First look over this website with the latest from DHA
This could be the right option for you if you want to simply get married at Home Affairs, or if you want to have a more simplified experience for the legal side of things prior to having a larger wedding / ceremony at a later date.
Couples that intend to marry outside of a religious or public location may hold their ceremony at any Home Affairs office. Marriage ceremonies at a Home Office are free of charge.
1. Gather all your paperwork
See “Paperwork Needed to Get Married” tab - keep in mind that this can take a while to gather so have this in order prior to making your DHA Interview appointment.
2. Consider hiring a Marriage Officiate
It can be quite a mission to track down the Immigration Officer to make an appointment for your DHA Interview. This is why most people go the route of hiring a Marriage Officiate.
3. make your DHA interview appointment
If it isn’t an option for you to hire a Marriage Officiant, you can:
As it is unlikely that they will answer their phone, so going in person will be the most effective way to get an appointment.
Go to your local Home Affairs office and request to make an appointment. If you do, you will receive a slip with your confirmed appointment.
It should be alright for just one of you to go to make this appointment.
A few locations that have been suggested are Khayelitsha (which is the top suggested location), Bellville or Paarl.
It will likely be a week before you will be scheduled in for your DHA interview
3. Do Your DHA Interview
This is the appointment where you get permission to get married - so pray!
Both of you need to be there for your interview.
Arrive 30 min ahead of your appointment.
The process requires the signature of two witnesses, but no more than 6 guests are allowed in the proceedings. Make sure both parties, as well as the two witnesses, have their ID documents with them.
4. Get Married!
The official will escort your party to a private ceremony room, talk you through all the legalities. They’ll take your signatures and fingerprints. Some officiators will allocate time for the exchange of rings and vow if you require it.
Some officials will not ask the bride whether she wants to take her husband’s surname. Make sure to mention this to the officiator if she wishes to keep her maiden name.
On your wedding day make sure that you get your Marriage Register signed with two witnesses:
The marriage register which you sign on the day of your wedding should be completed in triplicate (with three copies).
Two witnesses and the marriage officer must sign the marriage register after the solemnisation of a marriage. Sometimes DHA want the witnesses to be South African - so its worth just doing this to avoid later complications.
Then the marriage officer must issue the parties with a handwritten marriage certificate (BI-27) free of charge.
Make sure to ask for a copy of the form the witnesses sign - this can really help speed up the process for getting your unabridged marriage certificate
The marriage officer must then submit the marriage register to the nearest office of the Home Affairs Offices, where the marriage details will be recorded in the National Population Register (NPR) within a week of your wedding.
Home Affairs will stamp and sign the marriage register and the second copy will be mailed to you as proof of registration. In many countries this is sufficient to prove your SA marriage.
You will receive an abridged marriage certificate, free of charge (this is called form BI-27), and the officiator will register the marriage on the National Registry. Should you require an additional or abridged marriage certificate, you can request one from Home Affairs (by filling in form BI-130). The first abridged certificate is free of charge, with additional copies costing R75.
5. Apply for unabridged marriage certificate
Go to your local Home Affairs office and apply for an unabridged marriage certificate
If you want to speed it up, you can use DocAssist company, or any other company that assist with speeding up the doc process. This can be the difference of months - (many report that when they hire a company, it can take 5 days, versus the 7-11 months otherwise by waiting for Home Affairs).
