Congratulations – you want to learn how to get married in Trinidad and Tobago! Let us take you through the process that we know of thus far.
How Resident Nationals Get Married in Trinidad and Tobago
This is a fairly straightforward process.
Step 1: Choose an Officiant
The officiant of your marriage should be either a District Registrar or a Marriage Officer. Most religious functionaries (e.g. imam, pastor, priest, pundit) are registered marriage officers. If you are unsure of their status, ask.
Step 2: Post Banns
You and your honey will need to post banns i.e. register your intention to get married at the District Revenue/Wardens Office for each of your places of residence on the same day. This will cost $10 each. Walk with exact change please.
For example, if your honey lives in Arima and you live in San Fernando, your honey will post banns at the District Revenue/Wardens Office in Arima and you will go to the District Revenue/Wardens Office in San Fernando to post banns, both on the same day.
You will each need to walk with-
- your national picture identification; and
- if any of you were previously legally married, the decree absolute of divorce.
Importantly, your marriage must take place within 6 months from the posting of banns.
Step 3: Take Down the Banns
Seven clear business days after you posted the banns, revisit the office to have them ‘taken down’. Business days are days other than a weekend or a public holiday.
This will cost you $10.00 per bann. Walk with exact change please.
For example, let’s say that you posted banns on Monday 1st Octember at the District Revenue/Wardens Office for Arima. Therefore, you will return to that office to request that the banns be taken down no earlier than Thursday 11th Octember (assuming no public holidays in between).
When you ‘take down’ your banns, you will receive your marriage licence to present to the officiant of your marriage.
Step 4: The Marriage Ceremony
You will need to have at least two witnesses present at your marriage. This witnesses must be chosen in advance as you will need to present copies of their national picture identification to the marriage officer before the marriage ceremony.
Secondly, the marriage must be performed by a marriage officer between 6 am and 6 pm. If your marriage is being performed by a District Registrar, it will take place between 10 am and 4 pm.
After the marriage ceremony, you will receive an excerpt from the book of the Marriage Officer/District Registrar. It looks like a long slip of paper. However, this is not your official marriage certificate. It is simply proof that your marriage occurred (which you will need later).
Step 5: Get Your Marriage Certificate
The Marriage Officer/District Registrar is required to immediately submit the excerpt of proof of your marriage to the Registrar General.
Once he/she has done this, you should submit your copy of proof that your marriage has occurred to the Civil Registry to obtain a computerised marriage certificate. This will cost you $25.00.
How a Resident National and a Non-National Get Married in Trinidad and Tobago
Step 1: Choose an Officiant
The officiant of your marriage should be either a District Registrar or a Marriage Officer. Most religious functionaries (e.g. imam, pastor, priest, pundit) are registered marriage officers. If you are unsure of their status, ask.
Step 2: Resident Must Post Banns
The resident Trinidad and Tobago national will need to post banns, i.e. register an intention to get married, at the District Revenue Office for his/her area of residence. This will cost $10. Walk with exact change please.
You will need to walk with –
- your national picture identification; and
- if any of you were previously legally married, the decree absolute of divorce.
Importantly, your marriage must take place within 6 months from the posting of banns. Seven days later, you will need to visit the Warden’s Office to ‘take down the banns’ and obtain your Marriage Licence.
Step 3: Obtain Marriage Authorisation for Non-Resident
This process is called ‘President’s Authority’ on the RGD Civil Registry website and Minister’s authority in the Marriage Act.
The President’s Authority waives the requirement for a person living abroad to post his/her marriage banns and can be done by the resident. The resident will need to visit the Marriage Clerk in advance of making this application in order to get the form of the statutory declaration required for the non-resident party (see documents required below).
Process:
- Visit Marriage Clerk, Civil Registry of the Registrar General’s Department, the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs, AGLA Tower, Government Plaza, corner of London & Richmond Streets, Port of Spain for guidelines.
