Is it to be a Legal Ceremony or Non Legal Ceremony?

How to get legally married in Bali?

Many couple choose to have a Commitment Ceremony which is non legal and non religious, and they perform the legalities once home, but it is very simple to also be legally married here and as long as you follow the rules and regulations of the country you get married in , it is considered a legal marriage when you get home,
To get legally married in Bali you are required to have both a religious and civil ceremony. Although in recent years the civil ceremony is often consolidated with the religious ceremony.

Both marriage partners need to say they are the same religion. But please note you do not have to be the same religion, you just have to declare it, and be happy that it is written on your certificate

The following religions are recognized in Indonesia: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christian-Protestant- and Christian-Catholic faiths.

The religious ceremony and the legal ceremony must be held at the same location on the same day.

Religious ceremonies under Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christian-Protestant faith can be held at a home, a villa, a hotel, a restaurant, a beach or a purpose built wedding venue. Nearly all venues are fine except for the Balinese temples.

For Muslims it is actually the easiest procedure because there is no need for an additional civil ceremony. The religious ceremony is carried out by a member of the ‘Kantor Urusan Agama’ – which means ‘The office of religious affairs’.  And that ceremony is sufficient for you to get legally married. You are also required to produce a document that proves that you are a Muslim.
For Muslims please note that you do not have to have your ceremony in a mosque,

If you intend to marry under Catholic faith this has to take place in the Catholic Church, and you are not able to have this ceremony in a Villa or venue outside of the Church.

A CNI which is a ‘Certificate of non-Impediment’ this is also known as a free to marry letter. This document is usually obtained from your consulate or your embassy in Indonesia. This is where it can get a bit complicated if you country does not have a consulate in Bali. You may then need to obtain this document from your embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital. Which happens to be over 1000 km away from Bali. But don’t worry it still can be done and you may not need to visit your embassy there. Remember: this varies from country to country.

A ‘Certificate of non-Impediment ‘can also be obtained from the country in which you come from, this usually has to be done no more than 3 months prior to your special day

It is very easy for Australians to do this once you arrive and we will book you an appointment, the fee is usually AUD110

The following countries have consulates in Bali where you can arrange for ‘Certificate of non-impediment’: Australia, UK, USA, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, New Zealand and many others. We will soon update this list to completion.

For the CNI we will ask you to send to us the following documents for both partners to the Civil Registry Office in Bali:

  • Passport for foreign citizens
  • Certified birth certificate
  • Certified divorce decree (absolute) or death certificates regarding the termination of all previous marriages if appropriate.

Additionally the following documents are required for both partners:

  • Passports which are valid for a minimum 6 months from the date of entry into Indonesia
  • Valid visas to enter Indonesia – foreign visitors who wish to get legally married in Bali may enter Indonesia as tourists using the tourist visa which is valid for a stay in Indonesia of up to 30 days.
  • Birth Certificates (if a copy, and not the original is presented, then the copy must be legalized by a solicitor or by your countries embassy in Indonesia).
  • You will also need 9 x photos for the certificates, which we will also take you to get , after your visit to the consulate

I hope this article has helped and if you have any question or queries please do not hesitate to contact us at weddinsbynatalie@gmail.com