Rules for applying for marriage registration at the registry office: answers to frequently asked questions

Rules for registering marriage

Previously, it was necessary to draw up documents 30-60 days before marriage, now future spouses can independently choose a convenient date.

Just 7 years ago, marriage was registered only at the place of registration or registration; now this rule does not apply. The newlyweds now have the opportunity to choose any registry office or wedding palace in Russia. Someone wants to have a wedding in Moscow, and some of the newlyweds in a small village on the banks of a river.

What to do then?

If registry office employees refuse to accept an application in another district or city, write a complaint addressed to the boss or go to court. Request that the refusal be made in writing, indicating the reason. The complaint is considered in 5-10 days, but the trial will drag on for 2 months.

Another important point.

Some couples apply to two or three registry offices at once because they do not know where they will live on their wedding day. This is permitted by law, but you will have to pay a state fee for each application submitted. Through public services you can submit an application only to 1 registry office.

Therefore, the first conclusion.

The application is submitted as many times as the newlyweds want, until the marriage is registered. But remember that the state fee will have to be paid every time.

To register a marriage at the registry office you need to: 1. fill out a joint application on form No. 7; 2. pay the state fee of 350 rubles; 3. if you are under 18 years old, obtain a marriage license from the city administration; 4. on the appointed date, come to the registry office with your passports; 5. After registration, receive a certificate.

Please take your registration date seriously as rescheduling is not permitted. Registry office employees attend meetings only in exceptional cases - in case of serious illness or pregnancy. In this case, there must be more than 7 days left before the ceremony.

Let's look at it with an example.

Example: Ekaterina and Andrey want to formalize their relationship. Katya is 8 months pregnant. In this situation, registry office employees can register the marriage the next day.

We wrote in detail about the accelerated procedure in our article.

The relationship can be formalized when both newlyweds turn 18 years old. But in 20 regions the minimum age was reduced to 14 years. To get married at such a young age, future spouses receive special permission from local governments. This document is issued when the bride is pregnant.

Reasons for refusal

Below is a list of reasons when an application will not be accepted:

• future spouses are already in a marital relationship;
• the bride or groom are close relatives;
• future spouses are declared incompetent by the court;
• The newlyweds are each other's adoptive parents and adopted children.
• one of the newlyweds is threatened to formalize the marriage;
• the newlyweds came drunk to the registry office;
• one or both newlyweds are too young;

Applications are accepted at the registry office, but sometimes marriages are registered:

• Local government bodies.
• Consulate of the Russian Federation outside our country.
• Authorized federal executive authorities.

Types of ceremonies

Choose 1 of 4 possible options for the ceremony:

1. Simple - newlyweds come at the appointed date and time, sign, receive a marriage certificate and stamps in their passports. It takes 5-15 minutes. Expenses go only towards state fees.
2. Ceremonial - takes place on Saturday, music plays at the ceremony, photographers work.
   After registration, guests and newlyweds drink champagne and congratulate the couple. The registrar reads the vows in the ceremony hall, the spouses sign, and solemnly put rings on each other. The procedure takes 30-60 minutes. In 2021, you can officially invite a personal photographer. You need to sign up for the procedure in advance, because there are a lot of people interested.
3. On-site - the procedure takes place outdoors, in a park or square. There is live music playing and colorful decorations all around. It takes 1 hour. Due to the high price, the service is provided by 20-30 registry offices throughout the country. A famous place is the Tsaritsyno Museum Reserve in Moscow.
4. Combined - the marriage is registered at the registry office, as with simple registration.
   There will be no photographers, music, beautiful design. You can sign on Tuesday, when there is no queue. And on Saturday, the bride, groom and guests go to nature, and there they stage an off-site registration. A professional actress plays the role of a registry office registrar, vows are taken, photographers take pictures, spouses exchange rings.

Previously, witnesses were invited to the registry office to sign, but now this is not required. Only the bride and groom will be asked to sign.

What do the registry office give when submitting an application?

Once the registry office registrar has checked your documents, she will look in her book to find the appropriate date and time for your wedding.

