A New Zealand marriage certificate is the official legal record of a marriage registered in New Zealand. It shows who married whom, when and where, and the names you both had before the wedding. That last detail is why it's asked for so often: it is the paper link between your birth name and your married name. We order it for you as an approved BDM Online organisation and post it to any NZ address for NZ$79 all in, including the certificate, our service, postage and GST.
Every request for it is really a question
When someone asks for your marriage certificate, they want it to answer one thing. Knowing which one tells us whether the certificate alone will do, or what else will be asked for alongside it.
Taking your partner's surname
Banks, IRD, employers and the passport office use the certificate to connect your birth surname to your new one. In New Zealand you usually don't need a formal name change to use a married surname. Some choices do need one, such as keeping your birth surname as a middle name: our name change certificate guide covers that.
Partner visas and residence
The certificate proves the marriage is legal. It doesn't prove you live together, so immigration offices usually want it alongside evidence of your life together. We make sure the certificate side is right, recently issued if they ask for that, and apostilled if the visa is for another country.
After a death
Estates, KiwiSaver providers, insurers and overseas pension offices often want the marriage certificate and the death certificate together, to show who the surviving spouse is. We can order both in one go.
Marrying again overseas
An overseas registry wants to see how your last marriage ended. That usually means the marriage certificate, the dissolution order and a Certificate of No Impediment, often all apostilled.
Citizenship through a parent
Citizenship by descent, overseas passports and births registered abroad often lean on the parents' marriage certificate. Our guide to registering a child's birth overseas covers what happens when the parents weren't married.
Recording it in another country
Many countries let citizens who married in New Zealand record the marriage back home, for example as part of a Croatian citizenship or registry application. That nearly always needs a recent certificate with an apostille, and often a translation.
What's on the certificate, and what isn't
It shows
- Both full names as they were before the marriage
- Dates and places of birth
- Occupations and home address at the time
- Both sets of parents' names
- The date and place of the wedding
- The date of dissolution, if the marriage was dissolved in New Zealand
It doesn't show
- Your married name. It records who you were going in, not the name you chose afterwards.
- A divorce granted overseas.
- A dissolution that happened after your copy was printed. Only a newly issued certificate shows it.
Since the marriage law changed on 19 August 2014, the register records the couple as Party 1 and Party 2 rather than bride and groom. Older entries keep the wording of the law at the time they were made.
Three papers from one wedding
Most couples end up with something in a drawer that looks official. Here's what each one can be used for.
Copy of Particulars
Signed at the ceremony. Some New Zealand organisations accept it, but it is not the certificate, and it is not what overseas offices or apostilles work with.
Sometimes accepted in NZMarriage certificate
The legal document, issued from the register. This is what passport offices, banks, immigration and overseas authorities expect. Living overseas? We order NZ marriage certificates from overseas and courier them to you.
What we orderPrintout of the record
A reproduction of what was written in the register entry. Handy for research, but it is not an official document, so don't send it to anyone who asked for a certificate.
Research onlyIf the certificate is going overseas, our guide to marriage certificate apostilles explains why the wedding-day paper can't be used.
Five things we check before ordering
- How recent was the wedding? A certificate can only be issued once the celebrant's paperwork has reached Births, Deaths and Marriages and the marriage is registered. If you married in the last few weeks, give us the date and we'll check before you pay.
- Does the office want a recent one? A marriage certificate doesn't expire, but some visa, citizenship and overseas registry offices only accept one issued in the last few months. We ask.
- Was it a civil union? A civil union has its own certificate. We order those too, at the same price. If you later changed a civil union to a marriage, the marriage record notes it.
- Did the marriage happen here? Only marriages that took place in New Zealand are on the New Zealand register. A wedding in Fiji or Bali is certified by that country, even if you live here.
- How long ago was it? Marriages from many decades ago can be handled differently from recent ones. Tell us the year and we'll confirm what can be issued before you pay.
Order your NZ marriage certificate
Pay securely, then add the marriage details and sign our short online letter of authority. It takes about two minutes, and we order the certificate as soon as it's in.
- Official certificate, posted to any New Zealand address
- Certificate fee, our service, postage and GST included
- Civil union certificate? Same button: choose it on the form
- Need more than one copy? Change the quantity at checkout
Sending it overseas? Ordered, apostilled and couriered, or ask for an all-in price.
