Witnesses to a marriage: what are the rules?

Verified 08 April 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

As future spouses, you choose together the witnesses of your marriage.

You must choose Minimum of 2 witnesses and up to 4.

Your witnesses are witnesses to your marriage, not one of you. 2.

They are responsible for certifying your identities, the accuracy of your statements and the conformity of the marriage certificate with those statements.

Your witnesses must be at least 18 years of age (or be emancipated).

No other conditions are required.

They may or may not be members of your family.

No distinction is made between the sexes.

Your witnesses may be foreign nationals.

You're declaring your witnesses at pre-marriage formalities.

For each of them, you must provide the following information:

  • Name
  • First Names
  • Date and place of birth
  • Occupation
  • Home

FYI  

You can change your witnesses until the official celebration.

If one of your witnesses fails you or you don't have one, the registrar can find one (for example, a mayoral officer).

Be careful, this is not an obligation for either the registrar or the mayor's officer. So they can refuse.

FYI  

Your marriage certificate mentions your witnesses (first name, last name, profession, domicile, majority). Their presence is required throughout the ceremony, until they are signed on the register.

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