Most likely, you will be told this date orally and you will have to remember it or write it down in your notebook. But at the Wedding Palace they can give you a beautiful coupon with your last names and date when registration takes place.

State duty

In 2021, the state fee for registering a relationship is 350 rubles. If you submit documents via the Internet or government services, then pay 245 rubles (with a 30% discount).

This amount may change; details are specified in clause 1 of Art. 333.26 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. Remember that only one person from the couple pays the state fee.

Note.

Sample receipt for payment of state duty

If one of the newlyweds has a benefit, then you don’t have to pay your part of the fee. Payment is made at any branch of Sberbank. Remember that banks charge a commission of 20 rubles for this operation. After payment, bring the receipt to the registry office along with the application.

Ask the registry office employees for payment details, but most banks also have this information. If you change your mind about applying, the money will not be returned.

Documentation

In addition to the application, you will be required to provide the following documents:

1. The identification document is a passport, although in some cases a sailor's passport or military ID will do.
2. A document authorizing persons to marry is provided if one of the future spouses has not reached the age of marriage of 18 years.
3. A document confirming that the previous marriage has been dissolved - it is provided by citizens who were previously in a marital relationship. In most cases, a divorce certificate or death certificate of the previous spouse will suffice.
4. If there is a foreigner in the couple , a foreign passport and translation of all documents will be required.

And one more important detail.

If you submit an application to the same registry office where your previous marriage was dissolved, then you do not need to present a certificate of dissolution.

Girls change their last name after marriage to their spouse’s last name in 60% of cases. But you can take a double surname, for example, Ivanova-Pankratova.

After the ceremony, a passport with the old surname will be valid for another 30 days. This time is given in order to have time to change all documents: passport, driver’s license, work book, tax identification number, documents for an apartment.

After the marriage is registered, the passports of both spouses will be stamped and the information will be entered into the accounting book. After some time, you will receive a marriage registration certificate.

Sample application for marriage registration

If you like to fill out paperwork at home, be sure to download the application from the link below.

We have also prepared a sample form for you to make it easier for you to figure out what data you need to fill in and in what fields.

Procedure for filling out an application

Remember that it must be in writing. It will not be possible to come and verbally declare your intentions. Take the form from the employees who prepare the documents or download it from our website to fill out at home.

Let's take a closer look.

Remember that signatures and dates are placed at the registry office. When filling out the application, please adhere to the following rules:

• Point 1 - indicate the first name, last name and patronymic of both spouses.
• Column 2 - enter dates of birth and age at the time of application.
• Point 3 - fill in the place of birth as indicated in the passport.
• Column 4 - indicate the citizenship of the bride and groom.
• Point 5 - indicate your nationality. This requirement is optional and can be completed as desired.
• Column 6 - indicate your place of residence, do not confuse it with registration.
• Column 7 - indicate your identification document. Also fill in the number, series of this document
• paragraph 8 - fill in the information about the document that confirms the termination of the previous marriage, if you were previously married. If this is your first marriage, then mark it as missing.

Below there will be lines that are responsible for changing the last name. If the future husband or wife decides to cheat, enter the new last name in these lines. Remember that you cannot make mistakes in the application, otherwise it will be considered invalid.

The application form is divided into two halves, one part for the groom, the second for the bride, everyone must fill in the information independently. If everything is in order, they will put a special signature and stamp on the form and tell you when to come for registration.

Is it necessary to invite witnesses to the wedding ceremony?

At one time in the not too distant past, the presence of two witnesses was mandatory.

They signed the relevant documents and were present at the main moments of the wedding ceremony.

Today such a tradition may not be followed. This will not in any way affect the fact of marriage registration and the receipt of the appropriate certificate by the newlyweds.

Witnesses are allowed to participate in the ceremony, although they are not required to sign documents. In addition, they are entrusted with the main organizational issues, assistance to the newlyweds and carrying out various traditional actions:

• organization of the bride's ransom and other events that take place before registration;
• partial implementation of the celebration. This is very important, since during the event the future spouses worry and the general bustle does not allow them to control everything that happens;
• safety of documents, rings and other important items during the event, etc.

