Requirements for Getting Married in the British Virgin Islands

If you are planning to get married in the British Virgin Islands, you should know about the fees, the rules and the time frame for planning the ceremony.

Do you want to have your wedding in the British Virgin Islands (BVI)? Then you will need to know about requirements for obtaining a marriage license and for organizing your ceremony. There are two steps to the process. The first step is to make your application to the Attorney General's Chambers in the British Virgin Islands. The next step takes you to the Civil Registry and Passport Office (Civil Registry) to finalize the ceremony.

Basic Requirements for a Marriage License in the BVI

If you want to get married in the British Virgin Islands, your application for a marriage license must be submitted with proper identification, proof of a prior marriage and the applicable fees to the Attorney General's Chambers. The fiances must be present along with two witnesses of their choosing. All parties must be over eighteen years of age. Couple who are younger than eighteen years must have the  presence and consent of both parents. According to the brochure, "Getting Married in the Virgin Islands" from the Civil Registry and Passport Office, "a marriage license takes three working days to process" and "it remains valid for three months from the date it is signed" by the Governor.

Bigamy is a Crime in the BVI

Proof of a prior marriage is important because bigamy is a crime in the Virgin Islands. If any of the applicants was previously married, they should submit an original or certified copy of their Decree Absolute or a death certificate of the prior spouse.

Fiances Who Visit the BVI to Get Married

Persons who are visiting the BVI and are resident in the territory for less than fifteen days must apply for a Special License at a cost of US$110. The applicants must show their passports which will reflect the number of days that they have been in the BVI.

Normal Residents of the Virgin Islands Applying for a Marriage License

 Couples who normally live in the Virgin Islands apply for an Ordinary License at a cost of US$50 and this is also submitted with a postage stamp. Although you may live in the Virgin Islands for over fifteen days, please walk with your passport to show proof of residency.

Paying Fees for the Marriage License

According to the brochure "Requirements for Obtaining a Marriage License in the British Virgin Islands" produced by the Attorney General's Chambers, fees are paid via the purchase of postage stamps from the Post Office. As of 2010, the BVI Post is located Port Purcell.

Planning Your Marriage Ceremony in the BVI

Upon the application for the marriage license at the Attorney General's Chambers, contact the

Registrar-General's Office in Civil Registry and Passport Office in Road Town to set an appointment for the wedding date. More importantly, the couple needs to decide the location and type of wedding they wish to have. Two witnesses are also required and couples can select the persons listed on their marriage license or other persons.

Planning a Religious Wedding in the BVI

Couples should speak to their clergy, obtain the necessary counseling before applying for the license and have a date in mind for the wedding. Upon making the application for the marriage license, a letter from your recognized religious leader should be forwarded to the Civil Registry. When couples choose to have a religious wedding ceremony, they can hold the event in a church or another location of their choice. If they want to get married in a church, "Getting Married in the Virgin Islands" shares that wedding banns are then "published on three consecutive Saturdays or Sundays in that church." MSN Encarta Dictionary shares that banns are "an announcement of a forthcoming marriage, proclaimed in the church of the engaged couple on three successive Sundays."

Planning a Civil Wedding in the BVI

In a civil wedding ceremony, the Registrar-General or another appointed Marriage Officer performs the ceremony without any reference to religion. The vows are read, the license is signed and the marriage is solemnized.

• Fees for the Registrar General: The cost is US$35 for the Registrar-General to marry a couple in her office at the Civil Registry. A ceremony outside of the office costs US$100. For any ceremonies outside of Tortola, such as in Jost Van Dyke, Anegada, Peter Islands or the other islands, the Registrar-General's travel to that location has to be paid.
• Prayers Allowed After Civil Wedding: If the couple wishes for prayer, they set the prayers to come after the Registrar-General declares them married and after they have signed the official documents.

After the applications for the marriage license is applied for and approved, the couple confirm their wedding date and plan for the civil or religious ceremony of their choice. After all the processes are complete, the final product is the marriage certificate, which can be further authenticated by Apostille. This document is the proof that the marriage officially occurred in the British Virgin Islands.