Court marriage in Nepal is the act of registering marriages in district courts that are legally enforceable or legally binding. Key prerequisites for your marriage to be registered in court, an individual must provide (an affidavit of eligibility for marriage) also known as a single status certificate.
Foreigners must obtain a copy of the marriage law of their country of residence. You can register your marriage to a district court in Kathmandu. The court will require additional documentation. For more information, you need to consult a lawyer that fits your needs.
Marriage through a court of law
Court marriage in Nepal is an act of registering marriage in the court of law. When you register your marriage in court or before the competent local authority, you will receive a marriage certificate, which means that your marriage has received legal validation, which includes several rights and obligations under the marriage law in Nepal. People are often not sure where to register their marriage: in the courthouse, in the municipality, or in their respective offices.
Where do you have to register your marriage?
Marriages may be registered in the respective district courts of all 77 districts of Nepal. However, if you comply with the requirements of the Government of Nepal, you can register your marriage in any district court of Nepal. Your marriage may be registered in the district of your permanent residence.
Your permanent address refers to the address or district indicated in your nationality or the district of your hometown. If you reside in a district other than your permanent resident and you are required to register your marriage in the district of your current residence in such a situation,
You must obtain a letter of recommendation from the local body (Ward Office) of your current residence which clearly indicates that you are a temporary resident in that particular area. It is also referred to as the Temporary Stay Letter for at least 15 days.
Can the marriage registered in the county office, or the municipality of the village obtain legal recognition?
The Ward Office and the Village Municipality shall have the authority to register and record personal details such as births, deaths and marriages. In the event of a traditional ceremony, the relevant ward office or the respective municipalities shall keep the marriage registers and records.
However, if you are traveling abroad, you are required to register your marriage in the district court. It is wise to have your marriage registered in the respective district court in order to obtain legal protection. Since the statues have been formulated with the changing requirements, you are asked to submit a marriage certificate or a marriage certificate.
What is the procedure for a court marriage in Nepal?
In the first place, you are required to obtain an affidavit of eligibility for marriage. It is also called the Single Status Certificate, which is proof that you are single. This is a mandatory provision for both male and female counter parts. This prevents the practice of polygamy or any misinterpretation of marriage without due process.
You are required to follow the procedure described below in order to have your marriage registered in Nepal.
1. Proof that you are single
Whether you are a man or a woman, a single status certificate is a prerequisite for the registration of your marriage in Nepal. The law of Nepal does not recognize polygamy and, if it is found to have been in violation of the law, the penalties are serious.
Therefore, you are required to submit to the district court evidence that you are single. The local Ward Office or the Village Municipality shall issue a certificate indicating that you are single.
In order to do so, you must submit an application to the Ward Office or the Village Municipality asking for a letter of recommendation. An original copy of the letter of recommendation should be submitted to the district court.
2. Witness
In order to register your marriage in court, you are required to bring before the court two witnesses who must appear in court on your behalf. Witnesses must have an original copy of, and a copy of, their citizenship.
3. Notary and Authentication
Before you submit a copy of your documents to the court to register your marriage. These documents are required to be stamped and authenticated by the Notary Officer.
4. Temporary resident
If you live in a district other than your permanent address, if you do not have a home in the district where you currently live and you are a tenant in that district. When you want to register your marriage in a court of law, you must obtain a letter of recommendation if you live in rent in that particular district.
Upon submission of an application, the Ward Office or the Village Municipality of your temporary residence shall issue a letter of recommendation.
This letter will serve as proof that the district indicated in the letter as your temporary residence is, in fact, your temporary residence and not your permanent residence.
5. Letter of Recommendation
If you wish to have your marriage registered in the district of your temporary residence, you must prove that you have lived in that district for at least 15 days. In order to prove that you have been living in the said district for at least 15 days or more, you must submit a request for a letter of recommendation from the respective Ward Office or the Village Municipality.
6. Marriage of a foreigner in Nepal.
If a foreigner wants to have their marriage registered in Nepal, he/she must follow the procedures set out below:
1. Proof of single status/Affidavit of eligibility for marriage
If a foreigner wishes to have their marriage registered in a court of law, he/she must prove that he/she is entitled to a marriage certificate at the time of marriage registration.
As proof, he/she is required to obtain a letter of recommendation from the relevant embassy, which gives an affidavit of eligibility for marriage. It is also called the Single Status Certificate.
As the procedures for issuing a letter of recommendation differ from country to country, it is wise to plan ahead of time and obtain a single status letter from his/her country of residence.
7. You must stay in Nepal for at least 15 days.
Foreigners must stay in Nepal for at least 15 days to register their marriage in Nepal. After 15 days, he/she may make an application to have their marriage registered in court. Passport, visa and arrival details shall be checked for a stay of 15 days.
8. Letter of recommendation from the relevant Ward Office
Upon a stay of 15 days in Nepal, a foreigner wishing to register his/her marriage becomes eligible to make a request and to submit a letter of recommendation to the relevant office. This letter will serve as proof of his stay for a period of 15 days.
