From the website of the Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages: “You can use a standard marriage certificate as proof of your wedding for official purposes, such as changing your name on a passport or driver licence. [...] On your wedding day you are given a certificate known as a “party certificate”. Most of the time, you cannot use this certificate for official purposes. Instead, you need to apply for a Registry-issued standard marriage certificate.”

This must be certified by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Non-resident couples (visitors to Australia, students on an Australian Visa, etc.) married in Australia will also need a certified marriage certificate to ensure their marriage is recognised in their country (and this must also be stamped either with an Apostille or Authentication Stamp as required).

The certified Certificate of Marriage can ONLY be obtained from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. You can apply for this yourself, or ask your celebrant to organise this for you. (Please note: charges apply.)

How to obtain the certificate marriage certificate

  IN PERSON: You can go in person to the Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. The address is Ground Floor, 595 Collins Street, Melbourne. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. You will need PROOF OF IDENTITY with you. When applying in person at the Registry, you should bring the original documents, not photocopies.

  BY MAIL: You can fill out the APPLICATION FOR MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE (downloadable pdf from the Victorian Government's Justice website) and send it, together with CERTIFIED COPIES of the required Proof of Identity, to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. The postal address is GPO Box 4332, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia.

  BY ASKING YOUR CELEBRANT TO OBTAIN THIS ON YOUR BEHALF: Your celebrant can fill out the APPLICATION FOR MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE (downloadable pdf from the Victorian Government's Justice website) and obtain your written consent or authority (including your name, address, daytime phone number and signature) to obtain this certificate. Your celebrant will also need to obtain from you CERTIFIED COPIES of the required Proof of Identity, and to provide Proof of Identity of himself/herself.

Payment is required at the time of application. As at 1st July 2009, the price for a standard certificate is $27.20. Express postage (within Australia) for a standard certificate is $4.80. International express postage is $13.30.

Having the certified marriage certificate stamped

Once it is copied and stamped by the Registry, you must have the certified Marriage Certificate stamped with either an Apostille or an Authentication stamp. You can find out which by checking with your government or with the embassy and/or consulate of that country in Australia.

If your country is included in this list of countries who signed the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, you will need an Apostille stamp (AUD $60 per single-sided document as at 29th August 2009). For other countries (including Vietnam, most of the Middle East, and China - except for Hong Kong and Macau), you will need an Authentication (AUD $20 per single-sided document as at 29th August 2009). Apostille and Authentication stamping is performed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - you can go in person or send your document by mail. Download the FAQ - Document Authentication and Apostille PDF from the DFAT website.

  IN PERSON: You can go in person to have your certificate stamped with an Apostille or Authentication stamp. The address is Notarial Unit, Australian Passport Office, Level 13, Casselden Place, 2 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000.

  BY MAIL: You can send the certificate together with a cheque, money order or credit card details (Visa or MasterCard). You must also include a contact telephone number. The postal address is
Notarial Unit
Australian Passport Office
GPO Box 1588
Melbourne VIC 3001
AUSTRALIA
You should also be aware that additional charges will be incurred if you are overseas, to cover the cost of return of your documents by EMS Courier. Call 61 3 9221 5443 (or email notarialsvic@dfat.gov.au) to be informed of current charges.

  BY ASKING YOUR CELEBRANT TO DO THIS ON YOUR BEHALF: You can arrange for your celebrant to organise the obtaining of your certified and stamped marriage certificate. You are responsible for the charges involved; your celebrant will add these charges to your invoice.

PROOF OF IDENTITY

  You will need ONE of the following: Australian Driver Licence • Australian passport • Firearms licence • Foreign passport;

  You will ALSO need ONE of the following: Citizenship certificate • Full birth certificate • Credit or Account card (ATM) • Department of Veterans Affairs cards • Security guard / crowd control licence • tertiary education institution ID card • Tax File statement • Student card • Medicare card;

  THIRDLY, you will also need ONE of the following: Utility account (gas, electricity, home phone) • Bank statements • Rent/lease agreement • Rates notice.

¹ All proof of identity documents, except foreign passports, must be current.
² All utility accounts, bank statements and rates notices must show current residential address and should be issued within the last six months from date of application.
³ ALL photocopied documents MUST be authenticated by a member of Police.

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