Malaysia Wedding License
Saw a press release where Taiwan star, Richie Ren, wants to get married in Pulau Redang. Sure, why not? I’m not familiar with Mr. Ren’s work but, according to the release, he worked there twelve years ago and loves it so much he wants to tie the knot there.
Where the heck is Pulau Redang?
It’s an island near Maylasia. So I looked up the requirements to get a marriage license in Maylasia. Better bring your sneakers because you’ve got a bunch of hoops to jump through.
You have to be on the island for seven days before you buy the license
You have to wait 21 days until they will give you the license
Tons of paperwork required. They will accept filling out the forms in English
Colored photos of you and your fiancé
Two witnesses
What you need to get married in Malaysia
Here is the info from the Maylasian embassy in the U.S.
A full description of marriage procedures in Malaysia can be found on the website of the National Registration Department. The site has a useful FAQ page which you may wish to peruse. But in brief, requirements are as follows:
All foreign citizens wishing to marry must reside in Malaysia at least 7 days before application of marriage.
You will need to make two separate trips to the National Registration Department. During the first visit, the marrying couple needs to bring the following documents:
Marriage application form JPN.KCO2. (This and other forms are printed in Bahasa Malaysia only, so you should complete them prior to arrival at the Registry office. Completing the forms in English is allowed.)
Passport and photocopy of the first page and page showing latest entry into Malaysia.
1 colored photo of each party (32 mm x 38 mm).
Letter confirming freedom to marry. You can execute an affidavit at the Consular Section which will serve this purpose. (There is a charge — see “Notarials”.)
This letter must be brought to the Consular Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wisma Putra) for authentication.
If marrying a citizen of a country other than the U.S. or Malaysia, that person should contact his/her own embassy for instructions on meeting this requirement. Special requirements apply to citizens of Burma, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
If previously married, death certificate(s) of previous spouse(s) or divorce decree(s) (original and one photocopy.)
After the first visit in which the documents and application are submitted, the marrying couple must wait at least 21 days until they can return and have the marriage officially registered. It is possible to get married more quickly (through a “special license”), but there are additional forms and fees, and approval of a senior Registry official is required. (See here for details.)
After the waiting period, the marrying couple will make a second trip to the National Registration Department for the official marriage ceremony. Two witnesses will need to accompany the marrying couple to finalize the marriage. A marriage certificate will be issued immediately following the ceremony.
For further information, contact:
The Registrar of Marriages, Malaysia
National Registration Department
Lot 2G5, Presint 2
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan
62100 W.P. Putrajaya
Tel: 60-3-8880-7000
Kuala Lumpur office: 60-3-2692-5018/2692-5044
Fax: 60-3-8880-7059
E-mail: pro@jpn.gov.my
Web site: www.jpn.gov.my
Marriages With/Between Muslims in Malaysia
There are different procedures for marriage with or between Muslims, including religious courses and different registration procedures. Contact the headquarters of the Islamic Religion Department (Jabatan Agama Islam) directly to find out the requirements.
Jabatan Agama Islam
Kompleks Pusat Islam
Jalan Perdana
50519 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: 60-3-22749333
Kuala Lumpur office: 60-3-2692-5018/2692-5044
Fax: 60-3-22731575
Web site: http://www.jawi.gov.my/
All Blessings,
Clint
Photo taken by Devin Galaudet for our Malaysia Wedding License story.
