Sikkim Marriage Registration Certificate

The Government has legislated the compulsory registration of all marriages for both the residents and non-residents of India to make the marriage legal. Besides the customs, rituals of different land and religion, the legal standing of marriage is also vital for various reasons. The registration of marriage takes place under respective states and union territories similar to which the State Government of Sikkim issues the certificate of marriage for those solemnised therein. In this article, we look at the procedure for obtaining a Sikkim marriage registration certificate in detail.

Purpose of Marriage Certificate

Marriage certificate as an official record to the fact that marriage has occurred. Though it serves various purposes, it is a highly required document for women issues such as to prevent child marriages. In addition, the court insists it to be a legal document in case of divorces, child custody, legal separation etc. Further, its usage extends to acquire immigration benefits while applying for a passport, visa. Under two categories, the Sikkim Government will issue the marriage certificate:

For already married couples
For civil marriages.

For Civil Marriage

To obtain the marriage certificate, one of the parties should be a permanent resident of India to be eligible. The applicant should collect and must submit the filled form to the Marriage Officer. On submission, the notice is posted on the notice board of the District Collectorate. In case of candidates who are not in the station but within India, a copy of the notice will be issued to their respective District Marriage Officers. For parties outside the country, the notice will be released to the concerned Embassy. A notice of one month is provided to raise any objections to the marriage. During the registration of the marriage, it is necessary that witnesses from both the parties are present. The concerned authority for providing the certificate includes all District Collectors' Offices in Sikkim.

Marriage Certificate for Married Couple

The process to issue the marriage certificate for already married couple remains the same except the Hindu Marriage Act.

Eligibility Criteria

The bride and groom should satisfy the below criteria to obtain a marriage certificate in Sikkim.

Obtaining the marriage certificate in Sikkim requires the bride and groom to be a permanent resident of India.
At the time of the marriage, neither party should have a living spouse.
The groom should have attained the age of 21 years, and the bride must be 18 years of age at the time of the marriage.

Documents Required

The documents required for Hindu marriage under Hindu Marriage Rules are as follows.

Duly filled application form
Residence certificate or any other certificate to prove nationality and residential address.
Birth certificate of bride and groom
Death certificate in case of widow or widower for re-marriage
Order/Degree from the competent court in case of divorce
Panchayat report
Police verification report on submission of Form A
Passport-size photos – 4 each

The documents required for civil marriage registration are also the same except for the application. Note: Submit all documents along with attestation of Gazetted Officer.

Processing Fee

The application for a marriage certificate after registering will be processed and issued within the timeframe of 45 days and incorporates a processing fee of Rs.20 which can be done at the respective Department.

Applying for Marriage Certificate

Registration of marriage is a prerequisite to apply for the certificate. To register the marriage, the applying party has to apply to the Sub Divisional Magistrate under whose jurisdiction the marriage took place or where either of the spouses has stayed for at least of 6 months before the marriage. The applicant can submit the application form for a marriage certificate in Sikkim either online or offline mode. Online Application Process: Step 1: Visit the official website of the Government of Sikkim, the State portal, which offers online services for the residents of Sikkim and click 'How to apply'. Step 2: In case of a new user, click New User which directs to the registration page. Step 3: Provide essential details and submit which generates the username and password. Step 4: If already registered, click, Registered User. The login page appears. Enter the username and password which directs to the list of services. [caption id="attachment_55835" align="aligncenter" width="1250"]

Sikkim-Marriage-Registration-Certificate-Step1 Step 5: Select the marriage certificate and fill the application form. Step 6: Upload the necessary documents and submit after verifying the details provided.

Offline Process:

To apply for Marriage Certificate offline, one has to visit the nearest sub-registrar office and collect an application form for Marriage certificate or can also download the application form provided below. Fill out the Application form carefully. If there is a change in the name of the bride after marriage, then the new name of the bride should be written in the Application form. The witnesses who can be friends or relatives can sign the application form. After obtaining a sign from the three witnesses, the applicant can submit the Sub-Registrar Office with all necessary documents. On verifying the Application form by the office, the applicant will receive 6 printouts of that application. Further, the bridegroom and the bride should sign that printout.

Application Status

The User can check the status of service application in any of the following ways: 1. An intimation of status change will be sent to their inbox available in the state portal. 2. An SMS notification on Status change. 3. The applicant can enquire about status at the Department with the transaction id. The office sends for a Police Verification Report to the concerned Thana after submitting the forms. The verification of all the documents then proceeds with the date of application and further, a date is fixed and announced to the parties. Both parties, along with 2 witnesses, must be present before the said District Magistrate on the said day. After completion of the application, the applicant will receive a marriage certificate.