Thirty short answers to the legal questions couples actually ask about marrying in Fiji. Every answer is drawn from the Marriage Act, Fiji's Ministry of Justice, Fiji's Ministry of Immigration or the relevant home-country registry — not from wedding brochures. Where official sources contradict each other, we say so.
Guideline only. This is a publication, not legal advice. Confirm your own position with the Registrar-General, Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry, Ministry of Justice (Level 1, Suvavou House, Victoria Parade, Suva; (679) 3308600) before you travel. Last reviewed 12 September 2026.
The basics
1. Can foreigners legally marry in Fiji? Yes. There is no citizenship or residency requirement.
2. What law governs it? The Marriage Act, administered by the Registrar-General within the Ministry of Justice, operating as the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry.
3. What is the minimum age? Eighteen, for both parties. The Marriage Act (Amendment) Decree 2009 set it and made marriage of a minor a criminal offence.
4. Do people under 21 need parental consent? No. That provision was repealed in 2009. Several consular pages still reproduce it; ignore them.
5. Is there a residency requirement? No. See how long before the wedding do you need to be in Fiji? for what actually drives your arrival date.
6. Do we need a special wedding visa? No. The ordinary visitor permit is sufficient — do you need a visa to get married in Fiji? covers it.
Licences and notice
7. What are the two routes? A Notice of Intention to Marry, publicly posted for 21 consecutive days; or a special licence from the Registrar-General, which waives that period.
8. Which do visiting couples use? The special licence, essentially always.
9. How do we apply for one? Both parties write to the Registrar-General setting out the reasons, with supporting documentation such as venue receipts and travel tickets.
10. Why would it be granted? The Ministry of Justice states it is granted "only on special circumstances. For example, foreign visitors who are in the country for a short period of time."
11. How long is a special licence valid? The Act authorises the marriage "within such time, not exceeding twenty-eight days, as shall be named therein." Twenty-eight days is the ceiling, not an entitlement — the licence names its own period.
12. Does the standard notice expire? Yes. If the marriage has not taken place within three months of the notice being posted, the notice and any certificate granted on it become void.
13. Can we get the licence before we fly? No. It is issued in Fiji, in person, with both parties present.
Documents
14. What does each party need? Passport with a valid permit, certified birth certificate, single status certificate or certificate of no legal impediment, recent passport photographs and valid photo identification.
15. What if either of us has been married before? Divorce papers — the decree absolute — or the death certificate of a former spouse.
16. How long does a single status certificate take? In New Zealand it is a certificate of no impediment to marriage, applied for on form BDM 189, and the government states three to five weeks. Order it three months out. It is the single most common cause of delay.
17. Are there country-specific document rules? Yes. Japanese applicants must produce the Koseki – Shouhon to certify personal details.
18. Do documents need translating? If they are not in English, yes. Every document you need for a Fiji marriage licence has the full checklist including translations and edge cases.
Witnesses and officiants
19. How many witnesses? Two.
20. How old must they be? The sources conflict, and it is worth seeing the conflict laid out:
| Source | Position on witness age |
|---|---|
| Marriage Act, section 25 | "two or more witnesses" — no age specified |
| Ministry of Justice marriage page and FAQ | Two witnesses with valid photo ID — no age specified |
| Fiji Embassy, Washington DC | Witnesses must be 21 years of age and over |
| Fiji Embassy, Japan | Witnesses must be 21 years of age or over |
Use witnesses aged 21 and over. That satisfies the strictest published requirement.
21. What if we are eloping and have no witnesses? Ask the property in writing to provide two. Most will.
22. Who can perform the ceremony? Only a registered marriage officer: the Registrar-General, a district registrar, or a registered minister of religion or other registered person.
23. Can our celebrant from home do it? They can lead the vows. They cannot solemnise. Section 35 makes falsely acting as a marriage officer an offence punishable by up to seven years' imprisonment. Agree the split in writing with your property before anyone books a flight.
24. Why are Fiji celebrant fees not nominal? Because civil marriage celebrant registration costs FJ$3,000 VAT-exclusive, while religious marriage officers pay nothing. That fee explains a great deal about who officiates in Fiji.
Money
25. What are the statutory fees?
| Item | Published fee |
|---|---|
| Notice of marriage and declaration | FJ$15 VAT-exclusive / FJ$16.35 VAT-inclusive |
| Application for special licence | FJ$54.50 |
| Registrar solemnising, including certificate | FJ$50 VAT-exclusive / FJ$54.50 VAT-inclusive |
| Same, outside office hours | FJ$109.00 |
| Certified copy of a marriage entry, including search | FJ$16.35 |
| Decorated certificate of marriage | FJ$54.50 |
| Certificate via Post Fiji | FJ$27.25 |
26. Are those figures current? Partly. The VAT-inclusive column derives from a gazetted notice effective 1 August 2019 built on a 9 per cent VAT rate. Fiji's VAT has changed twice since — to 15 per cent in August 2023 and 12.5 per cent in August 2025 — and we could not locate a reissued notice. Budget the higher number and confirm at the counter. Even at the top of the range, marrying legally in Fiji costs roughly NZ$55.
Afterwards
27. When do we get the certificate? On the day. A second original goes to the Registrar-General with the licence within seven days.
28. How do we order a copy later? The Ministry of Justice publishes a Marriage Registry Reprint Form requiring both names, the date and place of marriage, applicant photo ID and a letter of authority. Processing time is not published, so order early if you need it for an immigration or name-change application.
29. Will it be recognised at home? In New Zealand and Australia, yes — and neither country registers it. New Zealand states most overseas marriages are valid there. Australia's Attorney-General's Department states overseas marriages are generally recognised but cannot be registered in Australia. The certificate is your only evidence; keep it somewhere sensible.
30. Do we need an apostille? Usually not, because neither country registers the marriage. But Fiji is an apostille country, contrary to widespread wedding-industry claims — a party to the Hague Convention by succession. Apostilles are issued free of charge by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and usually completed within 20 working days.
The edge cases
Same-sex couples. Section 15 restricts marriage to one man and one woman, and Fiji recognises neither same-sex marriage nor civil unions. The honest legal position sets out the commitment-ceremony route that does work.
Couples who want no paperwork at all. Marry at home and hold a symbolic ceremony in Fiji — the two-ceremony route.
Vow renewals. No licence, no marriage officer, no documents. Nothing is being registered.
Next step: order your single status certificate today, because it is the long pole. How to get legally married in Fiji is the full process end to end. Properties that run the registry trip routinely include Mango Bay Resort, Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort, Warwick Fiji Resort and Spa and Shangri-La Yanuca Island on the Coral Coast, and Tropica Island Resort in the Mamanucas. Registered celebrants and coordinators in the directory include Celebrant Fiji, Fiji Weddings and Silvestre Weddings; browse all celebrants.
