Court Marriage Registration for foreign Citizen in Nepal

This article explains details about the legal procedure for Court marriage registration for foreign citizen in Nepal. 

 

As, per the prevailing law of Nepal, Marriage registration certificate can be issued based on two grounds mentioned below:

a) Marriage registration through court (“Court Marriage”) (Pursuant to Section 77 of the Muluki Civil Code, 2074) and 

b) Receiving the marriage certificate from local government i.e, Ward office after the marriage is conducted through social and religious rituals. ( Pursuant to Section 76 of the Muluki Civil Code, 2074)

 

Kindly note Nepalese court accepts the marriage registration of both the foreign couples to do court marriage in Nepal. 

 

Muluki Civil Code, 2074 is the governing law for Court marriage registration in Nepal.

 

In Nepal, foreign nationals seeking to solemnize their marriage must compulsorily register their union through the court system, as per the prevailing legal framework. This requirement is not merely procedural but is grounded in legal necessity, as the court is the only competent authority authorized to validate and register such marriages under Nepalese law.

 

There are several critical reasons why court registration is mandatory for foreigners:

 

a. Jurisdictional Competence: The District Court holds the exclusive jurisdiction to examine and verify the legal capacity of foreign nationals to marry in Nepal. Ward offices (local administrative units) in Nepal are authorized to register marriages only between Nepali citizens. They do not possess the legal mandate or capacity to validate marriages involving foreign nationals. Any registration done outside the court, including by the Ward Office, is considered legally invalid and unenforceable.

 

b. Verification of Foreign Legal Documents: Foreign nationals are required to submit various legal documents-such as a Certificate of No Objection, passport copies, visa status, evidence of marital status and the translated marriage law of their respective home country. If these documents are in other languages except English, it must be translated into English and authenticated. The court is the only institution equipped to assess the authenticity, relevance, and legal implications of such foreign documents. The court ensures that the marriage adheres to the laws of Nepal as well as the foreign national’s home country, preventing future legal disputes.

 

c. Prevention of Fraudulent or Polygamous Marriages: The judicial process includes thorough verification to prevent bigamy or fraudulent marriages, as foreign documents are cross-checked for authenticity. Ward offices lack the procedural mechanisms to conduct such verifications, increasing the risk of invalid or unlawful registrations.

 

Given these legal and procedural necessities, foreign nationals must register their marriages exclusively through the Nepalese court system. The court’s role as the competent authority ensures transparency, compliance with international standards, and the lawful recognition of marital unions involving foreign citizens in Nepal.

 

 

Procedure of court marriage registration by the foreigner in Nepal is as mentioned:

 

Step 1: Receive the Single status certificate from respective embassy of foreign national located in Nepal and receiving the single status certificate from ward office in case of Nepalese national 

Step 2: Receiving the temporary residence certificate from ward office of the district where couples intend to marry.

Step 3: Submission of application before the district court of Nepal.

Step 4: Court will examine the documents and shall grant the Court Marriage Certificate.

 

 

Kindly Note: 

a. In case of absence of embassy of foreign national in Nepal, Single Status Certificate, also known as a Certificate of No Objection can be received from the municipal office, civil registry, or relevant government department from the country of the foreign national. This document has to be notarized from the respective country. 

b. Court marriage application can be filed within any 77-district located in Nepal based on temporary residence.      

c. Both the couple should be present physically at court.   

d. Two witnesses should be present physically at the date of receiving the certificate.    

 

 

 

S.N.	Documents Required
1	A notarized copy of Passport of both the man and the woman. (Notarization of a passport can be done in Nepal.)
2	Single status certificate or recommendation letter verifying that the man and woman are unmarried from the respective foreign embassy located in Nepal (for foreign nationals) and ward recommendation in case of Nepalese nationals. Note: In case the embassy is not located in Nepal, the foreign citizen must submit a single status document verified by the government authority of their respective country. The document must be in English and notarized according to the laws of that country.
3	A notarized copy of Citizenship or Passport of two witnesses. (Notarization can be done in Nepal.)
4	Four copies of passport size photo of both the man and the woman each.
5	If any person was previously married, a divorce decree is required, which must be translated into English and notarized in their respective country.
6	After completion of 15 days stay in Nepal, foreign citizens must obtain a temporary residence document from the ward office of the district where they wish to apply for marriage registration.
7	English translation and notarization of the marriage law of their respective country.

 

Note: 

Foreign Citizens must compulsorily stay in Nepal for 15 days. On that ground, temporary residence letter is granted.

 

Following timeline is applicable for marriage registration:

1. Need to stay in Nepal at least for 15 days to qualify to apply for marraige registration before court.
2. After stay for 15 days in Nepal, one additional day is required to receive the temporary resident letter from ward office.
3. After receiving the temporary resident letter, it will take 2 to 3 days for the completion of court proceeding.

 

 

Note: It will take 2-3 Working Days after receiving the temporary residence letter for the completion of court proceedings. Therefore, we suggest you to allocate minimum of 20 days stay in Nepal when you decide to do court marriage in Nepal as sometimes court can ask you to present additional documents in case of unclarity on any of the documents.

 

S.N.	Documents	Fee (NPR)
1	Single status certificate from the respective ward.	Rate depends as per the rate defined by the municipality pursuant to the annual budget. The rate may change every fiscal year.
2	a) Temporary resident certificate for Nepalese citizen b) Temporary resident certificate for foreign citizen	Varies based on fiscal policy.
3	Registry fee at court.	NPR 500/-

 

Date of Publication: April 20, 2025

 

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