Documents required for the interview with the officiant for your marriage
You and your intended spouse must both show that you meet the conditions for marrying.
Verification of identity
In order to verify your identity, you can give the officiant:
- the original of your birth certificate, or
- a copy of your act of birth.
If you are unable to submit these documents you can contact the court clerk, who will explain the best way to proceed.
If either you or your intended spouse is aged 16 or 17, you must show the court authorization.
Proof of civil status
You must prove to the officiant that you are free from all previous bonds of marriage or civil union, by providing one of the documents listed below to prove your civil status.
| Civil status | Document proving civil status |
|---|---|
| Single | None |
| Single (civil union or marriage annulled) | Certified copy of the judgment annulling the marriage or civil union |
| Single (civil union dissolved) | One of the following documents:
|
| Divorced | One of the following documents:
|
| Widowed | One of the following documents:
|
In addition, if you intend to marry at the courthouse, you and your intended spouse must each complete the relevant section of the form Civil Marriage – General Information and give it to the clerk at your interview.
Judgments or civil status documents from outside Québec
The officiant will accept, as proof, a court judgment or a document produced outside Québec. However, if the document is in a language other than French or English, the officiant will also require:
- an official translation produced by a member of the Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec;
- a sworn statement by the translator that the translation is accurate.
If the officiant has doubts about the validity or date of effect of a judgment, he or she will ask you to file a court application for the recognition of a foreign judgment.
