A marriage Certificate is an official legal document that attests to the marriage of two people. According to the Marriage Act, CAP M6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (2004), the Ministry of Interior is responsible for performing Statutory Marriages in Nigeria.

In Nigeria, two types of marriages are legally recognised:

1. Ordinary Marriage: This is a marriage between a Nigerian and a Nigerian.
2. Special Marriage: This is a marriage whereby a Nigerian citizen gets married to a non-Nigerian citizen, or two people who are non-citizens of Nigeria get married in Nigeria

The Nigerian law recognises traditional marriages, religious marriages, and statutory marriages.

How to register a marriage in Nigeria

This is a summary of the steps to take to register a marriage in Nigeria. Please confirm this information from the Ministry of Interior.

• Visit the marriage registry of your choice to obtain a form called ‘Notice of Marriage’. Marriage is registered at a local public registry.
• After filling the form, submit it at the registry and pay the fees required of you
• A person under 18 years of age, who wishes to register a marriage, is required to present a letter of consent from his or her parents.
• The marriage registry will display the Letter of Marriage Intention for 21 days on a public notice board after you have submitted the required documents for application. If there is a need to marry urgently, you may request a special license.
• If there is no to your intended marriage during the 21 days, you can then register their marriage.
• Official identification documents and medical tests are required to register your marriage successfully

Below is a list of places you can register your marriage. Please locate the one close to you.

1. The Registrar, Federal Marriage Registry, Kingsway Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State

2. The Registrar, Federal Marriage Registry, 28 Borno Street, Area 10, Garki, Abuja

3. The Registrar, Federal Marriage Registry, 11A Gapiona Road, Off Benoni Road, GRA, Benin City, Edo State

4. The Registrar, Federal Marriage Registry, 12 Bishop S.I. Nwaogu Crescent, Adjacent To Owerri Sports Club, New Owerri, Owerri-Imo State

5. The Registrar, Federal Marriage Registry, 40B Railway Close, D/Line, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State

6. The Registrar, Federal Marriage Registry, 31 TY Danjuman Street, Hotoro GRA, Off Shehu Kazaure Rd, Kano, Kano State.

You are adviced to use NIPOST, FEDEX or DHL to send your documents to the Registrar.

Digital Marriage Services via the eCITIBIZ portal.

Recently, the Nigerian government has introduced a new Federal Marriage Certificate for all types of marriages in the country.

According to the Ministry of Interior existing couples who do not have their certificate issued by the Ministry of Interior are advised to visit the ministry’s website to re-certify their marriage certificates.

One major benefit of this is that the Marriage Certificate will be recognised by all foreign embassies during visa application.

Thankfully, many other processes have been automated and can be carried out through the eCITIBIZ portal. These services are: 

• Marriage Applications: For one’s marriage to be Legally Binding, or to be recognized under the Law, it has to be certified by the Ministry of Interior. The application for marriage can be done through the eCITIBIZ portal, and a Certified Marriage Certificate is issued, after all procedures and payments are duly met. 
• Marriage Certificate Re-issue: This is a service that is provided to couples who have already been married, however, they did not have a Marriage Certificate issued by the Ministry of Interior. Those couples can apply for a New Certified Marriage Certificate through the eCITIBIZ portal.
• Change of Marriage Venue: This is a service performed for couples who wish to perform their marriages outside the Federal Marriage Registry. They would apply for this service and pay the required amount, so that their Marriage can be conducted at their desired location outside the Registry.
• Certified True Copy of Document: This is a service offered to provide a Certified True Copy of the Original Marriage Certificate to couples who no longer have a copy of their Original Marriage Certificate, either due to loss or theft or under the request of Third Party Agencies, e.g. Embassies. The various documentations needed for this process can also be found under “Requirement”. A fee is charged for this service.
• Attestation of Marital Status: This is a service that is carried out to declare and verify one’s status as either Single, Married, Widowed, Divorced, etc., for instance, to declare ones Spinsterhood or Bachelorhood.
• Verification of Documents: This is a service provided to Third Party Agencies seeking to verify the authenticity of documents submitted to them by individuals, be it Spinsters, Bachelors, or Already Married individuals. For instance, a Bachelor from Nigeria living in the United States, would like to marry in the United States, and is asked to submit his Bachelorhood Certificate to verify that he is a Bachelor (has not been previously married in Nigeria).  (This information was extracted from eCITIBIZ website at: https://ecitibiz.interior.gov.ng/marriage/overview)

Store your Marriage certificate today on mycredentials.etx.ng or use the forms below and we will get back to you shortly.