Attesting Documents for Marriage Registration: Who Can Sign

Attestation is one of the small, confusing parts of marriage registration. One person tells you to self-attest everything; another says you need a gazetted officer; a third says only the affidavit matters. The truth is that there are three different kinds of attestation, used for different documents, and Delhi district guidelines have varied over time. This guide explains each kind, what Delhi offices have asked for, and a safe approach that works across districts.

Three kinds of attestation

Kind	Who signs	Used for
Self-attestation	You	Photocopies of your own documents
Notarisation	A notary public	Your affidavit
Officer attestation	A gazetted officer, PSU officer or other listed person	Identification and photographs, where a district requires it

Self-attestation

Self-attestation means signing a photocopy of your own document to confirm it is a true copy of the original. To self-attest:

1. Make a clear photocopy.
2. Write “Self-attested” on the copy.
3. Sign below it.
4. Carry the original for comparison at the appointment.

Delhi district guidelines ask for self-attested copies of documents such as age proof, address proof and the invitation card. The original is checked at the office.

Notarisation of the affidavit

Your affidavit is a sworn statement. It must be signed before a notary public, who attests it with their seal, signature and register entry. The notary checks your identity, so carry your identity proof. See marriage registration affidavit format.

Officer attestation of identification and photographs

Some Delhi district pages have asked for an identification certificate, with attested photographs of both spouses, signed by a qualifying person. One district’s list includes:

• a gazetted officer of the government;
• an officer of a public sector undertaking;
• a person holding a PAN.

The same page asked for ceremony photographs to be attested in the same way. Other district guidelines simply ask for self-attested copies and photographs meeting specifications, with personal verification at the office. Practice has varied over time.

A safe approach across districts

Because requirements differ, follow this approach:

1. Read your district’s current guidelines on its DM website or ask the SDM office.
2. Self-attest every photocopy.
3. Notarise both affidavits.
4. If your district asks for officer attestation, get it done before the appointment, with the officer’s name, designation, office seal and date clearly shown.
5. Carry all originals.

How a gazetted officer should attest

If you need officer attestation, ask the officer to:

• sign across the photograph so the signature touches both the photo and the paper;
• write their full name and designation;
• apply their office seal;
• add the date;
• if attesting an identification certificate, confirm they know you or have verified your identity.

Unclear signatures or missing seals are a common reason attestations are not accepted.

Why attestation exists at all

Attestation is a way of borrowing trust. The marriage officer cannot personally know every applicant, so the system asks someone accountable to vouch for something. When you self-attest a copy, you take responsibility for its accuracy. When a notary attests your affidavit, the notary confirms that you, the person named, signed it in their presence after swearing to its truth. When a gazetted officer attests an identification certificate, an accountable public official confirms that the photographs are of the people named. Each layer reduces the chance of impersonation or false documents. Understanding this helps you see why the officer looks for clear names, seals and signatures: an attestation that cannot be traced back to an accountable person is not much use.

Attestation for online applications

When you apply on e-District, you upload scans. Attestation does not disappear; it moves to the appointment. Upload scans of your self-attested copies and notarised affidavits, and bring the originals and the attested copies or photographs to the office. Delhi guidelines for online applicants also ask for the original affidavits to be delivered to the SDM office, by hand or by registered or speed post, with the application number. If your district asks for an attested identification certificate, scan and upload it as well, and carry the original.

Attestation for documents from abroad

Documents issued outside India, such as a foreign spouse’s birth certificate, a foreign divorce decree or an embassy certificate of marital status, follow a different logic. Indian officials usually need them to be authenticated in the country of issue, by an apostille if that country is in the Hague Apostille Convention, or by consular attestation otherwise, and translated into English or Hindi if necessary. Self-attestation is not enough for foreign public documents. See documents when one partner is a foreign national.

What attestation does not do

Attestation confirms that a copy matches an original, or that a signature or photograph belongs to the person named. It does not make a document true. If a document contains a wrong date of birth, a notary’s seal or an officer’s signature does not fix it. That is why consistency across your documents matters more than the number of seals on them.

Common attestation mistakes

• Forgetting to self-attest copies.
• Affidavit signed at home and taken to the notary later, rather than signed before the notary.
• Officer attestation without an office seal or designation.
• Attesting photographs that do not meet size or background specifications.
• Assuming one district’s requirements apply to another.

A sample identification certificate

Where a district asks for an identification certificate, a simple format such as the following is commonly used. Adapt it to the district’s prescribed wording if one exists.

I, [officer’s full name], [designation], [office], certify that I know / have verified the identity of [husband’s name], son of [father’s name], resident of [address], and [wife’s name], daughter of [father’s name], resident of [address], whose photographs are affixed below and attested by me.

[Photographs of both spouses, signed across by the officer]

Signature, name, designation, office seal, date

Make sure the names match your identity documents exactly, and that the officer’s signature crosses onto both photographs.

Worked example

Kriti and Aman are registering in South Delhi. They read the district’s page, which asks for an identification certificate with photographs attested by a gazetted officer, PSU officer or a person holding a PAN. Aman’s uncle, a gazetted officer, attests their photographs with his name, designation, seal and date. They self-attest copies of all documents and get their affidavits notarised. Everything is accepted at the appointment.

One-line takeaway

Self-attest every copy, notarise both affidavits, add officer attestation only if your district asks, and always carry originals.

Key terms explained

• Self-attestation: signing a copy of your own document as a true copy.
• Notary public: an official who attests affidavits and other documents.
• Gazetted officer: a government officer whose appointment is notified in the official gazette.
• Identification certificate: a certificate identifying the couple, with attested photographs, used by some districts.

Let us check your district’s requirements

Attestation rules vary between districts and over time. WedProof checks what your district currently asks for and makes sure your documents meet it before you apply.