The role and need for witnesses today is determined only by the people getting married themselves, since the legislation does not provide any recommendations in this regard.

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How much to submit

A minimum of 30 days must pass from the date of application to the wedding. The maximum period has been increased to 12 months. This time is given for the couple to reconsider the decision. An application for a year can be submitted through the government services website.

Each registry office has a schedule and visiting days. There are situations when a couple does not want or cannot wait a month. Relationships are registered expeditiously in the following cases:

1. The bride is pregnant , provides a doctor's certificate.
2. The couple had a child together.
3. There is a threat to the life of one of the spouses - a serious illness.
4. The registry office employee may permit it in other cases if a business trip or military service is planned.

Special cases of divorce in the registry office

The law provides for several more situations when a marriage is dissolved through the registry office. Moreover, in these exceptional cases, it is not necessary to comply with the two conditions that we described above. That is, the consent of the second spouse and the presence of minor children in the family do not matter.

Civil registry offices dissolve marriages at the request of one of the spouses in the following cases:

• Recognition of the second spouse as incompetent through the court. Incapacity means a person’s inability to adequately perceive reality and make informed decisions. That is, the consent or disagreement of the incapacitated spouse does not matter. Also, the incapacitated spouse will still not be able to pay child support.
• Recognition of the second spouse as missing or deceased through the court. Naturally, in such situations it is impossible to obtain the consent of the second spouse for a divorce, as well as to collect child support from him. In this case, the marriage is dissolved unilaterally.

ATTENTION! Strictly speaking, a court decision on the death of a missing spouse does not require an additional divorce procedure, although this is not directly stated in the RF IC. However, it is enough for the second spouse to contact the appropriate authority, where, on the basis of a court decision, they will issue a death certificate for the citizen. Based on the death certificate of one of the spouses, according to Article No. 16 of the RF IC, the marriage will legally cease to exist. And you won’t have to pay a fee for divorce. If a decision is made about unknown absence, and the second spouse wants to end the marriage, he will have to apply to the registry office for its dissolution.

• Serving a long criminal sentence by one of the spouses. A court verdict, according to which one of the spouses is sentenced to a term of more than three years for committing a criminal offense, is a document giving the second spouse the right to dissolve the marriage unilaterally. This is done through the registry office.

In the listed cases, the state duty is significantly lower than that paid by spouses who jointly dissolve a marriage by mutual consent.

On what days are applications accepted?

Since registry offices are government agencies, they are required to obey labor laws. Many people think that Saturday is a reception day, since weddings most often take place on Saturday.

But this is not true, most registry offices will register your application only from Monday to Friday, and Saturday and Sunday will be days off.

But there are other dangers; some registry offices have special days for accepting documents related to marriage registration. It could be Thursday or Tuesday, you can call the staff to clarify the day of the week more precisely.

There are also sanitary days on which outsiders are not allowed in at all; usually such a day falls from the 25th to the 30th of each month.

But there are exceptions in the opposite direction. In large cities there are now wedding palaces that can operate seven days a week, especially in the summer months. We recommend submitting your application on Tuesday or Wednesday as there are fewer queues on these days.

Which branch should I submit my documents to?

There is no linking of citizens to civil registry offices at the place of registration, actual residence or other criteria.

That is why it is advisable to submit an application only to the department where the wedding will later take place.

Apart from this parameter, there are no additional ones.

A couple can apply to any registry office in the country and refusal due to registration in another city is not legal. However, for practical reasons, it is tedious to take into account that when performing any legal actions that require the presentation of certificates and other documents from the registry office, you will need to make a request to the one where the marriage took place.

Electronic application

Moscow registry offices provide a service for electronic date booking. This method is suitable for those who do not want to stand in lines or spend the night waiting outside the registry office doors. To do this, go to the website, select a date and receive a coupon. Then print the ticket and come with your application at the appointed time.

This coupon cannot be transferred to other people, as it is issued using passport details. You immediately see what free numbers are available. If you fail to arrive at the required time, then the reservation is canceled and you will have to complete the procedure again.

