Getting married is a big decision and is one of the most significant events in someone's life. Aside from the excitement involved in planning your big day, there are rules and procedures you must follow in order to marry in Ireland. There are also rules and procedures if you are an Irish citizen and choose to marry abroad. Here, we start at the beginning and guide you through the various things you need to know.
Aside from the rules about how and where you can marry, marriage will immediately affect lots of areas of your life. You may not be aware but your legal status, your inheritance rights, and pensions are just some things that will change. Many other areas of life will also change and we examine these and other issues in this document.
If you are an Irish citizen normally resident in Ireland, you must be at least 18 years old to get married. There are some exceptions to this, so read about age requirements for marriage here. Essentially, the age rule is the same, irrespective of whether or not you get married in a religious or civil ceremony. In addition, you must have the capacity to marry. That is, you must freely consent to the marriage and have the capacity to understand what marriage means. Read more about legal requirements for marriage in Ireland here.
Since 5 November 2007 anyone marrying in Ireland (irrespective of whether they are an Irish citizen or a foreign national) must give three months notification before they marry. You must make this notification in person to any Registrar. Find out how to notify the Registrar that you will be getting married in Ireland here.
There are different legal ways of getting married in Ireland; you may choose a religious ceremony or a civil ceremony. We provide a guide to the legal ways of getting married in Ireland only. Find out about civil marriage ceremonies in Ireland here. Read general information on religious marriage ceremonies in Ireland here. Requirements of different faiths may differ, so check in advance with the relevant member of the clergy for further information.
Since 5 November 2007, no matter how you marry (i.e., through a civil or religious ceremony), the registration process is the same. (There are transitional arrangements for those who have notified the Registrar before 5 November 2007.) You are issued with a Marriage Registration Form (MRF) by the Registrar, following notification, which gives you authorisation to get married. You give it to whomever will be solemnising your marriage. Following the marriage ceremony, the completed MRF should be given to a Registrar, within one month of the marriage ceremony, for the marriage to be registered.
If you are an Irish citizen and are planning to marry abroad, you should realise that the legal validity of your marriage is governed, in part, by the laws of the country in which you marry. In most, if not all cases, the legal formalities abroad are very different to those in Ireland. Information for Irish citizens planning to marry abroad is here.
You may not have been aware, but getting married affects many areas of your life in Ireland. These range from life insurance and pensions, to inheritance, presumption of paternity and even taxation. Find out how marriage affects your legal status here.
Getting married is an exciting time in life and a serious commitment. Being aware of the various formalities and procedures in advance, should help you both to plan and organise your wedding. Being aware of just how much marriage will affect your legal status, will also help you understand how this change in your life will affect your rights and entitlements.