How to Get Married in Quebec

In Quebec, you may have either a civil ceremony or a religious ceremony. With both types of ceremony, two witnesses must be present.

Same sex marriages are legal in Quebec.

In Quebec, you may choose to have your marriage or civil union solemnized by someone special to you. In this case, you and the person you have chosen to perform the wedding ceremony must complete the form entitled “Request for the Designation of an Officiant of a Marriage or Civil Union” and send it to the Direction des services judiciaires at the Ministère de la Justice, preferably three to four months before the date of the ceremony.

Before conducting any marriage ceremony, the chosen officiant must publish the bans. A notice will be posted for 20 days before the date of the marriage at the place where the marriage is to be solemnized. Any person, including a minor, can oppose the marriage for good reasons.

Religious marriages:

• You must visit an officiant to set the date for your marriage.
  
• The officiant will verify your age, identity and civil status, and arrange for the bans to be published.
  
• The officiant will also advise you to have a premarital medical examination.
  
• The documents required for a religious marriage may vary, depending on the religious organization involved.
  

More about religious marriages can be obtained from a priest, rabbi, minister or pastor who solemnizes this type of marriage.

Civil marriages:

• You must complete the Civil Marriage - General Information form, which is available from the Service des mariages civils at the courthouse in the district you are getting married in.
  
• You will then set a date for the marriage and schedule an appointment with the Service des mariages civils for an interview with the court clerk.
  
• You must attend this interview with a witness, who does not need to be one of the witnesses chosen for the actual marriage ceremony, although he or she must be someone that you know well.
  
• For marriages before an officiant other than the clerk or deputy clerk, you should arrange an appointment with the clerk to familiarize yourselves with pre-marriage formalities, agree on fees and disbursements and method of payment, and finalize such particulars as the time and place of the ceremony.
  

All officiants must verify your identity and civil status, and will counsel you on the advisability of a premarital medical examination.

You will be required to submit the following documents:

• Birth certificate
  
• A passport and an ID photo
  
• If previously married, a certified copy of the final divorce decree, or death certificate if marriage ended due to death of spouse.
  
• Documents written in a language other than French or English must be accompanied by an official translation.
  

For more detailed information, see the Government of Quebec’s website at http://www.justice.gouv.qc.ca/english/publications/generale/maria-a.htm. From this site you can also download many of the necessary forms and applications.

~ by Liz Stiglets

Related Pages:

• wedding regulations in other destinations

Note: Lovetripper.com provides the above information for guidance purposes only. Couples should verify all information with the consulate from their respective countries and with the local offices before making any plans.