On this page:
- What is a certificate of no impediment to marriage (CNI)?
- Before you begin
- Step 1: Confirm what you need
- Step 2: Prepare your supporting documents
- Step 3: Complete the application form
- Step 4: Submit your form and supporting documents
- Step 5: Wait for us to process your request
- Step 6: Receive your completed CNI
Also see our page on getting married overseas and read the Consular Services Charter.
What is a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (CNI)?
If you're getting married overseas, local authorities may ask you to prove you aren't already married. A CNI is a document from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) issued in support of your intended marriage overseas.
DFAT issues CNIs:
- through Australian Passport Offices across Australia
- through Australian embassies, high commissions, and consulates overseas
- by mail.
Before you begin
Note that we charge fees for our service. See the full list of fees.
Fees increase in line with the consumer price index (CPI) on 1 January each year.
At least one person applying for the CNI must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. If neither you nor your partner is, you will need to talk to your country of citizenship.
Step 1: Confirm what you need
Find out exactly what you need before requesting a CNI. DFAT can't advise you on the legal processes in another country. It's your responsibility to find out.
You can ask:
- your destination's embassy, high commission or consulate in Australia
- your wedding planner, if they are in the country where you will marry
- the local authority responsible for marriage regulation.
Ask the following questions.
Do you need a CNI?
You may not need a CNI. The local authorities may accept other evidence that you're free to marry. For example:
- a Single Status Certificate
- a No Record Result Certificate.
You can get these from your state or territory's births, deaths and marriages registry.
Does the CNI need to be issued in the country where you will marry?
Some authorities only accept a CNI issued in their country.
If that's the case, the Australian embassy, high commission or consulate in that country can issue it for you.
If there is no Australian embassy, high commission or consulate in the country, talk to the local authority about what you can do.
Does the CNI need to be legalised?
Local authorities may need the CNI to be verified before they accept it. Ask whether you need an apostille or an authentication certificate for your CNI.
Read our advice about document legalisation.
Do you need to provide other documents along with the CNI?
The local authority may ask for other documentation from Australia. Ask for a complete list of what else you need. This could include your:
- birth certificate
- divorce certificate
- deceased partner's death certificate.
You can get most of these documents from your state or territory's births, deaths and marriages registry or the court that issued the document.
Some foreign governments may ask for the original or a copy of your application form, as well as your CNI.
Check the local requirements with the government where you plan to marry. If needed, we can give you a copy of your application form.
Ask if you need these supporting documents legalised. If you do, see our advice about documents we can legalise.
Step 2: Prepare your supporting documents
To apply for a CNI, you and your partner need to provide supporting documents.
The documents you need depend on your:
- citizenship
- previous marriages
- age.
Supporting documents may include:
- Australian citizen: a valid Australian passport.
- Australian permanent resident: a valid foreign passport with evidence of permanent residence in Australia.
- Foreign citizen: a valid foreign passport or valid photo identification.
- Divorced: a Divorce Certificate for the previous marriage.
- Widowed: the deceased partner's Death Certificate.
- Under 18 years old: a judicial authorisation to marry issued by an Australian court.
Supporting documents can be originals, or certified true copies. If the documents aren't in English, you must provide an English translation done by aprofessional translator.
Step 3: Complete the application form
Download and complete the application form for a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (CNI).
You can print it and fill it in or complete it electronically.
Only sign the form with an authorised witness watching you.
- In Australia, this could be a Justice of the Peace. An Australian Passports official can also witness your signature at your appointment.
- Overseas, a consular official can witness your signature at your appointment.
If the overseas authority told you to legalise the CNI or other documents, you also need to complete a Document Legalisation Request Form.
See our advice about getting your documents legalised.
You must prepare your documents and complete the request form accurately. We can't process incomplete requests.
Step 4: Submit your form and supporting documents
The process to submit your form and documents depends on whether you're in Australia or overseas. You can submit by mail or in person.
You must pay the fee when you submit your application form.
See all the ways you can submit your application.
Step 5: Wait for us to process your request
We'll review your application. Our first step is to make sure it is complete.
If it's incomplete, we can't process it. If you submitted your application by mail, we'll send it back to you with a letter explaining what you need to do.
We may need to contact the issuing authority of your supporting documents to check their authenticity. This could cause a delay. We'll tell you if this happens.
Step 6: Receive your completed CNI
Once we complete your request, we will either:
- tell you when you can collect them from the Australian Passport Office (in Australia) or the Australian embassy, high commission or consulate (overseas)
- send them back to you in the self-addressed registered envelope you supplied, if that was your preference.
For information about our CNI services in Australia, email legalisations.australia@dfat.gov.au or contact us online.
For information about our CNI services overseas, please contact your nearest Australian embassy, high commission or consulate.
Read more
- Read our general advice about getting married overseas.
- Read about forced marriage.
