Singaporebrides | Weddings 101

October 2023

Everything About Registry of Marriages (ROM) That You Need To Know

By Audrie Soh

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Congrats! You’ve popped the question and are now officially engaged to the love of your life! But wait, what’s next?

Update: 4 October 2023

If you’re as lost as I was when I got engaged over three years ago, don’t worry, we’re here to guide you. Now that the surprise proposal and feelings of nervousness and happiness have settled down, it’s time to turn your attention to the more serious aspects of your upcoming marriage, such as making it official at the Registry of Marriages (ROM). Before you take the next step, read up on our guide to everything you need to know about registering your marriage, including the latest changes to the verification of documents and statutory declaration process, and how you receive your official marriage certificate!

1. Submit a Marriage Application

First things first, you need to submit a marriage application, and you can do so online via the Registry of Marriages’s marriage application e-Service, at the onsite Internet kiosks located at the ROM Office or at Citizen Connect Centres (CCC).

However, do take note that you can only do so at least 21 days or up to three months before the date of solemnisation. Refer to ROM’s homepage if you are unsure on the earliest and latest date you are able to apply for the Notice of Marriage.

2. Things You Need to Submit a Marriage Application

Before you proceed to submit a marriage application, make sure you have these essential information and/or documents with you:

Singpass account of either the bride or the groom (for online applications)

There is also a handy checklist provided by ROM to help you with your registering process.

3. Online Verification of Documents and Statutory Declaration

Tabitha and Sean’s White Wedding at Raffles Hotel Singapore and Min Jiang at Dempsey by Fiona and Dan from Smittenpixels Photography

From 25 September 2023, eligible couples will be able to complete the verification of documents and statutory declaration online instead of in person at the Registry of Marriages. If you and your spouse-to-be are eligible for online declaration, you will be informed via the application process and via email. You may log into your dashboard on ROM to check on the status and appointment booking, as well as make your online verification and declaration.

Online declaration can only be done using Singpass, and to digitally sign the declaration form, both you and your spouse-to-be must have the Singpass app installed onto your respective mobile phone or tablet. Both of you have to complete the signing at least 10 days before your solemnisation to allow for time for the verification to complete for a marriage license to be issued in time for your solemnisation.

In the event that you are not eligible for the online verification and declaration process, you will be asked to go down to the Registry of Marriages to do so in person. You can find the date and time for your appointment in your dashboard. Do take note of the documents you are required to bring along:

If you have opted in for a video link appointment instead, you will be contacted by ROM officer at least two weeks before your appointment date. Once you have been assessed as eligible for a video link appointment, you will receive a video conference link via email before your appointment date. To prepare for your appointment, you should make sure these conditions are fulfilled:

For more details regarding your appointment to verify documents and sign a statutory declaration, please click here.

4. Digital Copy of The Official Marriage Certificate

If you have submitted your application to the ROM on or after 25 September 2023, or have submitted your application before 25 September 2023 but are scheduled to have your documents verified by ROM after the update, you will no longer receive a hardcopy of the official marriage certificate. Instead, you’ll receive a digital copy of the official marriage certificate after your solemniser registers the marriage online.

With this move, solemnisers will also no longer need to return the white coloured copy of the Certificate of Marriage to ROM after the solemnisation ceremony. Instead, they will be required to register the marriage via the ROM portal after the ceremony.

5. Confirm a Licensed Solemniser For Your Solemnisation Outside of ROM

It is recommended to book your solemniser three to six months before your solemnisation date. However, do take note that some may not accept bookings too far in advance. For solemnisations outside of ROM, couples will have to find and book their own licensed solemniser to officiate their wedding. You may take your pick from ROM’s list of authorised solemnisers, or save yourself some time from going through the full list and browse our curated list of the most sought-after solemnisers in Singapore to find the perfect solemniser for your needs.

Once you have chosen one, send a booking invitation by searching for his or her name during the submission of a marriage application (refer to Point 1), and wait for his or her confirmation. If you do not have a specific solemniser in mind, you may search for one based on a broad criteria, such as your preferred language, instead.

Log into your ROM dashboard to check on the booking status. If you do not receive a response to your invitation within 48 hours, please reach out directly to him or her via the given contact number of email address. Do ensure that the solemniser has accepted your booking invitation via the ROM portal before your appointment with ROM, as this will secure proof of the solemniser’s consent to solemnise your marriage.

6. What You Need For a Solemnisation at ROM and at A Venue Outside ROM

Once ROM has reviewed your declarations and issued a marriage licence, you can proceed with your solemnisation ceremony on your proposed solemnisation date.

For solemnisations at the ROM building, only the bride and groom, and their two witnesses are required to be present. A solemniser on duty that day will be assigned to you, so you don’t need to invite one along. You, your groom, and two witnesses will need to bring along your original NRICs or passports for the solemnisation ceremony. The ceremony will take approximately 15-20 minutes, and once you are pronounced man and wife, you are officially married! The solemniser will register your marriage within the day, and you will receive a digital copy of your official marriage certificate via email.

For solemnisations at a venue outside of ROM, you will need to invite a licensed solemniser of your own choice via the ROM portal (refer to Point 5). On the day of the solemnisation, you will need the NRICs or passports of you, your groom and two witnesses. Since you will be receiving a digital copy of the official marriage certificate, you may opt to print out a ceremonial certificate of marriage to be used during the ceremony. You may find the download template and instructions for the ceremonial certificate of marriage here.

After the ceremony is completed, your solemniser will register your marriage online with ROM. You will receive a digital copy of your official marriage certificate via the email you’ve provided in your marriage application within a week. For video link solemnisations, the process is similar. You, your groom and two witnesses need to be present, and are required to present the relevant identity documents (NRICs or passports). Once you have been pronounced husband and wife, your solemniser will register your marriage online and you can expect to receive the digital copy of your official marriage certificate via email.

7. Look For a Solemnisation Venue

For those of you who are planning on solemnising outside of the ROM building, it’s time to search for the perfect venue to exchange your vows at after you’ve got all the necessary paperwork done for your upcoming solemnisation. Whether you are searching for a cosy and intimate location or a unique space by the beach, waterfront or charmingly sequestered in plenty of greenery, you are bound to find your dream venue in our ultimate list of solemnisation venues in Singapore.

8. What You Need to Know About Registering For a Destination Wedding

Planning a destination wedding and not sure whether you need to register your marriage in Singapore prior to your overseas wedding, or if you need to re-register when you get back home? Fret not, our guide to registry of marriage for destination weddings has everything you need to know about registering your marriage overseas and the registry of marriage procedures in popular countries in the region.

9. A Step-by-Step Guide on Everything You Need to Know About Planning a Wedding

After you’ve filed for a Notice of Marriage and settled all the paperwork necessary for your solemnisation, it’s time to plan your wedding! From picking an auspicious date for your big day to figuring out traditional Chinese wedding customs and setting a wedding budget, let our step-by-step wedding guide show you the way to a fuss and stress free wedding planning.

For more information on registering your marriage, you can visit ROM’s FAQ page here.

Registry of Marriages

Address: 7, Canning Rise Singapore 179869
Tel (main): 6338 7808 (ROM) // 6337 0207 (ROMM)
Website: www.marriage.gov.sg
Operating Hours: Mondays to Fridays: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. // Saturdays: 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. // Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays

Credits: Feature Image from Sheena and Jing Wen’s Elegant Forest Wedding at Clifford Pier by Pixioo