The following information should assist you in planning your Bahamas wedding.

1. Both parties must be in The Bahamas at the time of the application.
2. The Bahamas Law states that the couple must be resident in The Bahamas for 24 hours prior to the date of the application. A Bahamian-issued marriage license is valid for 90 days for those seeking early application. You can write the Registrar General prior to your arrival at: P.O. Box H-5553, Nassau, Bahamas, or fax to 242-322-5553.
3. If either party is a minor (a person under 18 years of age), parental consent is required. Forms of consent may be obtained from the Registrar General’s office.
4. If either party has been divorced, the original final decree or a certified copy (with a raised or colored seal) must be produced. For European residents, the original decree or a certified copy (with a raised or colored seal) must be produced in the native language along with a translated certified or notarized copy in English.
5. If either party is widowed, the death certificate of the deceased spouse must be produced.
6. If either party is unmarried, for a citizen or resident of the U.S.A., a declaration certifying this fact must be sworn before a U.S. Consul at the American Embassy, Nassau, Bahamas, for a fee of $55 (effective February 1st, 1998), or a Bahamian Notary Public. (Please note, the U.S. Embassy is closed on American and Bahamian holidays.)
7. If either party is unmarried and is a citizen or resident of a country other than the U.S.A., a declaration certifying this fact must be sworn before a Notary Public or other person authorized to administer oaths in that country and must accompany the application for the marriage license. The said declaration may also be obtained at a Notary Public in Nassau.
8. The parties must produce some form of identification that has a photograph attached. The identification document must be issued by a Government Office in the country where the parties reside. A passport is required for persons who are residents of a Commonwealth country.
9. The parties must produce evidence of the date of their arrival in The Islands Of The Bahamas (i.e., airline ticket, immigration card).
10. Persons desirous of being married in a Family Island (any island outside of New Providence or Grand Bahama) can obtain the Marriage License at the Commissioner’s Office on that Island and need not come to New Providence or Grand Bahama. Initial inquiries can be made at this office.
11. No blood test is necessary.
12. The fee for a marriage license is $40.00.

NOTE: Marriage licenses are issued at the Office of the Registrar General located in the Rodney Bain Building on Parliament and Shirley Street in Nassau, which is open to the public Monday to Friday between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Closed on weekends and Bahamian Public Holidays.) On The Out Islands, visit the local Commissioner’s office to obtain a Marriage License.

Proof of Residence
The Registrar General shall be entitled to insist upon proof of residency as he/she deems necessary.

Apostille Copy of Marriage Certificate
For couples from European countries who may also require an apostille copy of the marriage certificate, this can be obtained after the ceremony once the couple makes an application at the Registrar General’s office in Nassau. The process takes seven to ten days.

A wedding reception and other services can be arranged at additional costs, e.g., tuxedo rental, additional photographs and video, music, etc.