There’s no marriage licence in Australia — instead, you lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) with your celebrant at least one monthbefore your wedding. The NOIM is free; budget around $300–$800 for your celebrant and $54.70 for your official certificate.
There’s no licence to buy — just the free NOIM form. Celebrant fees typically run $300–$800, and a registry ceremony in Brisbane starts from $195. Your official Queensland marriage certificate is $54.70 from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Planning a wedding in Queensland means following both Australian marriage law and local registry procedures. Federal law (the Marriage Act 1961) sets the core requirements, and the Queensland registry handles registration and certificates.
A “marriage licence” is an American term — in Australia, couples simply lodge the Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) with their celebrant. That single form, plus proper identification, is all that’s legally required. And you don’t need to be a citizen or permanent resident: international couples can legally wed here following the same process.
Both parties must normally be 18 or over. If one person is 16–17, they need court approval and a guardian’s consent. Both must understand what marriage means and freely agree to it.
Neither party can be currently married to someone else. If previously married, you must provide evidence the prior marriage has ended (divorce decree or death certificate).
You cannot marry a close relative — parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, or half-sibling.
Since December 2017, same-sex couples have the same legal right to marry as opposite-sex couples. Australia redefined marriage to cover any two people — all requirements apply equally.
If either partner does not speak English, an interpreter must assist at the ceremony. Both parties must fully understand the vows they will recite.
Instead of a licence, Queensland couples complete and lodge a NOIM form with their registered celebrant. By law, a marriage cannot be solemnised unless written notice of the intended marriage is given to the celebrant first. The window is tight and worth memorising: lodge at least one month before the ceremony, and no earlier than 18 months before. A NOIM given on 1 January means the earliest wedding date is 2 February.
There’s no licence fee — the NOIM is free. Most of the cost is your celebrant and, optionally, a registry ceremony. Here’s the realistic breakdown.
Downloaded from the Attorney-General’s Department or provided by your celebrant
Varies by celebrant, day and ceremony type
Book via Queensland Births, Deaths & Marriages (13 QGOV)
Ordered from Qld BDM after registration — the legal proof of marriage
Signed on the day and kept by the couple
Only if any document is in a language other than English
Figures are typical ranges from the Australian Attorney-General’s Department and the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Confirm current fees with your celebrant and the registry before booking.
When you lodge the NOIM (and again at the ceremony), each party must prove their identity, date and place of birth, and show evidence of any prior marriage ending.
Original birth certificate (or certified copy) showing full name, date and place of birth. If born overseas, a valid passport is usually accepted as proof of birth.
Current photo ID such as an Australian driver’s licence, passport, or proof of age card. You generally need two forms of ID (one must include date of birth).
If previously married, you must show evidence the marriage ended — an original divorce decree or death certificate of the former spouse.
If you have legally changed your name (for example by deed poll), bring those documents.
Your marriage must be solemnised by an authorised marriage celebrant— either a civil celebrant (government-registered) or a religious celebrant from an authorised denomination. When you hire one, ask to see their Commonwealth registration.
You can marry almost anywhere — at home, at a venue, in a park, or at a government registry office. Registry offices in Brisbane and other cities have limited availability and their own fees.
On the day, Australian law dictates a few formalities:
You must have at least two adult witnesses (over 18) present for the ceremony. Friends or family can be witnesses.
Your celebrant includes the legally required wording (the monitum) and vows. You cannot alter these required words — personal vows can be added afterwards.
After you say “I do”, you, your spouse, the celebrant and the two witnesses sign three copies of the marriage certificate:
By law, your celebrant must register the marriage with Queensland’s Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages within 14 days. That’s what puts your marriage on the public record.
Once registered, you can apply for the official certificate ($54.70). You’ll need it to change your name or prove your marriage to other authorities.
Non-Australian visitors can legally marry in Queensland. The rules are the same: lodge a NOIM, meet the age and eligibility requirements, and provide passports as ID. Some countries require additional steps after returning home, so check local requirements. Visitors must engage a celebrant and submit the NOIM at least one month before the wedding.
