Yes. Fiji has no residency requirement for marriage. Neither of you needs to live in Fiji, hold anything more than an ordinary visitor permit, or have spent any minimum period in the country first. You can land on a Monday, lodge the paperwork, and be married the same week.
That single fact is why Fiji works as a wedding destination at all, and it is worth understanding precisely, because the requirement Fiji does impose catches people out.
Does Fiji impose a residency or minimum-stay test?
No. The Marriage Act sets no residency qualification and no minimum period in-country before a marriage can be solemnised. What it sets instead is a notice requirement — and that is a different thing, with a different workaround.
The Fiji Ministry of Justice publishes the standard route: both parties attend a Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) Registry in person and post a Notice of Intention to Marry, which must stand for 21 consecutive days before the marriage can take place.
Twenty-one days is longer than most destination-wedding couples are in Fiji. So Fiji provides the release valve:
"Non-residents can request a special license to waive the 21-day notice period if they're in the country for a short period of time." — Ministry of Justice, Marriage
The special licence is granted on special circumstances, and being a foreign visitor in Fiji briefly is expressly named as one. In practice this is the route almost every visiting couple takes, and almost every resort wedding coordinator handles it as routine.
What does Fiji ask for instead of residency?
Documents, not time. Here is the test Fiji actually applies.
| What some countries require | What Fiji requires |
|---|---|
| Residency or domicile in-country | Nothing. No residency test |
| Minimum days in-country before marrying | None, where a special licence is granted |
| Posted notice before the ceremony | 21 consecutive days — waivable by special licence |
| Minimum age | 18 for both parties |
| Proof of identity | Passport for both parties, with valid entry permit |
| Proof you are free to marry | Certificate of Single Status / Certificate of No Impediment from your country of origin and country of residence |
| Proof a previous marriage ended | Decree absolute, or death certificate, where applicable |
| Witnesses | Two, with valid photo identification |
| A specific visa category | No. A visitor permit is the normal basis |
The item that trips people is the single-status certificate. It is issued in your home country, it takes time, and it cannot be obtained in Fiji. If one of you lives somewhere other than your country of citizenship, Fiji asks for one from both jurisdictions. Start it early — it is the only document on the list with a lead time you do not control.
What does the licence cost?
Here the public record is genuinely inconsistent, and it is better to say so than to publish one number confidently.
| Source | Notice of Intention | Court / registry marriage | Special licence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Justice | FJ$15 (VAT-exclusive) | FJ$50 (VAT-exclusive) | Not published |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs | FJ$16.35 | FJ$54.50 | Not published |
| Fiji Embassy, Japan | FJ$5.50 | FJ$22.00 | FJ$19.80 |
The Foreign Affairs figures are the Justice figures grossed up by exactly 9 per cent — Fiji's VAT rate between April 2022 and July 2025. VAT has been 12.5 per cent since 1 August 2025, so that page appears to be inclusive at a rate that no longer applies. The Japan embassy figures are different again.
The honest position: the licence is a two-figure sum, not a three-figure one, and it is trivial next to everything else in the budget. Confirm the current fee with BDM directly rather than relying on any published page, including this one.
Do you still need a visa?
Separately from marriage law, you need lawful entry. Most Australian, New Zealand, UK, US, Canadian and EU passport holders enter Fiji on a visitor permit granted on arrival; there is no marriage visa and no requirement to declare the wedding at the border. Do you need a visa to get married in Fiji? sets out the entry position by nationality.
Is a Fiji marriage recognised at home?
A marriage properly solemnised and registered in Fiji is a legal marriage, recognised in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and most other jurisdictions without further steps. Some countries additionally want the Fijian certificate apostilled. Two resorts publish this openly: Outrigger Castaway Island notes that "Apostle stamping for acknowledgement required in some overseas countries", and Matamanoa Island Resort publishes an apostille charge of FJ$337.50 including tax. Ask your coordinator before you leave Fiji — it is far easier to arrange there than from home.
The three questions people ask next
Can we do the legal part at home and just have the ceremony in Fiji? Yes, and plenty do. Legal ceremony at home, vows in Fiji explains how that works and what it saves.
How early do we need to arrive? Not long, but not the morning of. How long before the wedding do you need to be in Fiji? has the working answer.
Which venues handle the paperwork for us? Most do. Tokoriki Island Resort includes the wedding licence in its elopement package; Tropica Island Resort publishes "Personalised Assistance in Nadi at Registry Office and Private Car Transfer"; Likuri Island Resort states plainly that it takes care of all the necessary paperwork. Planners such as Fiji Weddings and Paradise Bride Weddings & Events Fiji do the same independently of any one resort.
This is a guideline only. Marriage requirements and fees change — confirm current requirements with the Fiji Registrar-General's Office, Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry, before you book anything.
Start with Getting Married in Fiji: The Complete Guide for the whole picture, How to Get Legally Married in Fiji for the full legal process, and Every Document You Need for a Fiji Marriage Licence for the checklist version.
