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Weddings in Kenya

The Marriage Act, 2014 recognizes Five (5) systems of marriage, namely: Civil, Christian, Customary, Hindu, and Islamic marriages. The following documents are required to register any of the mentioned marriages.

1. CIVIL MARRIAGES

? These are conducted in the Registrar of Marriages, Deputy County Commissioners or Assistant County Commissioners offices;

? They can be conducted through Notice or by Special license,

Notice is where both parties are Kenyan nationals and it involves the placing of a 21 days Marriage notice before the Marriage takes place

A special license is necessary where:

? Any of the parties is a foreign national;

? Both parties are foreign nationals;

? Marriage outside a licensed place;

? Parties unable to give a 21 days’ notice.

? They are monogamous

A. REQUIREMENTS FOR CIVIL MARRIAGE BY NOTICE: (KENYANS ONLY)

• Both parties to appear before the Registrar’s to fill a Notice form;

• Valid I.D’s/Passports are required (Copy and original);

• Colored Passport size photos;

• Death certificate if widowed or divorce decree absolute if divorced;

• In the event, the Divorce decree is more than a year old or a death certificate is more than 2 years old, an Affidavit to confirm marital status;

• Fee, Kshs. 3,900.00. Or the US $ 39

B. REQUIREMENTS FOR CIVIL MARRIAGE BY SPECIAL LICENSE

i. Where both parties are Kenyan nationals

• Valid I.D’s or Passports (Copy and original)

• Birth certificates (copy and original)

• Proof of no impediment to marriage through:

? Affidavits to state marital status: Separate Affidavits if single or joint affidavit if married under customary law;

? Death Certificate (In the case of widowed persons): Copy and original;

? Divorce Decree Absolute. (In the case of divorced persons indicating current status): Copy and original;

? In the event the Divorce decree is more than a year old or a death certificate is more than 2 years old, an Affidavit to confirm marital status.

• A documented reason to show proof that you do not have time to give a 21-day notice;

• Colored passport size photos;

• BOTH PARTIES TO APPEAR before the Registrar when applying;

• A fee is Kshs. 9,700.00 OR US$97 if the wedding is being conducted in the Registrar’s office and Kshs. 16,700.00 if the wedding will take place in a garden.

ii. Where One Party is a Kenyan National and the Other a Foreign National

i. Kenyan National

• Valid I.D’s or Passports (Copy and original);

• Birth certificate (Copy and original);

• Proof of no impediment to marriage through:

? Affidavit to state marital status for the Kenyan National;

? Death Certificate (In the case of widowed persons); Copy and original;

? Divorce Decree Absolute. (In the case of divorced persons indicating current status); Copy and original;

? In the event the Divorce decree is more than a year old or a death certificate is more than 2 years old, an Affidavit to confirm marital status.

• Colored passport size photos;

• A documented reason to show proof that you do not have time to give a 21-day notice.

ii. Foreign National

• Valid passport (Copies and Original)

• Birth Certificate (Copies and Original)

• Passport size photo (Coloured)

• Proof of no impediment to marriage through:

? A Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage.

? Death Certificate. (In the case of a widowed person)- Or

? Divorce Decree Absolute. (In the case of divorce person indicating current status)- Copy and original

? In the event the Divorce certificate is more than a year old or a death certificate that is more than 2 years old, a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage

• Return air ticket/visa/work permit.

• BOTH PARTIES TO APPEAR before the Registrar when applying;

• A fee is Kshs. 9,700.00 or US$ 97 if the wedding is being conducted in the Registrar’s office and Kshs. 16,700.00 or US$ 167 if the wedding takes places in a garden.

iii. Where Both Parties Are Foreign Nationals

• Valid passports (Copies and Original);

• Passport size photos (Coloured);

• Birth certificates (Copies and Original)

• Prove of no impediment to marriage through:

? Certificates of No Impediment to Marriage.

? Death Certificate. (In the case of a widowed person)- Copy and original

? Divorce Decree Absolute/Decree Nisi. (In the case of divorce person indicating current status)- Copy and original

? In the event the Divorce decree is more than a year old or a death certificate that is more than 2 years old, a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage

• Return air ticket./Visa/Work permit

• BOTH PARTIES TO APPEAR before the Registrar when applying

• A fee is Kshs. 9,700.00 or US$ 97 if the wedding is being conducted in the Registrar’s office and Kshs. 16,700.00 or US$ 167 if the wedding takes places in a garden

2. CHRISTIAN MARRIAGES

? Monogamous in nature;

? They can be conducted through Notice or by Special license;

Notice is where both parties are Kenyan nationals and it involves the placing of a 21 days Marriage notice before the Marriage takes place.

