We are often asked if destination weddings are legally recognised in Australia and New Zealand and, yes, they are (and worldwide). Having said that, the wedding can’t be registered with Australian or New Zealand Births, Deaths and Marriages because it is registered in the country you marry in. If you feel a need to have your wedding registered with B,D&M back home, you could have a registry office wedding there and a symbolic ceremony/renewal of vows in your tropical destination.
On the legality side the documentation required is usually birth certificates, passport ID pages, divorce papers or death certificate of previous spouse if applicable and a completed Intention to Marry form. If you have your own witnesses there will be a form for them – if not, witnesses will be provided. In Fiji and the Cook Islands you have to attend the Registry Office in person and, in the Cook Islands you need to be in the country for at least three working days prior to the wedding. In Samoa it is four days but your resort wedding coordinator will look after the paperwork. In Vanuatu we lodge copies of the documentation before you arrive and all will be ready for you on the Big Day. There’s no rule about having to be in Vanuatu for a certain time before marrying – in fact, we marry lots of couples who just have a day in Port Vila when their cruise ship docks.
Photo: Andrew Reid