Online Court Marriage Registration
Nearly all services are now accessible online. People have been looking for online services ever since the COVID-19. A system, most notably a computer or telecommunications system, connects two people via the internet. Many American cities adopted online court marriage systems after COVID, including New York, Colorado, and Ohio. Up until this point, Nepal has refused to accept the online court marriage system. The following marriage registration requirements are mandated in Nepal.
- You cannot register for marriage online; instead, visit the relevant district court.
- Letter of Consent or Consent Agreement
- Those who want to get married in court must declare and accept each other as husband and wife in front of the judge, according to Article 79 of the National Civil Code of 2017.
- The declaration paper must also bear the witness’ signature and thumbprint. A paper of this nature cannot be finished online.
Application
A marriage registration application must be submitted to the court in accordance with Article 77 of the 2017 National Civil Code. We don’t accept applications submitted online. The application must contain the applicant’s family information, including their full names, the names of their parents, grandparents, and any previous spouses, as well as the names of two witnesses.
Such details must be typed or written in Nepali, and an applicant’s photo must be included. Online completion of this kind of work is not an option. Online marriage has become popular in Nepal as a result of the COVID. The legislation governing virtual court marriage hasn’t been changed, though.
Nepal adheres to the lex loci celebration doctrine, which derives from the Latin phrase meaning “the law of the land where the marriage was celebrated” Such details must be typed or written in Nepali, and an applicant’s photo must be included. Online completion of this kind of work is not an option.
Online marriage has become popular in Nepal as a result of the COVID. The legislation governing virtual court marriage hasn’t been changed, though. Nepal adheres to the lex loci celebration doctrine, which derives from the Latin phrase meaning “the law of the land where the marriage was celebrated”
Obtaining Documentation
If you only have a short amount of time, you can hire a Nepali attorney and gather paperwork online. You are not required to be present if you have a lawyer representing you in court.
The best course of action would be to hire legal counsel right away. You can get legal help for every part of your work in Nepal. You’ll need to appear in court twice if you submit all of your paperwork online. The two witnesses must personally appear before the District Court and present their original IDs.
How to Register a Marriage with the Court?
- In two steps, we help you register for your marriage.
- We get all the paperwork we need from you.
- The expert sets a court date that is convenient for you.
- The attorneys see to it that you get the certificate of marriage registration
Registration fees for marriage
Whether you register your marriage offline or online, there are costs involved. If paid online, the fee is refundable. Marriage is a transcendent experience on a social, legal, and spiritual level. Nepal should also pass legislation allowing for online marriage registration as the increasing virtualization of a wide range of services and social interactions has changed every aspect of our lives.
Court Marriage Price
Cost of Court Marriage | Temporary Stay Letter | Legal Representation |
The district where you reside must issue you a certificate of singleness. Depending on where you live, the Rural Municipality and the Municipality have different fees for recommending an unmarried certificate. In Kathmandu’s rural areas, the Rural Municipality levies a fee of NPR 300, while the Municipality levies a fee of NPR 1000 elsewhere. The cost of recommending an unmarried certificate in Kathmandu ranges from NPR 1000 to NPR 2000 | To obtain a Temporary Stay Letter, a tax amount must be paid to the Municipality as a source of revenue. Depending on the municipality (municipality), metropolitan municipality (metropolitan municipality), and sub-metropolitan municipality, the tax revenue for the recommendation varies (sub-metropolitan municipality). For Nepalis, the municipal fee is NPR 2000; for foreigners, it is NPR 3000. The Kathmandu Municipality, however, levies a fee of NPR 10,000. The cost for a recommendation of a temporary stay letter for a foreigner is NPR 10,000. | NPR 5,000 |
9. Conclusion
Court marriage has now become mandatory in the course of several legal proceedings in Nepal. You must therefore register your marriage in the relevant district court of Nepal.
If you find it difficult to register your marriage, then you don’t need to worry, we family law practitioners are here to help and guide you and to navigate the entire marriage registration process in Nepal.
Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us for court marriage in Nepal. +977-9847691209 (https://courtmarriagekathmandu.com/)
Alpana Bhandari is a founding partner and CEO of Prime Legal Consultants and Research Center. She graduated from American University Washington College of Law. She specializes in corporate/arbitration and family law.
4 Comments
Hello. I am an American Citizen and am planning to get married to my fiancé who is a Russian citizen, but working and living in Nepal on a year-long visa. Is it possible to marry her there in Nepal, where we met? I
Thank you for your interest in the services. Please connect with us at +9779849517735 or by email:info@corporatelawyernepal.com
Thank you. Sure you may after fulfilling the legal requirements as per the law of Nepal.
So for detailed information, please connect with us at +977-9849517735( Whatsapp/regular call.
Best regards,
Hello,
I am a single (widowed) UK citizen and plan to marry my divorced Nepali partner in Nepal in November. I will be in Nepal from 1st to 29th November. Can you assist in arranging a court marriage so that there is a minimum for me to do?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
William Wilkinson.
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