Q1:

What is the earliest date to collect the RC after the transmission of Notice?

A1:

Notice given through a civil celebrant of marriages will be exhibited at the Office of the Registrar for at least 15 clear days counting from the commencement date.
To ensure timely processing of the Notice and issue of the RC, civil celebrants of marriages are requested to transmit the completed Notice to the Registrar at the earliest opportunity preferably not less than one month before the proposed date of marriage.
[Please refer to section 9 of the Marriage Ordinance, Cap. 181, and page 6 of the Guidance Notes for Civil Celebrants of Marriages (Guidance Notes)]
The commencement dates for exhibition of Notice and collection of RC are illustrated as follows:

Q2:

One of the proposed parties to an intended marriage is too busy or not in Hong Kong. Can the other party appear alone before a civil celebrant of marriages to give the Notice?

A2:

Yes. One of the proposed parties to the intended marriage may give a Notice to the Registrar through a civil celebrant of marriages. The Notice shall be signed by the party giving the Notice. He/She shall also appear personally before a civil celebrant of marriages and make an affidavit under section 12 of the Marriage Ordinance, Cap. 181.
[Please refer to Annex B of the Guidance Notes]

Q3:

If male/female party cannot appear personally to give notice, how can he/she declare his/her marital condition on the Notice?

A3:

Both parties are required to declare their marital condition in writing and by circling the appropriate description and appending their respective signatures beside it if they appear personally before a civil celebrant to give Notice. However, if either marrying party is unable to attend in person to complete this part, he/she should complete a separate form - marital condition statutory declaration at Appendix XII of the Guidance Notes witnessed by a civil celebrant before the marriage ceremony. The completed declaration form should be returned to the Registrar together with the duplicate marriage certificate, the Declaration Form (MR65) and any supporting documents by the civil celebrant of marriages within 7 days after the marriage. Please be reminded that the party who gives the Notice should indicate the marital condition of the absent party by circling the appropriate description only.
[Please refer to page 12 of the Guidance Notes]

Q4:

What can I do if an error was made on the Notice?

A4:

Any error on the Notice shall be crossed by drawing a single line through the word(s) and certified by the party giving the Notice and/or civil celebrant of marriages by appending their signatures beside each correction.
Alternatively, if any Notice is erroneously prepared, the whole set (in triplicate) shall be cancelled by drawing two diagonal lines across them and endorsed with "cancelled" wordings. The responsible civil celebrant of marriages shall initial and date the cancelled Notice before returning them to the Registrar with the acknowledgement form at Appendix XIII of the Guidance Notes in duplicate.

Q5:

Can the prescribed fee for giving Notice be paid in cash?

A5:

No. The prescribed fee $305 should be paid by cheque. Both personal or company cheque is acceptable. The cheque should be addressed to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". Separate cheques are required for separate Notices.

Q6:

One party is a Mainlander and he/she has not yet applied for a travel document. Can he/she use her Mainland identity card to give a Notice?

A6:

No. Only Hong Kong resident can use Hong Kong Identity Card to give Notice. Non-Hong Kong resident should use valid travel document to give Notice.

Q7:

One of the marrying parties cannot produce his/her travel document to give Notice as he/she has not yet arrived in Hong Kong. Can they still give Notice?

A7:

Yes. The party attends in person to give Notice can produce the clear photocopies of the travel document and other supporting documents of the absent party. The civil celebrant of marriages should take effective measures to ensure that the marrying parties are able to produce the original travel document and supporting documents for his/her inspection before the wedding ceremony. All photocopies of the travel documents and supporting documents should be properly certified by the civil celebrant of marriages and returned to the Registrar with the duplicate marriage certificate and statutory declaration within 7 days after the marriage.

Q8:

One of the marrying parties is a divorced person. However, his/her divorce paper has been lost and his/her application for a certified copy of the divorce paper is still under processing. Can he/she give Notice without proof of divorce and submit the certified copy of the divorce paper to the marriage registry before issue of the Certificate of the Registrar?

A8:

No. The Notice will not be accepted if the original/certified copy of divorce paper is not submitted at the same time.

Q9:

The RC has been collected from the marriage registry. Can the marrying couple change the date of marriage?

A9:

The date of marriage can be changed to any other date within the validity of the RC.
A marriage shall be celebrated by a civil celebrant of marriages in accordance with the Marriage Ordinance only after the issue of the RC and within the validity of the RC.
If the marriage does not take place within the validity of the RC, the parties have to give another Notice.

Q10:

If the specified civil celebrant of marriages is unable to solemnize the intended marriage, can the intended marriage be celebrated by another civil celebrant of marriages?

A10:

Yes, the marriage can be celebrated by any other civil celebrants of marriages if the marrying parties agree. The civil celebrant of marriages who takes up the wedding ceremony should use the marriage certificates allocated to himself/herself by the Registrar.

Q11:

If clerical errors are made during the preparation of the MC, can I make any amendment on it?

A11:

No. Amendment on the MC is not allowed. If any MC is erroneously prepared, both the original and duplicate copies of the MC shall be cancelled by drawing diagonal lines across them and endorsed with "cancelled" wordings. [Please refer to Annex E of the Guidance Notes] The responsible civil celebrant of marriages shall initial and date the cancelled certificates before returning them to the Registrar with acknowledgement form at Appendix XIII of the Guidance Notes in duplicate. A new set of MC shall be prepared and checked before officiating the marriage.

Q12:

How to amend clerical errors found on the marriage certificate after the wedding ceremony?

A12:

No amendment on the marriage certificate by a civil celebrant of marriages is allowed. According to Section 25 of the Marriage Ordinance, Cap. 181, the Registrar may correct clerical error on production to him of the certificate delivered to the parties, and shall authenticate every such correction by his signature, or by marking the same with his initials, and date of making the correction. Thus, the civil celebrant of marriages shall, on behalf of the married couple, submit the original marriage certificate with a covering letter and relevant supporting document to apply for correction of clerical error.