Women’s Charter (Solemnisation and Registration of Marriages) Rules 2023

A reference in these Rules to a lettered form is a reference to the current version or versions of the form with the same letter as set out on the specified website.

The specified website may set out one version of a form to be used for personal submission to the Registrar and another version of the same form to be used for electronic submission to the Registrar, but the 2 versions must not be substantially different.

In this rule, “specified website” means https://www.marriage.gov.sg.

Where these Rules require a document to be submitted personally to the Registrar, the document must be submitted in person at the offices of the Registrar.

Where these Rules require a document to be submitted personally or electronically to the Registrar, the document must be submitted —

For the purposes of paragraph (2)(b), the Registrar —

In this rule, “specified website” means https://www.marriage.gov.sg.

An application for a licence under section 10(2) of the Act for a marriage to be solemnised despite the kindred or affinity of the parties must be —

After a licence under section 10(2) of the Act is issued, the Minister may amend the particulars in the licence on the application of the parties.

An application under paragraph (2) must be accompanied by a fee of $25.

A marriage licence issued under section 17(1) of the Act must state the following particulars:

The particulars must be those given in the notice of marriage under rule 6(b) and (c).

However, the Registrar may amend the particulars on the application of the parties.

An application under paragraph (3) must be accompanied by a fee of $25.

This rule has effect for the purposes of section 17(3) and (4) of the Act.

A decision whether to issue a marriage licence may be made by the operation of a computer program for which the Registrar is responsible if each party to the intended marriage is —

To avoid doubt, paragraph (2) does not prevent the Registrar from making a decision without a computer program in any case.

A decision under paragraph (2) to issue a marriage licence may be reviewed and confirmed, cancelled or substituted by the Registrar at any time before the date stated on the marriage licence as the date on which the marriage may be solemnised.

A decision under paragraph (2) not to issue a marriage licence for a marriage may be reviewed and confirmed, cancelled or substituted by the Registrar at any time before the notice of that marriage under section 14(1) of the Act ceases to have effect.

This rule has effect for the purposes of section 21 of the Act.

An application for the grant of a special marriage licence must be —

The declaration required by section 21(2) of the Act must be —

After a special marriage licence is issued, the Minister or the Minister’s delegate under section 21(4) of the Act may amend the particulars in the special marriage licence on the application of the parties.

An application under paragraph (4) must be accompanied by a fee of $25.

For the purposes of sections 16(2)(b), 18(1)(c) and 21(2A)(c) of the Act, a party must be physically present in Singapore for a continuous period of 31 days.

To avoid doubt, the continuous period required by paragraph (1) must not be broken by any absence from Singapore, even for a fraction of a day.

This rule has effect for the purposes of section 19 of the Act.

A caveat must contain the following information:

The fee for entering a caveat is $310.

If a caveat has been entered against the issue of a marriage licence to 2 persons, the Registrar must send each of them a copy of the caveat by registered post.

This rule has effect for the purposes of section 21B of the Act.

A marriage preparation programme is a programme or course that —

Two persons who intend to marry must both attend a marriage preparation programme if —

However, the Registrar may in writing excuse both persons from attending a marriage preparation programme if, in the opinion of the Registrar —

This rule applies to and in relation to a certificate of marriage issued under section 30(2)(a) of the Act.

A certificate of marriage must state the following particulars:

A certificate of marriage must be assigned with, and bear, a unique number and a unique quick response code.

A person whose marriage is registered in the State Marriage Register may apply to the Registrar to exercise the power in section 31 of the Act to correct any error in any record relating to the marriage.

An application under paragraph (1) must be accompanied by a fee of $42.

A fee of $35 is payable for a search of the State Marriage Register to find out whether it contains a certificate of marriage in respect of a specified person.

The following fees are payable for the issue of a copy or certified true copy of, or an extract or certified true extract from, a certificate of marriage in the State Marriage Register:

This rule applies to and in relation to the following cases:

Subject to the modifications in paragraph (3), the Act as in force from 25 September 2023 is to apply to and in relation to the notice or application, as the case may be.

The modifications are as follows:

This rule applies to and in relation to the following cases:

The Act as in force immediately before 25 September 2023, as modified by the COVID‑19 (Temporary Measures for Solemnization and Registration of Marriages) Act 2020 as in force immediately before that date, is to apply to and in relation to the notice, application or licence, as the case may be.

However, section 19 of the Act as in force from 25 September 2023 is to apply to the filing of caveats on or after that date.