What we need from you
Both full names as they were at the time of the wedding, the date of the marriage, and the town or city it took place in. If you're not sure of the exact date, give us the year and the place and we'll work from there. If you're ordering your parents' or grandparents' certificate, for an estate or a citizenship application, tell us that on the form so we can confirm you're entitled to it.
Something wrong on the certificate?
Every certificate is printed from the same register entry, so ordering another one won't fix a misspelt name or a wrong date of birth. The register has to be corrected first. Tell us what's wrong and we'll tell you whether it's a correction or just a reprint before you pay for anything.
What happens after you pay
- Pay securelyNZ$79 per certificate.
- Add the details and signOur 2-minute letter of authority.
- We check, then orderDirectly, as an approved BDM Online organisation.
- Posted to youUsually within about 2 weeks.
A marriage certificate is often the first document overseas offices ask for: an NZ marriage certificate for an OCI card in India, a Report of Marriage at the Philippine Embassy, or marriage documents for China. For a UAE family visa, see attesting a NZ marriage certificate for the UAE. Married to an Italian citizen? See NZ marriage certificate for Italian registration. Building an Irish family line? See NZ certificates for Irish citizenship by descent. Changing your name in Australia? See NZ marriage certificate for an Australian name change.
Questions people ask us
How do I get a copy of my New Zealand marriage certificate?
Every copy is newly issued from the marriage register, so a copy and a replacement are the same thing: a new certificate. We order it for you as an approved BDM Online organisation. Pay NZ$79, give us the names of both of you and the date and place of the wedding, and we post the official certificate to any New Zealand address.
How long does a marriage certificate take in New Zealand?
Most certificates arrive within about two weeks of ordering. If you married only recently, the certificate cannot be issued until your celebrant's paperwork has reached Births, Deaths and Marriages and the marriage is registered, so tell us the wedding date and we will check before you pay.
Does my marriage certificate show my married name?
No. It shows the names you both had before the marriage. That is exactly why banks, IRD and passport offices ask for it: it is the official link between the name on your birth certificate and the surname you now use.
Do I need to legally change my name after getting married in NZ?
Usually not. In New Zealand you can simply start using your partner's surname, a hyphenated name or a combination, and use the marriage certificate as proof. A formal name change is only needed for some choices, such as keeping your birth surname as a middle name. Our name change guide explains which document then shows the new name.
Are marriage records public in New Zealand?
Not in the sense of an open list. Recent marriages are not published, though certificates can be ordered and Births, Deaths and Marriages records who asked for each one. Older marriages are released as historical records for family history research. If you are ordering for someone other than yourself, tell us why and we will confirm what can be issued.
We were married overseas. Can you get our certificate from New Zealand?
No. A marriage is registered where it took place, so the certificate comes from that country. Only marriages that took place in New Zealand are on the New Zealand register.
Will the certificate show that we are divorced?
If the marriage was dissolved in New Zealand, the date of the dissolution is shown on a certificate issued after it was recorded. An older certificate printed before the dissolution will not show it, which is why offices checking your current status may ask for a newly issued one. A divorce granted overseas is not recorded this way.
Can you order a civil union certificate?
Yes, at the same price. Use the same button and choose civil union certificate on the details form. If you changed a civil union to a marriage, say so on the form, as the record notes the change.
Do I need an apostille on my marriage certificate?
Only if it is going to an authority in another country that asks for one. For a New Zealand bank, IRD or passport, the certificate on its own is what is needed. If it is going overseas, we can order, apostille and courier it in one job.
Are you Births, Deaths and Marriages?
No. NZ Document Assist Limited is an independent company and an approved BDM Online organisation. The certificate you receive is the official certificate issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Sources
Checked against official New Zealand information on 14 October 2026.
- Order a marriage certificate, govt.nz
- Changing your name when you get married, govt.nz
- Change a civil union to a marriage, govt.nz
- Marriage data collected, Births, Deaths and Marriages Historical Records
NZ Document Assist Limited is an independent company and an approved BDM Online organisation. We are not Births, Deaths and Marriages, the Department of Internal Affairs or any government agency, and our price includes our service on top of the government certificate fee. We are not a law firm or licensed immigration adviser and do not give legal or immigration advice.