How to Get Married at Home Affairs | Civil Marriage Booking Guide
Getting married at the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is South Africa’s civil marriage option, held either at a Home Affairs office or by a designated marriage officer. This page covers how to book, what it costs, what documents both partners need, and exactly what happens on the day, so you can plan your ceremony without guessing.
In Summary
A civil marriage at a Department of Home Affairs (DHA) office is free of charge. You book directly with your local office, and in busy areas this needs to happen at least a few months ahead. Both partners need valid ID, and anyone previously married needs a divorce order or a deceased spouse’s death certificate. On the day, you sign the marriage register in front of two witnesses and a DHA marriage officer, and you receive a handwritten certificate immediately. Your official printed certificate follows once your marriage is recorded on the National Population Register, usually within about 8 working days.
Is This the Right Marriage Type for You?
Home Affairs handles three distinct marriage types, and it matters which one applies to you before you go any further.
| Marriage type | Where to read more |
|---|---|
| Civil marriage (this page) | Standard marriage at a Home Affairs office or by a designated marriage officer |
| Customary marriage | Full customary marriage registration guide |
| Civil union (same-sex or opposite-sex partnership) | Full civil union guide |
If you are unsure which applies to you, the short version is that a civil marriage is the standard legal marriage available to any opposite-sex or same-sex couple through the Marriage Act, while a civil union is a separate legal category under its own Act, and a customary marriage follows indigenous African customary law and has its own registration process.
How Much Does It Cost?
The marriage itself is free at a Department of Home Affairs office. There is no fee charged by DHA to solemnise and register a civil marriage during normal office hours at the office itself.
Costs only arise from optional extras, none of which go to DHA:
- Antenuptial contract (ANC): If you want to marry out of community of property, you need a notary to draw up an ANC before the wedding. This has to happen before the ceremony, not after, since changing your property regime afterward requires a costly court application.
- Independent religious or private marriage officer: If you use a designated minister, pastor, priest, or imam instead of a DHA official, their fee is set by them, not by DHA.
- Venue away from the DHA office: If you marry somewhere other than the Home Affairs office itself, such as a church or private venue, any venue cost is separate from DHA.
How to Book Your Civil Marriage at Home Affairs
- Contact your local Home Affairs office directly. Civil marriage bookings are made in person or by phone with the specific office where you want to marry, not through eHomeAffairs. See our full guide to booking a Home Affairs appointment for general appointment booking, and confirm with your chosen office whether marriage bookings follow the same channel.
- Book well ahead of time. Civil ceremonies are popular, and busier offices can be booked up four months or more in advance. Do not leave this until close to your intended date.
- Confirm your marriage officer’s designation if using a religious officiant. A minister, pastor, priest, or imam must have applied to DHA and been formally designated as a marriage officer for the ceremony to be legally binding. A religious ceremony performed by someone without this designation has no legal standing until the marriage is separately registered, so always confirm designation status before the day.
- Decide your matrimonial property regime before the ceremony. By default, a civil marriage is automatically in community of property, meaning you and your spouse share a single joint estate. If you want separate estates, you need a notarised antenuptial contract signed before the wedding.
What Documents Do You Need?
Both partners must bring:
- Valid Smart ID card or green ID book
- If either partner was previously married: the original divorce order, or the death certificate of a deceased former spouse
- If either partner is a foreign national: a valid passport and a letter confirming marital status from their country of origin
You will also need two witnesses present at the ceremony who can sign the marriage register alongside you.
If your matrimonial property regime is anything other than automatic in-community-of-property, bring your signed antenuptial contract.
What Happens on the Day
- Check in at the office. You will typically be directed to a separate area from the general public queue, rather than waiting alongside walk-in service requests.
- The ceremony itself. A DHA marriage officer, or your designated religious officiant, solemnises the marriage. Appointments are usually scheduled in half hour slots.
- Sign the marriage register. Both spouses, the two witnesses, and the marriage officer sign the official register, known as the BI-130.
- Receive your handwritten certificate. You are given a handwritten certificate, known as the BI-27, on the day itself. Fingerprints are also taken for the National Population Register.
What You Receive Afterward
The BI-27 you are handed on the day is not your final certificate. It confirms the marriage took place, but most institutions, including banks, embassies, and SARS, will not accept it as final proof because it has not yet been entered into the National Population Register (NPR).
Once your marriage is recorded on the NPR, DHA issues a printed abridged marriage certificate, usually within about 8 working days. This is the standard document most South African institutions will ask for.
If you need the unabridged version, for example for immigration, emigration, or overseas use, that is a separate application. See our full guide to abridged vs unabridged marriage certificates and our dedicated unabridged marriage certificate guide.
After the Wedding
- Changing your surname: See our full guide to changing your surname after marriage.
- Confirming your certificate has come through: See our guide to checking your marital status.
- If your certificate is taking too long: See our marriage certificate delay guide.
What You Cannot Do
- You cannot marry out of community of property by signing an antenuptial contract after the ceremony. It must be signed before the wedding, in front of a notary.
- You cannot treat the handwritten BI-27 as your final proof of marriage for banks, embassies, or SARS. Wait for the printed certificate.
- You cannot have a religious ceremony recognised as legally binding unless the officiant holds a formal DHA marriage officer designation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to get married at Home Affairs? The marriage itself is free at a Department of Home Affairs office. You only pay for optional extras such as an antenuptial contract, an independent religious officiant’s own fee, or a venue other than the DHA office.
How do I book a marriage at Home Affairs? Contact your local Home Affairs office directly to book a civil marriage date. This is not done through eHomeAffairs. In busier areas, book at least a few months ahead.
How to register a marriage at Home Affairs? Your civil marriage is registered automatically as part of the ceremony process. You and your spouse sign the marriage register (BI-130) on the day, and DHA later records this on the National Population Register, after which your printed certificate is issued.
What documents do I need to get married at Home Affairs? Both partners need a valid Smart ID card or green ID book. If either of you was previously married, bring the original divorce order or a deceased former spouse’s death certificate. Foreign nationals need a passport and a letter confirming marital status from their home country.
Do I need witnesses to get married at Home Affairs? Yes. Two witnesses must be present at the ceremony to sign the marriage register alongside you and your spouse.
Can a religious leader marry us at Home Affairs? Only if that religious leader holds a formal marriage officer designation from Home Affairs. Without it, the ceremony has no legal standing until the marriage is separately registered.
What is the difference between civil marriage, civil union, and customary marriage? A civil marriage is the standard marriage available to any couple under the Marriage Act. A civil union is a separate legal category under the Civil Union Act. A customary marriage follows indigenous African customary law and has its own registration process. All three are handled by Home Affairs but follow different rules.
How long after the wedding do we get our marriage certificate? You receive a handwritten certificate on the day. Your printed abridged certificate follows once your marriage is recorded on the National Population Register, typically within about 8 working days.
Can we choose our matrimonial property regime on the day of the wedding? No. If you want to marry out of community of property, your antenuptial contract must be signed in front of a notary before the ceremony. It cannot be arranged on the day itself.