- Complete and sign Application Forms at Civil Registry. Cost/fee: $100.00. It seems that you do not need an appointment for this service (https://agla.gov.tt/online-services/appointment-booking/unscheduled-services/), but if I were you (which I’m not but just saying), I would try to call or email to confirm. Find contact information for the Civil Registry here.
- Return approximately 3 clear days (if in Trinidad ) and 7 clear days (if in Tobago) later for President’s Authority. Clear days excludes the date of submission of the application forms.
- Take President’s Authority to Warden’s Office and Marriage Licence will be issued. Cost/fee: $10.00.
Documents Required:
- Valid ID of resident.
- Original divorce absolute or death certificate of previous spouse and certified translation thereto, if applicable.
- Marriage Licence from Warden’s Office.
- Statutory declaration witnessed by Notary Public from party residing abroad (precedent will be provided by Marriage Clerk).
Step 4: Have Your Officiant Perform the Marriage Ceremony
You will need to have at least two witnesses present at your marriage. This witnesses must be chosen in advance as you will need to present copies of their national picture identification to the marriage officer before the marriage ceremony.
Secondly, the marriage must be performed by a marriage officer between 6 am and 6 pm. If your marriage is being performed by a District Registrar, it will take place between 10 am and 4 pm.
After the marriage ceremony, you will receive an excerpt from the book of the Marriage Officer/District Registrar. However, this is not your official marriage certificate. It is simply proof that your marriage occurred (should you need it later).
Step 5: Get Your Marriage Certificate
The Marriage Officer/District Registrar is required to immediately submit your marriage to the Registrar General.
Once he/she has done this, you may obtain a computerised marriage certificate. This will cost you $25.00.
You can apply for your marriage certificate online here and even have it delivered by registered post!
How a Non-Resident National and a Non-National Residing Abroad Get Married in Trinidad and Tobago
This will be treated in the same way as a marriage between two non-nationals who reside abroad.
How Non-Resident Nationals Get Married in Trinidad and Tobago
This will be treated in the same way as a marriage between two non-nationals who reside abroad.
How Non-Nationals Who Reside Abroad Get Married in Trinidad and Tobago
First, you will need to apply for a waiver of the requirement to post banns and then obtain a special marriage licence at the Registrar General’s Department.
Since –
- you must physically present yourself to the Marriage Clerk to obtain these documents; and
- be resident in Trinidad and Tobago at least 7 days before the application to waive posting banns (not including the date that you arrived),
you will need to factor the time period for obtaining these documents into your travel plans.
For convenience, the step-by-step process outlined by the Registrar General’s Department is reproduced below.
President’s Licence (Waiver of Posting Banns)
Trinidad
Place of Application: Civil Registry, the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs, AGLA Tower, Government Plaza, corner of London & Richmond Streets, Port of Spain
Time Frame for Delivery: 3 days
Documents Required:
- Valid ID of both parties (passports might be best)
- Original divorce absolute or death certificate of previous spouse and certified translation thereto, if applicable.
- Letter explaining why such a Licence is required.
- Proof of entry into Trinidad and Tobago
Tobago
Place of Application: Caribana Building, Bacolet Street Scarborough, Tobago.
Time Frame for Delivery: 7 days
Documents Required:
- Valid ID of both parties.
- Original divorce absolute or death certificate of previous spouse and certified translation thereto, if applicable.
- Letter explaining why such a Licence is required.
- Proof of entry into Trinidad and Tobago
Special Marriage Licence
You should go back to the location of the Registrar General’s Department where you applied for a waiver of posting banns (President’s Licence) to obtain the special marriage licence.
If you reside abroad, it might be useful to get some help to plan your wedding. Locally, you can check out wedding planners like Adriana Weddings, Asha Mars or any of the planners listed on PerchedTT and Wedding Wire.
It’s important to note that I’m not being paid by any of these planners or websites nor am I endorsing them. You will need to undertake an independent assessment of whether you want to hire them or any other wedding planner.
Congratulations! You now know how to get married in Trinidad and Tobago!
Please comment below if there is anything that we have left out so that others may benefit from your experience.
