How to Register Your Marriage in Delhi in 2026: The Complete Guide

Registering your marriage in Delhi is a short process once you know which law applies to you, which office has jurisdiction and what papers the marriage officer will check. Most applications that get delayed fail on one of those three points, not on the law itself. This guide walks you through the whole journey, from choosing the right Act to downloading the signed certificate, with the practical details couples usually learn only after a wasted trip to the SDM office.

Why registration is compulsory in Delhi

In February 2006 the Supreme Court, in Seema v Ashwani Kumar, directed every state and union territory to make registration of marriages compulsory. Delhi gave effect to that direction through the Delhi (Compulsory Registration of Marriage) Order, 2014. The Order applies to every marriage solemnised in Delhi, whatever the caste, creed or religion of the couple, provided the groom was at least 21, the bride at least 18 and at least one of them is an Indian citizen.

Two points about the Order matter in practice:

• It sets a deadline. You are expected to apply within 60 days of the wedding, not counting the wedding day itself.
• It does not decide whether your marriage is valid. Registration records a marriage; validity still depends on the personal law or Act under which you married. A certificate cannot cure a marriage that was never validly performed.

If your marriage is already registered under another law, you do not have to register it again under the 2014 Order.

Step 1: Work out which law you are registering under

Delhi’s marriage officers register marriages under three main frameworks. Picking the right one decides the forms, the number of witnesses and the waiting period.

Your situation	Law used	Witnesses	Waiting period
Both spouses Hindu, Sikh, Jain or Buddhist, already married by religious ceremony	Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 (Section 8)	2	None beyond the appointment
Any couple already married in Delhi, any religion	Delhi Compulsory Registration of Marriage Order, 2014	2	None beyond the appointment
Couple of different religions, or any couple wanting a civil marriage	Special Marriage Act, 1954	3	30-day public notice
Sikh couple married by Anand Karaj	Anand Marriage Act route as notified in Delhi	2	None beyond the appointment

The key distinction is between registering a marriage that already happened and getting married before the marriage officer. If you already had a religious wedding, you are registering. If you want the state to solemnise your marriage, you are having a court marriage under the Special Marriage Act, which has a mandatory 30-day notice period. Our guide to marriage registration versus court marriage explains the difference in detail.

Step 2: Check you are eligible

Before you collect a single document, make sure you meet the conditions every Delhi office checks:

1. Age. The groom must have been at least 21 and the bride at least 18 on the wedding date.
2. Citizenship. At least one spouse must be an Indian citizen for registration under the 2014 Order and the Hindu Marriage Act.
3. No living spouse. Neither partner can have a living spouse from an earlier marriage that has not been legally dissolved.
4. Capacity to consent. Both partners must have been capable of giving valid consent.
5. Not within prohibited degrees. The couple must not be related within the prohibited degrees of relationship, unless a custom governing both of them permits the marriage.
6. Jurisdiction. At least one spouse must live in the district of the marriage officer, or the marriage must have been solemnised there.

If any of these is in doubt, sort it out first. A divorced partner, for example, needs the final divorce decree before the marriage officer will accept the application. Read our guide on who can register a marriage in Delhi for edge cases.

Step 3: Choose the right SDM office

Marriage registration in Delhi is handled by the revenue department through the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) offices in each revenue district. As a rule, you apply to the office of the district where either spouse lives. If you married in Delhi but neither of you lives in Delhi, you apply where the wedding took place.

Under the Special Marriage Act there is an extra condition: at least one of you must have lived in that district for at least 30 days immediately before applying.

Applying to the wrong office is one of the most common reasons for rejection, so match the address on your residence proof with the office you select on the portal. Our district-by-district guides list which areas fall under each office.

Step 4: Gather your documents

The marriage officer wants to see proof of four things: who you are, how old you are, where you live and that the marriage took place. Here is the core list Delhi offices publish:

Document	Bride	Groom	Witnesses
Identity proof (Aadhaar, PAN, voter ID, passport, driving licence)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Date of birth proof (birth certificate, Class 10 certificate, passport)	Yes	Yes	No
Address proof (Aadhaar, passport, utility bill, registered rent agreement)	Yes	Yes	Yes, usually Delhi
Notarised affidavit on e-stamp paper in the prescribed format	Yes	Yes	No
Passport-size photographs	Yes	Yes	Sometimes
Proof of marriage (wedding card, priest’s certificate, wedding photographs)	Joint	Joint	No

Add these if they apply to you:

• Divorced: a certified copy of the final divorce decree.
• Widowed: the death certificate of the former spouse.
• Foreign national spouse: passport, visa and a certificate from the embassy on marital status.
• Married at a temple, gurdwara or other religious place: a certificate from the priest or officiant.

