To be legally married in South Africa, two people need to have an unabridged marriage certificate. Sometimes these documents have dual purposes. The certificate establishes the legality of the nuptials and shows that the marriage was witnessed legally by qualified witnesses.
In South Africa, civic certificates like marriage certificates are issued by the Department of Home Affairs. If you lost your original certificate or need an unabridged version, your records will need to be retrieved from their vault archives before a new certificate can be issued.
Even a seemingly simple process such as getting a marriage certificate in South Africa can be a lengthy and time-consuming one if you don’t understand the steps involved and attempt the process on your own.
Can You Put Your Stepdad on Your Marriage Certificate?
There must be three signatures on a marriage register: the couple getting married, two witnesses, and the marriage officer. A handwritten certificate will be provided to the couple at no cost. Your natural father does not have to be listed on your marriage certificate. People are normally encouraged to do so for family history purposes, but it is not required by law.
You can, however, record your stepfather’s details instead of the natural father if he is married to your natural mother. (Stepfather) will appear beneath his name along with his occupation. Your step-father cannot be included in your marriage record if he is not married to your mother.
In other words, if you don’t want your father’s information recorded, either leave it blank or if your step-father is married to your mother, he can sign the marriage certificate. When your details are checked before the ceremony, make sure the registrar knows what you want for the marriage register entry and certificate.
If you need a copy of your unabridged marriage certificate for any reason – one that contains the details of your parents (or stepparents), you can either apply directly to the Department of Home Affairs and wait up to two years or you can use a document agent like ourselves. We take the time and effort out of the entire process at a minimal cost. Get in touch with DocAssist today.