Marriage
licenses are issued at the offices of the Registrar General
in Nassau, New Providence, which is open Monday to Friday,
9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Telephone (242) 322-3316.
The fee for the license is
$100.00; no blood test is necessary.
Both parties must be in The
Islands of The Bahamas at the time of the application.
One party must have resided
in The Islands of The Bahamas for not less than 24 hours
prior to the date of the application, but the Registrar
General has the discretion, on good cause shown, to waive
this residential requirement. A waiver will not normally be
granted unless one party has resided in The Bahamas for one
day. The application for the waiver may be made at the same
time as the application for the license or may be obtained
on written application prior to arrival.
The parties must produce
evidence of the date of their arrival in The Bahamas. The
Registrar General shall be entitled to insist upon such
proof of residence as he deems necessary. For wedding on
Nassau and The Out Islands contact the Registrar General in
Nassau at (242) 322 - 3316. For weddings on Grand Bahama
Island call (242) 352 - 4934
For weekend marriages,
persons arriving on Thursday may then be married on Saturday
the third day; persons arriving on Friday may be married on
Sunday. Officers will be available both in Nassau and
Freeport to perform weekend weddings.
If either party is a minor (a
person under the age of 18 years), parental consent is
required. Forms of consent may be obtained from the
Registrar General's office.
If either party has been
divorced, the original final decree or a certified copy must
be produced.
If either party
is widowed, the death certificate of the deceased spouse
must be produced.
If either party is unmarried,
being a citizen of the US, a declaration certifying this
fact must be sworn before a US Consul at the American
Embassy in Nassau. Telephone (242) 322-1181.
If either party is unmarried,
being a citizen or resident of a country other than the US,
a declaration certifying this fact must be sworn before a
Notary Public or other person authorized to administer oaths
in that country and must accompany the application for the
marriage license.
The parties must produce some
form of identification which has a photograph attached. The
identification document must have been issued by a
Government Office in the country where the parties reside.
Persons
desirous of being married in any island outside of
Nassau/Paradise Island can obtain a marriage license at the
Commissioner's Office on that island and need not come to
Nassau.
Call 1-888-NUPTIAL
(1-888-687-8425) to receive a free brochure about weddings
and honeymoons in The Islands Of The Bahamas.
Buy your wedding flowers in
The Islands Of The Bahamas. You'll save yourself the
paperwork involved with bringing own.
For a Roman
Catholic service, you are required to complete a 6 week
preparation class, which you can do in your hometown.