Keep self-attested photocopies as well as originals. The full checklist, with scanning tips, is in our guide to documents required for marriage registration in Delhi.

Step 5: Prepare the affidavits

Each spouse signs a separate affidavit stating the date and place of marriage, their date of birth, their marital status at the time of the wedding, that they are not related within the prohibited degrees and their nationality. Delhi offices ask for the affidavit on non-judicial e-stamp paper, notarised, in the format attached to the official guidelines.

Two practical tips:

• Make sure every name and date in the affidavit matches your ID documents letter for letter. A spelling difference between Aadhaar and the affidavit is enough to send you back.
• For online applications you upload a scan of the affidavit and then hand in or post the original to the office with your application number.

See the marriage registration affidavit format for Delhi for what each paragraph must say.

Step 6: Apply on the e-District portal

Delhi runs marriage registration through its e-District portal. The online flow looks like this:

1. Register as a citizen user on the e-District Delhi portal with your mobile number and an identity document.
2. Choose the revenue department service for registration of marriage, and select the Act you are registering under.
3. Fill in the form with details of both spouses, the wedding date and place, and both witnesses.
4. Upload scanned documents, photographs and the affidavits in the format and size the portal asks for.
5. Pay the government fee online.
6. Book or receive your appointment at the SDM office.
7. Note the application number. You will need it on the appointment day and to download the certificate.

If you are not comfortable with the portal, a Citizen Service Centre can file the application for you. Our e-District walkthrough covers each screen.

Step 7: Attend the SDM office appointment

On the appointment date both spouses and the witnesses must appear in person with original documents. Expect the following:

• Officials compare your originals with what you uploaded.
• The marriage officer may ask a few simple questions about the wedding.
• You, your spouse and the witnesses sign the register.
• Under the normal route the certificate is approved after verification; under Tatkal it is prioritised.

Arrive early, bring every original and carry spare photocopies. If one witness fails to turn up, the appointment usually cannot go ahead, so confirm with your witnesses the evening before. Our guide to what happens on appointment day describes the visit minute by minute.

Step 8: Download your marriage certificate

Once the marriage officer approves the registration, the certificate is issued digitally. You can download it from the e-District portal by entering your application number. Check every detail on the certificate the day you receive it; correcting a mistake later is possible but slower. Our guide on downloading the Delhi marriage certificate explains the steps.

Government fees and timelines

Delhi’s fee notifications have changed over the years, and figures published online often contradict each other. The 2014 Order sets these components:

Component	Amount under the 2014 Order
Application fee	₹200
Late application (61 to 120 days after the wedding)	Additional ₹500
Registration beyond the extended period	Penalty of ₹1,000 (can be remitted for good reason)
Tatkal (priority) registration	Additional ₹10,000

Registrations under the Hindu Marriage Act and Special Marriage Act have their own, smaller application fees. Always confirm the amount on the e-District payment screen before paying, because that is the figure the office will accept. Our verified fees guide is updated every quarter.

Timelines. Under the normal route, the gap between applying and getting an appointment varies by district and season, typically from a few days to a few weeks. Wedding season, roughly November to February, is the busiest period. Tatkal registration is meant for urgent cases and is usually completed within one to three working days of applying.

Tatkal: when you need the certificate fast

If you need the certificate urgently, for example for a visa interview or a job posting abroad, Delhi offers Tatkal registration for an additional fee. Tatkal speeds up the appointment and processing but does not relax any document or attendance requirement. It is also important to understand what Tatkal cannot do: it cannot shorten the 30-day notice under the Special Marriage Act. Read the Tatkal marriage registration guide before you pay the extra fee.

Late registration

Missing the 60-day window does not mean you can no longer register. The 2014 Order lets the marriage officer accept an application up to a further 60 days on payment of an additional fee. Beyond that, a penalty applies, and the ADM or DM can reduce or remit it if you show reasonable cause. Couples who married years ago can still register; they simply need stronger proof that the marriage took place. See late marriage registration in Delhi and registering an old marriage.

