Information for Overseas Couples - Planning your wedding in Sydney

Sydney Beaches Clark Park, Lavender Bay Sydney Sydney Harbour Sydney Harbour Sydney Opera House Sydney Harbour Bridge

Wanting to get married in Sydney

Anyone can get married in Australia and what better place than Sydney to plan your wedding. Sydney has some of the world's most beautiful beaches, parks, headlands and of course Sydney Harbour speaks for itself! Sydneylocations

It is easy to have a wedding in Sydney, there is not much red tape at all, you will not be disappointed with our spectacular city either.

I have married couples from England, Wales, Switzerland, Thailand, China, United States, Netherlands, Russia, Italy and New Zealand

Just about all the paperwork can be done via email or on the phone if necessary. The only requirement is that you sign and have The Notice of Intended Marriage witnessed by an authorised person (see the notice of intended marriage for who can witness this) in your country and send the original to me no later than a month and one day prior to the ceremony date. You can also send your original documents such as birth certificates or overseas passports can be sighted if you have not been born in Australia.

Everything else can be done online or when you arrive in Sydney. If you are an overseas resident I will need to sight either your original birth certificate or a current overseas passport. If either of you have been married before I will also need to sight the original divorce papers or death certificate, if these are not in english they must be translated by a registered translator website. If you are Australian born living overseas but coming back to be married you will need your original birth certificate, passports cannot be used for Australian born.

After the ceremony I will register your marriage on line the same or next day as your wedding. You will then be able to apply to the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages for a registered marriage certificate. I can supply you with an aplication form and help you with this. The fee payable to Births, Deaths and Marriages is approximately $44.00 or $66.00 for a commemorative certificate depending on the urgency.

Your country may also require an Apostile stamp. Check with your embassy if you require this. If you do this can be applied for at the Department of Foreign Affairs website.

Overseas couples - who require letters for immigration purposes

If your fiance wishes to enter Australia under the prospective marriage (fiance) plan, I will supply a suitable letter for the Australian Consulate along with a copy of the Notice of Intended Marriage at our first meeting. Only one person needs to come to the initial interview to complete the legal forms. For couples who are overseas prior to the wedding, all the arrangements can be completed via email, telephone or by post.