Appointment of Civil Celebrants of Marriages Under Section 5A of the Marriage Ordinance, Cap. 181

Notice is hereby given that the first batch of 132 civil celebrants of marriages ("civil celebrants") is appointed on 21 April 2006. 

Upon the appointment of civil celebrants, parties to an intended marriage may give a notice of intended marriage through a civil celebrant to the Registrar of Marriages or a deputy registrar of marriages ("Registrar").  They may also engage a civil celebrant to celebrate their marriage at any time within three months after the giving of the notice of intended marriage and at any place in Hong Kong, other than the office of the Registrar (a "marriage registry") or a place of worship licensed under the Marriage Ordinance.

Those who have given a notice of intended marriage at the marriage registry or the Marriage Registration and Records Office ("marriage registry or office") and wish to change to engage a civil celebrant to celebrate their marriage, shall in advance, either in person or nominate a civil celebrant, attend the marriage registry or office where the notice was given for formalities. They should ensure that the Registrar has issued a certificate of the Registrar before a civil celebrant can celebrate their marriage.

A list of civil celebrants has been compiled and will be updated from time to time.  For information on the list, please visit the Immigration Department websites at http://www.immd.gov.hk. The list is also available at the following locations of the Immigration Department :

1. Information and Liaison Section at 2^nd Floor, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai (Telephone No. 2824 6111);
2. Marriage Registration and Records Office at 3^rd Floor, Low Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Queensway (Telephone No. 2867 2787); and
3. Any of the marriage registries.

For the address and telephone no. of the marriage registries, please call the Information and Liaison Section at 2824 6111.

Marriage registries or office will continue to provide existing marriage related services such as accepting notice of intended marriage, celebrating  marriage, providing marriage records etc.