The eight mistakes that delay most applications

1. Applying to an SDM office that does not have jurisdiction over your address.
2. Names spelt differently across Aadhaar, the affidavit and the wedding card.
3. A date of birth on the affidavit that does not match the age proof.
4. Unnotarised affidavits, or affidavits on the wrong value of stamp paper.
5. Witnesses who arrive without original ID or address proof.
6. Photographs that do not meet the size or background specification.
7. Missing divorce decree or death certificate for a previously married spouse.
8. Choosing the Special Marriage Act when you are already married by Hindu rites and could have used the faster Hindu Marriage Act route.

Each of these costs you a fresh appointment, which in peak season can mean weeks.

Special situations and how they change the process

Most couples follow the standard route above. These situations add a step or change the law you use.

Muslim and Christian couples. Muslim marriages (nikah) and Christian marriages solemnised in Delhi can be registered under the 2014 Order, which applies regardless of religion. The Delhi High Court has directed the government to make this route available on its online portal. Bring the nikahnama or the church marriage certificate as proof of solemnisation. See our guides to Muslim marriage registration and Christian marriage registration.

Inter-faith couples who have not yet married. If you are of different religions and want a civil marriage, the Special Marriage Act is the route. It requires a notice of intended marriage, a 30-day period in which objections can be raised, and three witnesses on the day. Neither of you has to change religion. Our inter-religion marriage guide covers the full process.

Inter-faith couples who already had a ceremony. If you married by religious ceremony across faiths, the marriage officer may ask you to register under Section 15 or 16 of the Special Marriage Act, which also involves a 30-day public notice before registration.

One spouse abroad. Personal appearance of both spouses is the normal rule. The Delhi High Court has, in individual cases, allowed couples abroad to complete registration by video conference, but this is not an automatic option on the portal. Plan the appointment around the travelling spouse’s visit, or read registering when one spouse is abroad.

Foreign national spouse. Registration is possible if one spouse is an Indian citizen. The foreign spouse needs a valid passport and visa, and the marriage officer will usually ask for a certificate of marital status issued by their embassy. See documents when one partner is a foreign national.

Second marriage. If either of you was married before, the earlier marriage must have ended by a final divorce decree or by the former spouse’s death, and you must produce proof. A pending divorce case is not enough. Read registering a second marriage after divorce.

Sikh couples. Marriages performed by Anand Karaj can be registered under the Anand Marriage Act framework that Delhi has notified, using the gurdwara’s certificate as proof of solemnisation. Our Anand Karaj guide explains the forms.

Married outside Delhi. If your wedding took place in another state, check whether the 2014 Order applies to you, since it covers marriages solemnised in Delhi. Under the Hindu Marriage Act you can usually register where either of you lives. See married outside Delhi but living in Delhi.

What to do after you receive the certificate

The certificate is the start of a short list of updates, not the end of the process. Within the first few weeks:

1. Save several copies. Download the PDF, store it in DigiLocker if your district’s certificate is available there, and keep a printed, self-attested copy.
2. Check whether you need it apostilled. If you will use the certificate abroad, for a spouse visa or for overseas employment, it will usually need an apostille from the Ministry of External Affairs. Start early, because attestation has its own queue. See apostille for a Delhi marriage certificate.
3. Update your name or spouse details, if you want to. Changing your surname is a choice, not a requirement. If you do change it, the marriage certificate is the main supporting document for your passport, Aadhaar, PAN and bank records. Our name change guide lists the order that causes the least friction.
4. Update nominees. Add or update your spouse as nominee on insurance, provident fund and bank accounts.

How long the certificate is valid

A marriage certificate does not expire. It remains valid proof of registration for life. Some embassies and employers ask for a recently issued or recently attested copy, which is a requirement of that authority rather than a limit on the certificate itself.

Registering your marriage with professional help

You can register your marriage on your own. Couples choose help when they are short of time, when one spouse is travelling, when documents have mismatches, or when they need the certificate by a fixed date. A good service checks every document before you apply, drafts affidavits that match your ID exactly, books the correct office and goes with you on the appointment day, while the government fee stays exactly what the government charges.

WedProof offers a free document check: share your details through the form on this page and a counsellor will tell you which law applies, which office to use and what to fix before you apply.

Quick checklist before you click submit

• We know which law we are registering under.
• Our address proof matches the SDM office we selected.
• Both affidavits are notarised and match our IDs exactly.
• We have originals and self-attested copies of every document.
• Two (or three) witnesses have confirmed the appointment date and have their originals.
• We have checked the fee on the payment screen.
• We have noted our application number.

Registration is the step that turns your wedding into a record the state, banks, passport offices and foreign embassies will accept. Done right the first time, it takes one visit.