who are either both Ghanaian citizens or only one of them. It is better to start preparing a month before the marriage ceremony by giving a notice of the marriage at the marriage registry, which can be done at any office of the registrar in Ghana. After twenty-one days, in case no complaints are received by the office against the marriages, the registrar issues a certificate for the couple so that they can start celebrating their marriage at any of the official registered places. After the marriage ceremony, the couple signs the certificate and they become officially married. The wedding ceremony can take place at the local office of the registrar or at an authorized location that is chosen by the applicants, which may be a local district premise or a licensed church. You should also understand that the twenty-one days prior to the wedding is to allow the public to make any inquiries or objections to the marriage before it officially takes place. The marriage certificate, in general, is important when it comes to a few aspects, as it proves the legality of the marriage, protects the rights of both partners, and can also be used as an identification document. It also makes the Ghanaian government aware of the number of people who are married in Ghana.
Documents required for obtaining a civil marriage certificate in Ghana
Before giving a notice to the office of the registrar, you should definitely make sure you have all the required documents in order not to waste a lot of time going there a number of times. Below you will find a list of all the necessary documents that you may need and other useful information.
1. Certificate of no impediment
It is mainly a certificate that is usually required from foreign citizens in order to give assurnce that they are not legally married to anyone else in other countries. You should consult the nearest registrar office in order to ask them for further details about obtaining a traditional marriage certificate in Ghana.
2. Copies of your ID and the passports of both applicants
The registrar office will definitely need an official identification and a copy of it in order to carry on with issuing the marriage certificate, and that is why you should make sure to make copies of your identification card and that of your future partner before visiting the office. You should also make sure not to forget the passports.
3. Consent by the man and the woman to be married
The officials at the registrar office need to make sure that both you and your partner agree to marry each other before issuing the certificate.
4. Passport photos of both applicants
Passport photos are necessary for the issuance of the customary marriage certificate in Ghana. Consult the office in your region in order to find out the exact number of photos required for the process.
5. Statutory declaration
It is usually a declaration or an oath that is made in front of judicial authority. In most cases, it has to be provided in case you were married before and then divorced in order to prove that the previous marriage was totally dissolved.
6. The birth certificates of the applicants
7. Divorce certificates (in case any of the applicants was divorced before)
8. Family consent
It is mainly a consent that is made by both families of the man and the woman saying that the two should be married.
9. The validity of the marriage in Ghana
There are certain conditions in Ghana under which a marriage between a man and a woman loses its legal validity. The death of any of the partners is one of them. In addition, if a divorce certificate is issued or a decree of annulment, the marriage loses its validity as well.
Important conditions necessary for obtaining a marriage certificate form in Ghana
- It is important than one or both partners be a Ghanaian citizen in order to issue a marriage certificate.
- The applications of the marriage certificate should be made at the registrar office of marriages that is located in the neighborhood in which the applicants live.
- If the applicants are younger than 18 and above 16 years old, then the registration of their marriage application should be made at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) office.
- Applicants whose ages are between 16 and 18 years old have to obtain a consent from an elder family member whose age is more than 18 years old in order to proceed with the registration.
- It is very important not to give any kind of false information, as the applicants, in this case, will be persecuted under the Ghanaian laws.
- The application marriage forms should be obtained from the office of the registrar.
- The notice of marriage should be made at the local registrar office at least 21 days before the official date of the marriage ceremony.
- In the wedding ceremony, there must be at least two witnesses in order to witness the marriage, and both of them should be older than 18 years old.
- Ghana is a country of many religions and traditions, and that is why the marriage can be either civil or religious according to the personal choice of the partners.
Required information for issuing a marriage certificate in Ghana
You should be prepared before visiting the local registrar office, as you will most probably be asked to fill in personal and family information in the application form. Below is all the required information that you may need.
- The full name and the addresses of both applicants.
- Age and sex
- The occupation of the applicants
- The details of the applicants’ parents
- The details of the two witnesses to the marriage
- The residence of both applicants
- Details of other existing marriages of the groom (if any)
- The condition of the wife (unmarried woman, divorced, single)
- The date and the place of the marriage
- The locations of some of the offices and their contacts
The contacts and locations of the offices
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development
P.O. Box, M50 Accra.
Tel: 0302 664763 / 0302 663668 / 0302 682008
Email: info@mlgrdghanagov.com
Website: mlgrdghanagov.com
Accra Metropolitan Assembly
P. O. Box 385 Accra, Ghana -W/Africa
Tel: 233-021-663947-9
Fax: 233-021-667299
Email: accrametro@ama.gov.gh
Website: www.ama.gov.gh
Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly
Tel: 03220-23707
Fax: 03220-23707
Email: info@kma.gov.gh
Website: kma.gov.gh/kma
Source: YEN.com.gh