Statistics on available dates are available on the Moscow government website. First, select the registry office and date, then click the button to view the calendar. In the image below we show how to do this.

After this, a calendar will open on which you can mark the desired date.

Multifunctional center - MFC

Another convenient option for submitting an application is multifunctional centers - MFCs. They are located in every district of the city and operate from 8 am to 8 pm. The MFC employs female consultants who will answer any question. The procedure, from receiving the coupon to submitting documents, takes 15-30 minutes.

In addition, the MFC receives an electronic coupon so as not to stand in line. While you wait for a call, watch TV in comfortable chairs. And if you come early in the morning, drink a mug of coffee to cheer yourself up; coffee machines are located in the corner.

How to shorten the waiting period to get married

Since in the standard case the period between filing an application and the ceremony is a month, many newlyweds are looking for ways to reduce it. This is possible subject to special circumstances and the presentation of supporting documents. These are often:

• pregnancy;
• presence of small children;
• threat to the life of one of the future spouses;
• urgent need to go on a long business trip;
• actual residence of the spouses together;
• spouse leaving for the army, etc.

How to refuse

If the bride or groom changes their mind about registering their relationship officially, each of them can withdraw the application. You don’t have to write an explanatory note or come up with reasons for this.

Come and say that you want to unregister. If you go in person, then don't forget to take your passport with you. If the documents were submitted online, then call the registry office and tell them that you will not come on the appointed date.

If at least one of the newlyweds does not come to the registry office on the appointed day, then the marriage will not be registered, this is stated in paragraph 4 of Art. 27 of the Law “On Civil Status Acts”.

How long after submitting documents is marriage registered when the bride is pregnant?

The special position of the future spouse is one of the options for reducing the waiting period.

In this case, registration will take place shortly.

The final waiting period depends on the duration of pregnancy, the health of the newlyweds, and the workload of the registry office.

Registration is definitely possible at the time of application or within a few days.

Various situations

Apply in person

As we wrote above, newlyweds choose any registry office, just find out the opening hours and address in advance.

5 times we were asked what the difference is between a registry office and a wedding palace. The registry office registers marriages, divorces, and births of children. But the wedding palace deals only with weddings; it has a special hall for celebrations, places for guests, and good musical equipment.

If you visit in person, you will have to wait in line, especially if you are submitting documents in the summer. In addition, you need to call the registry office in advance to find out when they accept the application.

Apply alone, without a fiancé

A common situation is that the groom cannot come to the registry office with the bride to submit documents. This happens when a man goes on a business trip, serves in military service, is in another country, or is serving a sentence in prison.

The bride can submit documents alone; to do this, the groom goes to a notary and has the application certified. It is then given or mailed to the bride. At the same time, the girl fills out a second application with her data.

After both steps are completed, go to the registry office. If the groom is seriously ill or is in the hospital, then call a notary or a civil registry office employee to see him at the hospital or at home.

If the bride or groom is a citizen of another state, then have the application certified at the consulate.

During pregnancy

If the bride is pregnant, the registry office staff will register the relationship even on the same day. You just need to bring with you a certificate from the antenatal clinic, which will confirm this fact. The document states:

• the name of the hospital where the girl was examined;
• passport information of the bride;
• gestational age in weeks;
• date of receipt of the certificate;
• information about the doctor who conducted the examination;
• stamp with signature;

The certificate is issued on a special form so that it cannot be falsified. If the pregnancy is short, 2-4 weeks, then you will have to wait 1 month. But this is not certain, it all depends on the date when you apply to the registry office. But if the girl is already 5-9 months old, then the wedding will be allowed to take place as quickly as possible.

How to apply through government services

Not long ago it became possible to submit documents for registration through the government services portal. To do this, go to the government services website via the Internet, register, and confirm your identity. The bride and groom register on the website.

Do you see the difference?

This method is suitable for those who want to submit an application in advance , since this can be done on the website six months before the wedding. The procedure is often started by the groom, and then he sends an invitation to the bride. After this, the bride goes to the website and completes filling out the information.

