South African Embassy in Sweden, South African Citizen Services, Marriage Registration
Registration of Marriage Abroad
There is not a formal application for the registration of
the marriage of a South African citizen, married abroad. The Department of Home Affairs should however
be informed of the marriage, so that the marital status and surname, if it has changed, of a South African
citizen may be updated on the Population Register.
The following documents must be submitted when applying for a full
(unabridged) marriage certificate:
Written request for registration of a marriage abroad;
Form BI-529 to be fully completed in block letters and in black ink;
NOTE:
- All applicants are kindly requested to fully complete this form, which would assist in
locating records at the Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria.
- Questions 9, 10, 11 of Part A are of particular importance.
- Questions that are not applicable should be marked as ‘n/a’; if answers to certain
questions are not known e.g. the mother’s identity number, they should be marked as ‘Do
not know’.
Original or certified copy of the applicant’s South African passport or identity document;
Original or certified copy of the foreign marriage certificate accompanied by an English translation
by a sworn translator, if the original marriage certificate is not in English;
alternatively, applicants who married in Sweden may submit an extract from the marriage
register, which is commonly known as an ‘international marriage
certificate’.
Should you require clarification on completing the application forms or have any further enquiries about the
application process, please contact our office at your convenience.
NOTE (please read carefully):
There is no application fee for the registration of a marriage abroad and upon registration of the marriage
at the Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria, no certificate would be issued. Persons whose surnames
have changed, may apply for a Tourist Passport and/or
Identity Document, reflecting the married surname
(the requirements and forms are available on request from our office).
A complete application may be either mailed to our office, or submitted personally during the consular opening
hours: Mon-Tue, Thu-Fri; 09:00-12:30.
Application forms should not be folded, and applications that are submitted by post, should be mailed in an
A4-size envelope.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (formerly, Department of Foreign Affairs) offers a
voluntary registration service for South African citizens that are travelling or residing abroad, ROSA (Registration of South Africans Abroad).
This service is provided in the event there is a need to contact you to offer urgent advice on a natural disaster or civil unrest or
a family emergency. Information may submitted by a South African citizen via the ROSA Online Registration form.
