Get married at the Registrar and get a marriage certificate (marriage by notice)
Registrar of Marriages · sources read 30 Sep 2026
Both of you apply on eCitizen with your documents and pay the KSh 600 notice fee. After the 21-day notice, book an interview with the Registrar, bring your originals, pay the second fee, and marry within 90 days of the notice.
- Fee
- KSh 600Notice of marriage (pay once your application is approved)KSh 3,300Marrying at the Registrar: fee after the interviewKSh 800Clearance certificate, wedding at a licensed placeKSh 7,200Clearance certificate, wedding outside a licensed place of worshipKSh 1,100Certified copy of an existing marriage certificate (lost or extra copy)
- How long
- 30 to 90 days: about 30 days for notice and processing, and the wedding within 90 days
- Deadline
- Give notice at least 21 days before the wedding, and marry within 90 days of the notice
- Where
- Online on eCitizen, then in person with the Registrar of Marriages. You can also register at your local Sub-County Commissioner's office or the Registrar of Marriages in Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu, Malindi, Embu, Meru, Kisii or Machakos.
What you need
- Copy of your national ID, valid passport or valid refugee (alien) card
- Copy of your birth certificate
- One colour passport-size photo for each of you
- Copies of the ID or passport of your two witnesses
- If widowed: copy of the spouse's death certificate
- If divorced: copy of the Divorce Decree Absolute
- If that divorce decree or death certificate is more than 2 years old: a sworn affidavit confirming your marital status
Steps
- Get your documents ready and fill in the marriage application on eCitizen, attaching copies.
- Once the application is approved, pay the KSh 600 notice fee. Your notice then runs for at least 21 days.
- After the 21 days, book an appointment on eCitizen and both go to the Registrar for an interview and a check of your original documents.
- After the interview, pay the second fee on eCitizen and get booked for the wedding. The marriage must happen within 90 days of the notice.
Watch out
- The names on your birth certificate and your ID or passport must be the same and in the same order, or you will be delayed.
- If you don't marry within 90 days of the notice, the notice runs out, so plan the date before you apply.
- Lost your certificate? Apply on eCitizen for a certified copy (KSh 1,100), giving the type of marriage, both names, the date and the place.
Who can apply
- A man and a woman who are Kenyans, or registered refugees living in Kenya, marrying under the civil, Christian or Hindu system
Official sources (4)
- Registration of Marriage by Notice statelaw.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Getting Married in Kenya statelaw.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- Application for Certified Copy of a Marriage Certificate statelaw.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026
- eCitizen ecitizen.go.ke · read 30 Sep 2026