A special license is necessary where:

? Any of the parties is a foreign national

? Both parties are foreign nationals

? Marriage outside a licensed place

? Parties unable to give a 21 days’ notice

A. CHRISTIAN MARRIAGES BY NOTICE

• Both parties to appear before the Registrar’s to fill a Notice form;

• Valid I.D’s/Passports are required (Copy and original);

• Colored Passport size photos;

• Death certificate if widowed or divorce decree absolute if divorced;

• In the event, the Divorce decree is more than a year old or a death certificate is more than 2 years old, an Affidavit to confirm marital status;

• Fee Kshs. 1,400.00 or US$ 14

• Copy of license of the Minister of Faith to officiate and serial number of the marriage book to be used;

• Wedding invitation card.

B. CHRISTIAN MARRIAGES BY SPECIAL LICENSE

i. Where Both Parties Are Kenyan Nationals

• Valid I.D’s or Passports (Copy and original)

• Birth certificates (copy and original)

• Proof of no impediment to marriage through:

Affidavits to state marital status: Separate Affidavits if single or joint affidavit if married under customary law
Death Certificate (In the case of widowed persons): Copy and original
Divorce Decree Absolute. (In the case of divorced persons indicating current status): Copy and original
In the event, the Divorce decree is more than a year old or a death certificate is more than 2 years old, an Affidavit to confirm marital status

• Colored passport size photos

• A documented reason to show proof that you do not have time to give a 21-day notice

• Copy of Minister of Faith’s license to officiate and serial number of the marriage book to be used

• Wedding invitation card

• BOTH PARTIES TO APPEAR before the Registrar when applying

• A fee is Kshs. 7,200.00 OR US$ 72 if the wedding is being conducted in a licensed place of worship and Kshs. 14,200.00 or US$ 142 if the wedding takes places in a garden

• If parties had placed a Notice of marriage with the intent to celebrate their marriage in a garden, the fee shall be Kshs. 7,200.00. Or US$ 72

ii. Where One Party is a Kenyan National and the Other a Foreign National

• Valid I.D’s or Passports (Copy and original)

• Birth certificate (copy and original)

• Proof of no impediment to marriage through:

Affidavit to state marital status for the Kenyan National
Death Certificate (In the case of widowed persons): Copy and original
Divorce Decree Absolute. (In the case of divorced persons indicating current status): Copy and original
In the event, the Divorce decree is more than a year old or a death certificate is more than 2 years old, an Affidavit to confirm marital status

• Colored passport size photos

• A documented reason to show proof that you do not have time to give a 21-day notice

Foreign National

• Valid passport (Copies and Original)

• Birth Certificate (Copies and Original)

• Passport size photo (Coloured)

• Proof of no impediment to marriage through:

? A Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage.

? Death Certificate. (In the case of a widowed person) or

? Divorce Decree Absolute. (In the case of divorce person indicating current status); Copy and original

? In the event the Divorce certificate is more than a year old or a death certificate that is more than 2 years old, a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage

• Return air ticket/visa/work permit.

• Copy of Minister of Faith’s license to officiate and serial number of the marriage book to be used

• Wedding invitation card

• BOTH PARTIES TO APPEAR before the Registrar when applying

• A fee is Kshs. 14,200.00 OR US$ 142 if the wedding is being conducted in a licensed place of worship and Kshs. 21,200.00 OR US $ 212 if the wedding takes place in a garden.

iii. Where Both Parties are Foreign Nationals

• Valid passports (Copies and Original)

• Passport size photos (Coloured).

• Birth certificates (Copies and Original)

• Prove of no impediment to marriage through:

Certificates of No Impediment to Marriage.
Death Certificate. (In the case of a widowed person)- Copy and original
Divorce Decree Absolute/Decree Nisi. (In the case of divorce person indicating current status)- Copy and original

In the event, the Divorce decree is more than a year old or a death certificate that is more than 2 years old, a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage

• Return air ticket/visa/Work permit

• Copy of Minister of Faith’s license to officiate and serial number of the marriage book to be used

• Wedding invitation card

• BOTH PARTIES TO APPEAR before the Registrar when applying

• A fee is Kshs. 14,200.00 or US$ 142 if the wedding is being conducted in a licensed place of worship and Kshs. 21,200.00 or US$ 212 if the wedding takes place in a garden.

END OF SERVICE

Category:

The Marriage Act, 2014 recognizes Five (5) systems of marriage, namely: Civil, Christian, Customary, Hindu, and Islamic marriages. The following documents are required to register any of the mentioned marriages.