Getting Married
in Barbados

If only every island made it this easy!

Getting Married in Barbados
Marriage License Information

Barbados marriage license requirements make it easy to hold a wedding in Barbados in a short period of time.

Residency

No minimum waiting period!

Application for the license must be made in person by both parties at either The Registration Department, Coleridge Street,
Bridgetown; or the office of the Ministry of Home Affairs (246-228-8950), on the fifth floor of the General Post Office in Cheapside, on the outskirts of Bridgetown.

The Preliminary Steps

Before visiting the Ministry of Home Affairs the following requirements should be met:
A Marriage Officer (i.e. a Magistrate or Minister of Religion authorized to perform marriage ceremonies in Barbados) should consent to performing the ceremony.

The Marriage Officer consenting to perform the ceremony should issue a letter to be presented at the time of filing the application for Marriage License.

A non-resident Minister of Religion, who is requested to solemnize a marriage in Barbados, may be appointed as a temporary Marriage Officer in Barbados. The following documents should be presented to the Registration Department in order to effect this temporary status:

Ordination Certificate
Letter from the Head of the Church certifying the Minister’s authority to perform such services.

Obtaining a Marriage License

In order to obtain a marriage license in Barbados, the following requirements should be met. Please note persons 18 years and older do not require parental consent:

Application must be made by both parties in person at the Ministry of Home Affairs between Monday to Friday from 8:15 a.m. – 4 p.m. Offices are closed on public holidays

One of the following documents should be presented, verifying identity:
Valid Passport
The original or certified copy of birth certificate
Identification card

If married before and widowed, certified copies of the marriage and death certificates should be presented. If divorced, the original Decree Absolute or a certified copy of the Final Judgment. Please note, the Decree Nisi is not accepted.

Note
All documents presented to the Ministry of Home Affairs in a language other than English, must be accompanied by a translation certified by an authorized Notary Public - not a justice of the peace.

Minors
Persons under age 16 years cannot be legally married in Barbados. Therefore, persons between the ages of 16 and 18 years require the consent of both parents who must be present at the time of application. Failing this, a Judge in Barbados, on making application to him, may exercise his discretion to dispense with consent.

Marriage License Fees
For non- residents of Barbados – Bbd$200.00 and Bbd$25.00 stamp duty
For citizens/residents of Barbados – Bbd$45.00 and Bbd$10.00 stamp duty.

Marriage Certificate Fees
Nationals/residents – Bbd$10.00
Non-nationals/Non-residents – Bbd$20.00

Additional Information
Persons granted Barbadian Citizenship either by descent, registration, immigration status or permanent residence, should provide the original document issued by the Immigration Department of Barbados or the passport in which the relevant information has been stamped.

Non-nationals who have been granted work permits must produce the passport showing that a work permit was issued by the Immigration Department, not the application form or receipt. Please note that a work permit should be valid at the time of application.

A Marriage License cannot be issued for a date which is beyond the expiry date of any visitor’s stay in Barbados.

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