Marriage equality has been fully recognised in Queensland since December 2017. Same-sex couples follow the identical process: NOIM, the same documents, witnesses, and so on. There are no extra legal hurdles.
If you suddenly need to marry within less than one month — urgent travel or health issues, for example — your celebrant can apply for a Shortening of Time order. This is discretionary, requires supporting evidence, and is granted only rarely.
Very rarely, a person aged 16 or 17 can marry, but only with a court’s special approval and a parent or guardian’s consent. This is a complex legal process and generally not relevant for most couples.
No. Australia doesn't have marriage licences. Instead, you must lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) form with your celebrant at least 1 month before your wedding.
The NOIM form is free. Celebrant fees typically range from $300-$800. The official marriage certificate costs $54.70 from Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
You must lodge the NOIM at least 1 month before your wedding date, but no more than 18 months in advance.
Yes. The Brisbane Registry Office offers civil ceremonies. Contact Queensland Births, Deaths and Marriages on 13 QGOV (13 74 68) to book. Fees start from $195.
You need: birth certificate or passport, photo ID (driver's licence), and if previously married, your divorce decree or former spouse's death certificate. Foreign documents must have NAATI-certified translations.
Download the Notice of Intended Marriage form free from the Australian Attorney-General's Department website, or your registered celebrant will provide it. The form is the same nationwide — there is no Queensland-specific version.
The NOIM is the legal form every couple must lodge with their celebrant at least one month before marrying in Australia. It records each party's details and is Australia's alternative to a 'marriage licence' — a concept Australia does not use.
Your celebrant registers the marriage with Queensland Births, Deaths and Marriages within 14 days of the ceremony. You then apply for your official certificate ($54.70). Processing time varies, so confirm current turnaround with Queensland BDM directly when you apply; a priority option may be available for an additional fee.
Not fully online. The NOIM is lodged with your celebrant in person, or witnessed remotely by audio-visual link when both the couple and the authorised witness are in the same country. Both parties must sign before an authorised witness.
An authorised witness must witness both parties' signatures: your celebrant, a Justice of the Peace, a lawyer, a magistrate, a police officer, or a doctor. Nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists are not authorised witnesses.
On your wedding day you sign three certificates: one ceremonial (presentation) copy to keep, one retained by the celebrant, and one sent to Queensland BDM for registration. The official certificate is the government-issued legal document you order afterwards ($54.70) — the one banks, the passport office and other agencies accept.
If you are already legally married — overseas or in Australia — you cannot marry again here, and you would not lodge a NOIM. Australia recognises many overseas marriages. If you are unsure whether your overseas marriage is recognised, check with a registered celebrant or the Attorney-General's Department before doing anything else.
Name change is not automatic. Once you have your official marriage certificate ($54.70), present it to each agency — the passport office, transport and main roads (driver licence), banks, Medicare and so on — to update your name. Each has its own process. For name changes not covered by the marriage certificate, a formal BDM name-change application or deed poll may be needed.
Yes. Visitors and non-citizens can legally marry in Queensland on any visa — the requirements (NOIM, documents, witnesses) are the same. Note a tourist visa does not by itself grant any visa benefit, and your home country may have its own steps to recognise the marriage. Lodge the NOIM at least one month before the ceremony.
Yes. Since December 2017, same-sex couples have the same legal right to marry as any other couple in Australia. The process — NOIM, documents, celebrant and witnesses — is identical.
Official form from the Australian Attorney-General’s Department
Official government summary of marriage requirements
Registering marriages and obtaining certificates
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Disclaimer:This guide is informational only and doesn’t constitute legal advice. Marriage laws can change and circumstances vary — when in doubt, consult a registered marriage celebrant or the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Last updated July 2026. Sources: the Australian Attorney-General’s Department, the Queensland Government, and registered Queensland celebrants.
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