Goa Marriage Certificate

State governments issue a marriage certificate upon registration, which is a document certifying the marriage bond of a bride and bridegroom. In India, Marriages are either registered under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 or the Special Marriage Act, 1954. In this article, we look at the procedure for obtaining Goa marriage certificate.

Benefits of Marriage Certificate

The following are the benefits of obtaining a marriage certificate in Goa.

A marriage certificate can be used as an official record to prove that marriage has occurred.
This certificate enables widows to claim the inheritance.
This certificate ensures the minimum age for marriage to prevent child marriages.
It can also be used to check polygamy or bigamy.
It acts as a deterrent to husbands deserting their wives.
This certificate helps women to exercise their rights of shelter from husband and for custody of children.
Moreover, its usage extends while applying for passport service, visa to obtain immigration benefits.

Eligibility Criteria

The bride and the groom should satisfy the following conditions of eligibility to acquire the marriage certificate in Goa:

The groom or the bride should be a permanent resident of India for obtaining the marriage certificate in Goa.
At the time of the marriage, the concerned party should have a living spouse.
The groom should have attained the age of 21 years, and the bride must be 18 years old at the time of the marriage.

Marriage Registration

The concerned party should apply to the Sub Divisional Magistrate under whose jurisdiction the marriage occurred or where the spouses had stayed for at least six months before the wedding. To register, any one of the following places should come under the jurisdiction of the Registering Officer:

Residence of the bridegroom.
Residence of the bride.
Solemnization place.

In India, a marriage can be recorded under either the Hindu Marriage Act or the Special Marriage Act. The Hindu Marriage Act applies to Hindus, whereas the Special Marriage Act applies to all citizens of India irrespective of their religion. The Hindu Marriage Act provides for registration of an already solemnised marriage and does not provide for solemnization of a marriage by a Marriage Registrar. However, the Special Marriage Act provides for the solemnization of a marriage as well as registration by a marriage officer.

Documents Required

While applying for the marriage certificate in Goa, furnish the following document along with the application:

Application form
Affidavit of the couple stating the place of marriage, date of marriage, marital status and nationality.
Passport size photo and photograph of a marriage wedding invitation card, if any.
Residency proof of the Applicant
Birth certificate of the groom (Age Proof)
Birth certificate of the bride (Age Proof)
If marriage happens at a religious place,, then the certificate by the priest.
For divorced people, the order of divorce and verified copy of the death certificate is required in case of a widower/widow.