When the information is filled out, go to the tab to pay the state fee. Payment is made by credit card or from a mobile phone account. In 2021, you can get a 30% discount for those who apply online.

As a result, the state fee will be 245 rubles, and not 350, as for a personal visit to the registry office. You don’t need to go to the bank separately, and you don’t need to print out a receipt either. The government services website operates automatically.

In 5-10 minutes a confirmation message will be sent to your email. It will contain the date and time when to come to the registry office with documents. But only those who are over 18 years old can use this service.

Pros:

• You can submit an application from anywhere in the world as long as you have access to the Internet.
• Choose any registry office in Russia.
• Please indicate any available date and time.
• The application is submitted six months before the marriage is registered.
• You save time because you don’t have to stand in queues.

Minuses:

• Confirm your registration on the government services website.
• The application can only be submitted if you are 18 years of age or older.
• There must be at least 45 days before marriage registration.
• Sometimes the site does not work, technical work is being carried out. Although this can hardly be called a minus, because registry offices also have weekends and sanitary days.

Below we have made instructions to make it easier for those who have never used government services to navigate. At the first stage, select a category - marriage registration. It is located at the top right.

After that, press the blue button with the inscription - get the service.

Now fill in the information about the bride or groom. Enter your passport details here.

At the next stage, you will be asked to fill out information about your place of residence.

Now indicate the registry office where the ceremony will take place.

After this, a calendar will appear on which you indicate the date and time at which you want to register your marriage.

At this stage, indicate whether you were previously married or not.

It remains to fill in some information, such as the number of children, nationality, education and age.

Now all that remains is to send an invitation to your other half, indicate their SNILS and click the button - invite.

You can apply for marriage registration: 30 days before the wedding

Article 27 clause 2 of the law “On acts of civil status”.

Maximum period for submitting an application to the registry office: 12 months before the desired date

Article 27 clause 2 of the law “On acts of civil status”.

State fee for registering a marriage: 350 rubles when paying at a bank

clause 1 art. 333.26 Tax Code of the Russian Federation

FAQ

Is it possible to submit an application to the Civil Registry Office through State Services from someone else’s account?

The application is accepted only from the account of the future wife or husband. Moreover, the other party must confirm consent to register the marriage - he will receive a notification about this in his personal account. Both the groom and the bride must have confirmed accounts on State Services.

Is it possible to postpone the registration date indicated in the application?

Can. To do this, contact the registry office indicated in the application.

Can I sign quickly if I'm pregnant?

The bride's pregnancy is a circumstance in which registration is possible even on the day the application is submitted; there is no need to wait a month. But for an urgent marriage, you need to submit an application at the registry office, and not through the State Services.

What happens if one of the parties does not come to the registry office?

In this case, marriage registration will not take place.

Can a minor apply for marriage?

It is possible, but not through State Services, but through the Civil Registry Office. The consent of legal representatives for marriage will be required. This is true even if the bride is pregnant or already has a child in her arms. Individual regions may have their own rules on this issue.

Sources:

1. RF IC, Chapter 3: Conditions and procedure for marriage.
2. Public services: Marriage registration.

about the author

Irina Rusanova - higher education at the International East European University in the direction of "Banking". Graduated with honors from the Russian Economic Institute named after G.V. Plekhanov with a major in Finance and Credit. Ten years of experience in leading Russian banks: Alfa-Bank, Renaissance Credit, Home Credit Bank, Delta Credit, ATB, Svyaznoy (closed). He is an analyst and expert of the Brobank service on banking and financial stability. [email protected]

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Remember the main thing:

1. Agree on the wedding date with the bride or groom.
2. The application can be submitted through government services or downloaded and filled out at home.
3. Pay a state fee of 350 rubles or a discount through government services of 245 rubles.
4. The date can be chosen 12 months before the wedding. If the bride is pregnant, then they can schedule the ceremony the next day.
5. Both newlyweds must be at least 18 years old. If the bride is pregnant, you can get a marriage license at 16 years old.
6. Come to register your marriage on the appointed day and time, take your passports with you.