Australia has it all!!
A destination wedding in Australia is the most sought after place that has everything to serve you at your wedding.
Australia has something to cater to every type and style of wedding and you will definitely be spoilt for choice with the vast range of different destination wedding venues and settings available. Also, tropical island and beach weddings in Australia are extremely popular and so are vineyard weddings.
If you are planning a destination wedding that has glamour and sophistication of a chic city wedding, then cities like beautiful Sydney, cosmopolitan Melbourne, tropical Brisbane, and mesmerizing Perth are great wedding destinations in themselves. Or if you desire to get hitched in a magnificent island, worry not, just off the central Queensland coast there are Whitsunday Islands, encompassing around 200 islands.
For getting married in Australia, You need to know some important legal requirements ahead of time. If you plan to have a destination wedding, you should take note of these points.
Can a couple organize a destination wedding in Australia, if they are not Australian citizens?
Yes, anyone can marry in Australia on a Tourist visa, Australia has no residency requirements for marriage. Anyone can get married in Australia irrespective of nationality as long as you are a full filling the legal criteria of getting married. Civil and religious marriages are both legally Acceptable in Australia and can take place anywhere in Australia.
These are the following criteria(legal requirements) for a foreigner wedding in Australia, you must fulfill:-
The person has to be at least 18 years old.
The person should not be marrying their close relatives.
A Notice of Intended Marriage should be given to the marriage celebrant, who is a person legally authorized to solemnize a wedding, within the time frame.
You should give the completed' intend to marriage 'form to the celebrant at least 18 months to a month before your desired date of the wedding.
Explore some amazing and affordable wedding hotels in Australia and make your destination wedding memorable.
Can a couple organize a destination wedding in Australia, If one of them is a non-Australian?
Yes, you can marry in Australia if either of you is a non-Australian. If you are engaged to an Australian native or permanent resident, then you may enter Australia on a Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 130) and marry your intended. Persons engaged to eligible New Zealand native may also come to Australia on a Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 130). If you enter the country on this fiancé visa, then you must wed within nine months.
The legal requirements for getting married in Australia are the same as to mention above.
Conditions for a local couple to get married in Australia.
The Marriage Act 1961- external site and Marriage Regulations 2017- an external site set the rules for getting married in Australia.
not be married
not be marrying a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother or sister
be at the minimum 18 years old, unless a court has approved a marriage where 1 person is 16-18 years old
understand what wedding means and freely agree to marry
use specific words during the ceremony
give a notice of intended marriage form to an authorized marriage celebrant at least 1 month and no more than 18 months before your wedding
be married by an authorized marriage celebrant
Same-sex weddings in Australia.
Same-sex marriage in Australia has been legal since 9 December 2017. Law-making to allow same-sex marriage, the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017, passed the Australian Parliament on 7 December 2017 and accept royal assent from the Governor-General the next day.
Getting married in Australia on a visa – for Same-sex couples :
A lot of homosexual couples are flocking to Australia from other countries, to get married. Couples from Singapore, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Malaysia, China, and Hong Kong are heading here to get married, even though marriage equality hasn’t yet arrived in their own countries.
How to apply for a tourist visa?
A non-Australian citizen can get married in Australia on a tourist visa. Here, are the steps you need to follow, for details you can visit the official site https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/visitor-600/tourist-stream-overseas#HowTo
Check your passport: You need a valid passport or other travel documents for this visa.
Gather your documents:
Identity documents
Issue the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates.
Also, provide:
A national identity card, if you hold one
Proof of a change of name, if applicable, such as:
A marriage or divorce certificate
Change of name certificate from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, or the related overseas authority
A certificate that shows other names you have been known by
Genuine visitor documents
Issue as much proof as you can to show you are visiting Australia as a temporary visitor only. This could include:
Proof you have enough money for your stay and to leave Australia, such as personal bank statements, payslips, audited accounts, tax records, or credit card limit.
A letter from your relative or friend in Australia, asking you to visit. The letter could state:
Their relationship to you
The purpose of your call on and length of stay
If you will be continuing to stay with them If this person will be paying for your stay, provide proof of their funds
Our plans while in Australia
Proof that you have reasons to return home such as:
A letter from your manager stating you plan to return to your job
Evidence that you study at a school, college or university in your home country
Evidence that you have immediate family members in your home country
Evidence that you can return home
Evidence that you own a house or other major assets in your home country
Character documents
Issue any military service record or discharge papers, if applicable.
Apply for the visa
You can apply through either online or offline mode :
Apply online
Log in or create an ImmiAccount.
Pay the application fee. No action will be taken on your application until you pay the debt.
Apply on paper
Visa outcome
You will be notified of their conclusion on your visa application in writing. They will tell you:
your visa grant number
The date your visa starts
your visa conditions
Maintain a copy of our decision with you when in Australia. If we reject your visa we will let you know in writing. We will tell you why we rejected and if you have a right to a review of the decision.
How to apply for (Subclasses 820 and 801) Partner visa :
Permit the partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia.
You apply for the temporary and the permanent partner visas together. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/partner-onshore#
Apply online
Complete your application in ImmiAccount. If you do not have an ImmiAccount login, you will have to create a new account.
Pay the visa application charge. We won't process your application until you have paid the charge.
Confirm and submit your application and note the transaction reference number (TRN). Your financer will need the TRN to apply for sponsorship.
Attach supporting documents to your completed application.asses 820 and 801)
After you apply
You will be notified when they received your application.
Visa outcome
You must be in Australia when we decide on your temporary visa application. you will know the conclusion in writing. If your visa is permitted, you will get to know:
your visa grant number
the date your visa starts
your visa conditions, if applicable
Keep a copy of the decision. If they reject your visa, you will know the conclusion:
why they rejected the visa
whether you have a right to a review of the conclusion
the application fee is non-refundable if your application is refused.
For a more detailed step by step procedure, you can visit the official website https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/partner-onshore/temporary-820#HowTo
We hope this blog was helpful in answering all your queries regarding destination weddings and visa formality in Australia.
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Hope you have a memorable destination wedding experience in Australia...!!
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