Botswana - Solemnization of Marriage

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Procedure

Apply In-Person

1. Marriage in Botswana shall be solemnized by the following licensed marriage officer;
   • Administrative Officers (District Commissioner) Department of Civil & National Registration –Regional Offices Contacts
   • Any minister of religion or person holding a responsible position in any religious denomination or community, whom the Minister has by notice published in the Gazette appointed a marriage officer.
   • Marriage licensed local kgosi.
2. During the Register intention to marry with the Civil and National Registration office, within the couple district, the couples will be issued with the Solemnization Form to complete and submit it to the civil registrar for registration, twenty-one (21) days before the marriage is solemnized, the couple will be required to state whether solemnization will be after Banns or Special Marriage License. These Forms are not available online.
3. After the registration of the intention of marriage by the civil registrar, publication of the banns (Marriage notice) will be floated for a period covering three successive weeks in a conspicuous place to which the public has access at the office of an administrative officer in the district in which one or both of the parties to the intended marriage reside or announced during divine service in churches or other building habitually used for public worship by a congregation to which one or both of the parties to the intended marriage belong and in a district in which one or both of such parties reside.
4. The publication of the banns is meant to invite any person with an objection to the proposed registration, to notify the Registrar or a licensed marriage officer, and provide grounds of objection within that period.
5. After the expiry of twenty-one (21) days, if no objection has been filed, or where any objections filed have been considered and dealt with by the Registrar, the Registrar will register the marriage into the marriage register and the couple will be allowed to solemnize their marriage
6. Parties desiring to obtain a special license shall appear before an administrative officer who, on being satisfied if necessary by evidence under oath or by affidavit that there is no legal impediment to the marriage of such parties, shall on payment of the prescribed fee issue a special license entitling such persons to be married without publication of banns.
7. Every marriage shall be solemnized in the presence of at least two witnesses competent to give evidence in a court of law, and between the hours of six o'clock in the morning and six o'clock in the afternoon and the public shall have access to any place or any part of any building in which a marriage is being solemnized.
8. In solemnizing a marriage any minister of religion or person holding a responsible position in any religious denomination or community shall follow the formulary in use in the congregation to which he/she belongs.
9. Any administrative officer who solemnizes a marriage shall require the bridegroom and bride to repeat separately after him/her the wedding vows.
10. Every marriage officer shall keep a register of marriages solemnized, where particulars about the marriage shall be registered and have it signed by the couples and him/herself, in the presence of two witnesses, who shall also sign the register, immediately after solemnizing any marriage.
11. The prescribed fee as mentioned under the “Fees” section below, shall be paid to the marriage officer in respect of the registration of each marriage, before or after solemnizing the marriage.
    

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Required Documents

• National Identity Card (Omang) or passport for foreign nationals
• Letter of consent from parents if you are under 18 years of age
• Letter of confirmation from Kgosi that one is not married, or a letter of confirmation from their country of origin that they are not married for foreign nationals
• Statement from declarant and a certified copy of their identity document
• Death or divorce certificate (where applicable)
  

Office Locations & Contacts

Ministry of Nationality, Immigration, and Gender Affairs
Address: Block 8, Government Enclave,
Khama Crescent
Private Bag 002
Gaborone
Botswana
Telephone: (+267)3611115 / 3611234 / 3611132
Fax: (+267) 3907426
Call Centre Number – 0800 600 777

Department of Civil and National Registration
(Ministry of Nationality, Immigration, and Gender Affairs)
Head Office,
Address: Block 8, Government Enclave,
Khama Crescent
Private Bag 00240
Gaborone, Botswana
Telephone. (+267) 361 1400
Fax. (+267) 395 9998
Toll-Free Number. 0800 600 777

• Ministry contact details
  
• Department of Civil & National Registration –Regional Offices Contact
  

Opening hours: 7:30 to 12:45, and 13:45 to 16:30, Monday to Friday, except during public holidays.NOTE: For abroad applications, please contact your nearest Botswana Embassy or High Commission to help you.Botswana Mission Abroad contact

Eligibility

• Anybody over the age of 18 years.
• Anybody below the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. A guardian/parent must authorize in writing the subject to contract to such marriage.
• Widow/widower.
• Sane (Mentally fit ) persons.
• Divorced persons.
  

Fees

• After Banns/ Normal P40.00.
• Special Marriage Licence P150.00 + P 40.00 = P190.00.
  

Validity

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e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

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Sample Documents

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Processing Time

The solemnization can take place after 21 days of the lapse of the publication of the marriage banns and if there is no legal impediment to the marriage.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
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Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Instructions

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e.g. The state office holds birth records since january 1908.

Required Information

• Full Names of both parties
• Dates of birth
• Valid identity proof/number
• Nationality details
• Residential Address
• Proof of no impendent of marriage
• Type of marriage
• Details of the witnesses
• Date/place where the intended marriage ceremony will be held
• Parents details
• Sworn oath by the couple/witnesses/ marriage officer
  

Need for the Document

The service is given to a couple who wishes to be joined in matrimony. The marriage is solemnized by the licensed marriage officer following the law.

Information which might help

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Other uses of the Document/Certificate

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e.g. Birth Certificate can be used as proof of identity.

External Links

Gov.BW

Others

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