Marriage

Whether you plan to marry in a registry office or a church, the first thing you need to do is to give a written Notice of Marriage in advance at a marriage registry – see www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/bdmreg_4.htm for details. The cost for this is $305. If you plan to get married in a marriage registry, you can make your Appointment Booking for Giving of Marriage Notice online at http://marriage.esd.gov.hk/eng/default.htm (if you book online, you can choose your date up to three months and fourteen days in advance). Otherwise you must go to a marriage registry in person. The Notice of Marriage will be exhibited for a minimum of 15 days, after which time a marriage can take place.

When filing a ‘Notice of Marriage’, one or both of you will be required to submit identity cards and passports for inspection. If your intended spouse is out of Hong Kong, a photocopy of their passport will be sufficient at this stage, although the original passport will need to be shown before the marriage date. Spouses do not need to be resident in Hong Kong to marry here, but they do need to be over 21 – or 16, with consent. After a ‘Notice of Marriage’ has been given, the marriage must take place within three months.

Visit http://wedding.esdlife.com/home/eng/default.asp to find a list of marriage registries and other public worship venues licensed to celebrate marriage, lucky dates for marriage, and tips on wedding arrangements and planning. Popular marriage registries include Cotton Tree Drive Marriage Registry in Hong Kong Park and City Hall Marriage Registry in Central. For these two registries, a ‘Notice of Marriage’ must be given at the Hong Kong Marriage Registration Office, 3/F, Queensway Government Offices, Low Block, Admiralty.

The ceremony at the registry office is short – 15 minutes – during which time the bride and bridegroom and witnesses sign the marriage certificate. You are permitted to include your own readings and wedding vows in the ceremony as long as you don’t over-run your allotted 15 minutes. You can also bring a CD to be played during the ceremony. Confetti is not allowed to be thrown inside the registry but may be thrown outside, as long as it is cleared away afterwards. The price of the ceremony is $715–1,935, depending on the day and time.

Arrangements for a marriage in church should be agreed with the church concerned.

Bereavement

Deaths from natural causes where the deceased was attended by a registered medical practitioner must be registered within 24 hours at the registry of the district where the death occurred. If the deceased is to be buried outside Hong Kong, a permit for the removal of the body should be obtained. If they are to be cremated, a relative of the deceased should approach the Department of Health and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

More information on procedures, location of registries and fees is available at www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/bdmreg_3.htm .