Getting married in South Africa: Legal Requirements?

Hi there

i am also getting married in South Africa later this year, I'm South African and my husband-to-be is British. Home affairs in South Africa is a nightmare, so we are going to get legally married in the UK and then have the white wedding etc... In South Africa. This has made our planning so much easier!

Good luck with your planning!!

Hey Weebit,

Have you solved this yet? I am also getting married in SA to a South African in November.

When we were there at Xmas I met the guy who is going to marry us and he showed me a copy of the document we need and from which department from the Home Office it came from. I can't remember the details but I wrote them all down and the stuff is at home. I'm at work at the moment but if you still need this info let me know and I'll dig it out.

Where are you getting married? Good luck!

Hello, I'm happy to report that we successfully got married 4 days ago and am now on honeymoon! In the end, after a lot of internet research and several phone calls to the marriage officer, the documents i needed were my passport and a "Single Status Declaration" document, signed by a solicitor in the UK. I drew this document up myself using a template i found online and made an appointment with a local solicitor who signed it. I only paid him £10 for that.

And that' it, simple i the end but a lot of work to find out what was actually needed!

Hi Weebit,

Thanks for sharing. Did you have to attend an immigration interview and do you mind sharing who your marriage officer was? My fiancé and I are planning to get married in South Africa. I am formerly South African and he is German and I am getting very conflicting information.

Appreciate your help

Toni

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That sounds really frustrating, especially when you're trying to organise everything from another country! I'd suggest contacting the British High Commission in South Africa and asking whether a sworn declaration or affidavit confirming you're unmarried would be acceptable instead of a Certificate of No Impediment. It's also worth checking directly with the South African marriage officer who'll be conducting the ceremony, as they'll be able to confirm what documents they require.

I came across this article about the legal requirements for getting married in the UK. It's not specifically about South Africa, but it might be useful if you're considering completing the legal ceremony in Britain instead:

https://consultantlm.uk/consultant-article/how-to-get-married-in-the-united-kingdom-civil-ceremony

Hope you manage to get it sorted without having to change your wedding plans!

Hi! I understand how stressful this must be, especially when you’re getting different answers from different people. There may be a solution without having to change your wedding destination.

The British High Commission in South Africa has previously confirmed that, instead of a Certificate of No Impediment, the South African Department of Home Affairs may accept your British passport, a copy of the High Commission’s explanatory letter, and a sworn affidavit confirming that you are unmarried and legally free to marry.

However, I’d recommend contacting the relevant South African Home Affairs office directly to confirm the current requirements before arranging your documents, as procedures can change.

You can find the official guidance on the UK government website by searching for “Certificate of No Impediment” and South Africa.

If you encounter any UK immigration issues when planning your move together, this article may also be helpful: https://consultantlm.uk/consultant-article/uk-visa-refusal-legal-options-and-next-steps-1

Hopefully, you can get everything sorted and enjoy your wedding in South Africa! ❤️