Marriage is certainly a beautiful thing more when done for the right reasons and with the right partner. According to research, married couples can experience 12% to 24% more happiness than their unmarried counterparts. A marriage certificate in this case is important as it serves to legalize the union.
Being married also offers legal perks like your partner can be your representative in case of incapacitation, you can travel with your partner on a work visa or green card and you can add your partner on your medical cover. Therefore, it’s important to take your relationship to the next level when you’re ready.
There are several types of marriages recognized in Kenya including Christian, Muslim, Hindu, civil or customary marriage. Regardless of the type of marriage, you need to register it to make it officially recognized by the Kenyan government.
This is usually done at the Registrar of Marriages office. You can also do it online on the eCitizen website. This service was introduced in 2023, allowing Kenyans in Nairobi to apply for marriage certificates from the comfort of their phones or computers.
Here is a step by step guide on how to apply for a marriage certificate on eCitizen.
Requirements for a marriage certificate application
Before applying for a marriage certificate, you need to meet the following requirements:
- Must be above 18 years old and of sound mind
- Both parties must be residing in Kenya during the marriage process
- Kenyans with dual citizenship must produce a certificate of Registration of dual citizenship
- Documents in another language other than English must be translated and verified by the Respective Embassies or Authorized Translating Office
Documents required include:
Christian and Hindu marriages
- Copy of couple’s national ID card or passport
- Copy of couple’s birth certificate
- Coloured passport photo of both partners
- Copy of death certificate for widows or widowers
- Copy of a divorce decree for divorced applicants
- A sworn affidavit confirming the marital status (divorced or widowed) is over 2 years old
- Air ticket and visa or work permit for those working in the country for a foreign national
- Copy of license for the minister officiating the ceremony
- Wedding invitation card
- Serial number of the marriage book (obtained from the Minister of Faith)
- Ksh 600 for application fees, Ksh 800 for notice fees if the ceremony occurred in a licensed place of worship and Ksh 7,200 if the ceremony occurred outside a place of worship.
- For a special license, Ksh 7,200 if wedding is to be conducted at a licensed place of worship or a fee of Ksh 14,200 if wedding is to conducted outside of a licensed place of worship
Civil marriages
- Copy of couple’s national ID card or passport
- Copy of couple’s birth certificate
- Coloured passport photo of both partners
- Copy of death certificate for widows or widowers
- Copy of a divorce decree for divorced applicants
- A sworn affidavit confirming the marital status (divorced or widowed) is over 2 years old
- Air ticket and visa or work permit for those working in the country for a foreign national
- Copy of national ID cards of 2 witnesses present at the ceremony
- Ksh 600 for notice fees and Ksh 3,300 for clearance fees
Customary marriages
- Copy of couple’s national ID card or passport
- Copy of couple’s birth certificate
- Coloured passport photo of both partners
- Copy of national ID cards of 2 witnesses present at the ceremony
- Air ticket and visa or work permit for those working in the country for a foreign national
- Letter from the chief confirming the marriage
- Ksh 3,900 for clearance fees
Online application process
- Log into your eCitizen account
- Click on the Apply for a Marriage Certificate tab
- Select the type of marriage ie Hindu, Christian, Civil or Customary then click Next
- Select the registration instruction ie Notice or Special License
- On the next section, choose your County of Marriage, Venue, Proposed date of marriage, Serial Number of the Marriage book and reasons for dispensation of notice for a special license
- On the next section, enter details of the bride, groom, the parents and witnesses and upload all required documents then click Next
- You will be asked to download the Notice of Marriage for both parties to sign, date scan and upload
- Click on the link which opens the notice in a new tab. Verify if the information is correct. If not, go back to the application form and correct it then click on the link to generate a new document
- Download, print and sign the notice then scan.
- Go back to the application form and click on Choose File to upload the signed document
- Click on Complete and wait for approximately 24 hours for approval
- Once approved, proceed to the payment section to finalize the application.
- When the notice period expires of 21 days and there are no objections, you will book an appointment date with the Registrar where you and your partner will present your original documents, go through an interview and pay the clearance fees
- The certificate is issued 3 days after the interview, approval and payment is complete
Note: Couples who enter a customary marriage should not have entered a civil or Christian marriage at the time of registration. Couples should also show proof of no other existing marriage in a Christian or civil marriage.