DISCLAIMER: While we have thoroughly researched this article we cannot guarantee that all the information provided here is 100% accurate and/or complete. Use this as a guideline only. To get legally married in Bali we strongly recommend that you seek the assistance of a wedding company in Bali.
If you are Malaysian or Singaporean citizen then please read this first:
Important info for Malaysian and Singaporean couples who want to get legally married in Bali
You can also have non-legal wedding
Before we go into the details you need to be aware that you can also have a wedding in Bali without getting legally married in Bali. A lot of couples do their legal marriage and the required ‘paperwork’ back home. They then have in Bali a non-legally binding blessing ceremony, or commitment ceremony. Doing so you do not need to worry about the legal requirements. It is also cheaper to do so. For this kind of ceremony you do not need any papers and no authorities are involved.
Such kind of Bali weddings are usually performed by a celebrant, who may or may not be a real priest. Some couples choose to have a wedding ceremony that closely resembles a Christian wedding ceremony. Others prefer to have a ceremony that resembles a traditional Balinese ceremony. Weddings where a friend or relative of the couple assumes the role of a ministrant are also common. For this kind of ceremonies there will be no questions asked about your official faith. Between 30% and 40% of all couples having a wedding in Bali choose to have a non-legally binding wedding ceremony.
Here is how to get legally married in Bali
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. For further details on this please consult with your wedding company in Bali.
Both marriage partners need to declare the same religion. Please note the word 'declare' ! I did not say you must be of the same religion. There can be certain implications with regards to the the truthfulness of such a declaration. Suffice to say that depending on what religion you declare your declaration may not be subject to scrutiny.
The following religions are recognized in Indonesia:
- Islam
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
- Christian-Protestant
- Christian-Catholic
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. Basically any venue is fine, except Balinese temples.
Muslim weddings in Bali
For Muslims please note that it is not mandatory to have your ceremony in a mosque. But of course you can also get married in a mosque if you chose to do so. 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 roughly translates into ‘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.
Catholic weddings in Bali
If you intend to marry under Catholic faith you are required to do so in a Catholic church in Bali. You CANNOT have a Catholic wedding at a villa, in a hotel or one of Bali’s wedding chapels. Read more about that at: Catholic weddings in Bali no more, or… ? - how to have a Roman Catholic wedding in Bali.
Other religions
The vast majority of international couples get married in Bali under protestant faith.
Couples are required to file first a 'Notice of Intention to marry'. This is done at the Civil Registry Office in the regency where they are staying in Bali.
You are also required to present a ‘Certificate of non-Impediment’. 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 issued by the local authorities where the individuals live in their home countries.
In both instances please do this well before your wedding day in Bali as requirements vary by embassy/consulate. For further and more detailed information regarding 'Certificate of Non-Impediment' please contact your embassy or let your wedding planner/coordinator help you.
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 Notice of Intention to marry you have to submit 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.
- Four 4x6 cm photos, both partners side by side, bride on right hand side (with no bare shoulders showing) ( its easy to get these done in Bali )
- Certificate of Non Impediment to Marriage' issued by your Consular Representative for Bali or Indonesia. All foreigners who are planning to get legally married in Bali are required to present this!
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).
- Legalized written statements confirming the status of each individual (single/ widow/ widower/ divorcee etc.).
- Letter from the couple's church. This is only necessary if the couple are both Christians and members of a church and wish to be married in a church in Indonesia. If you plan to get married in a hotel, villa, chapel, beach, etc… this is not necessary.
I hope this article is useful to you and you now have a better idea of how to get legally married in Bali. Feel free to ask us questions on this but we may not have all the answers. We recommend that you involve a wedding planner or a wedding coordinator or another party to assist you to get legally married in Bali.
Let me know if I can help you:
Arrange a legal wedding for you
Find a wedding planner for you
If you found this article useful please share it. Thank you!
Hi, I am Muslim and my partner is Christian we would like to get married in ur country. First I believe he has to convert to Muslim then get married by sharia. The most important I need certificate of marriage
Hi. My name is Tudor
Next year I plan to marry in Jakarta with indonesian woman. I want to know a budget for this wedding and if you can help me to thia. Please email me . Thanks
Hi Tudor,
Thank you so much for choosing Bali as your wedding destination. We have a GREAT SERIES OF ARTICLES THAT DISCUSS THE COST OF A BALI WEDDING.
http://baliweddingblog.com/budgeting-costs-of-bali-weddings/
Happy reading
Jameela
Hi there, I was hoping for some advice. My husband and I would like to have our marriage blessed on a beach in Indonesia (we are thinking gilli Trewangan). Is it possible to organise this and who do we speak to to do so? Thank you
Hi Katie,
Thank you for choosing our wonderful Bali as your wedding destination. Advice ? Yes that is exactly what we are about. Please continue reading our blog.
Happy Wedding
Jameela
I am a malaysian and planning to get married next year in bali. My bf is an indonesian. Please advise how to go abt it thx.
Hi there Joanne,
Please take a look at this article first before getting into details:
http://baliweddingblog.com/2014/11/important-info-for-malaysian-and-singaporean-couples-who-want-to-get-legally-married-in-bali/
After that feel free to contact me again 🙂
Happy Wedding – Jameela
Hello, May I ask, Do we need to register our marriage certificate in jakarta?? We already get our certificate in bali. Im filipina and my husband is balinese. My status at my country is still single..
Hi there, for the legalisation of your marriage please talk directly to your wedding planner / wedding coordinator.
Happy Wedding – Jameela
For the details of your particular wedding it may be best to consult with your wedding planner / wedding organizer or whoever is taking care of the legal aspects.
Happy Wedding – Jameela
Hi ,
Me and my partner are planning to have a simple but solemn beach wedding with not much guest to have. My Partner is from South African and I’m from Philippines can you suggest a good beach wedding places and documents need to be the done. we want it to be legal.
Thanks so much!
Hi there,
My recommendation goes towards contacting a competent wedding company in Bali who can help to arrange it all for you. BALI WEDDING PACKAGES may be a good point for you to start.
Hope this helps.
Happy Wedding – Jameela
Hi jameela,
Can you recommend a valid wedding planner in bali and if possible in a reasonable price too..
Thanks
Dear Estela,
Thank you so much for being touch with us And congratulations for considering Bali as your wedding destination. Unfortunately you gave a wrong email address, so I cannot reply to you personally through email.
Can you tell us a little bit more about what kind of wedding you would like to have in Bali ? Because the more I know about your wedding the better I can find the right wedding planner for you.
Estela, in particular I would like to know what kind of wedding you would like to have – meaning what kind of venue ? Because there are hundreds of venues in Bali. How many guests do you expect. Have you already set a budget ? When you do plan to have your wedding in Bali ?
Have you see some Bali weddings online that you found particularly interesting or appealing to you ? And any other additional info that you could share with me would be very helpful.
Have you read: A BALI WEDDING – WHERE TO START ?
Estela, I look forward to hearing back from you shortly.
Thank you – Jameela Tey™℠
Greetings.
I am from Malaysia while my fiance is from Norway. We are planning to get legally married in Bali end of next month and we have only a week to get it all finalised. I really don’t know what to do and I hope you can help me. We have very tight working schedule and we only manage to get a week holiday.
We want to get legally married in Bali and a Balinese wedding. We are both Christian but we oove a balinese wedding. I really hope you can help me..
I am from Canada and my girl friend is from China, I am just wondering if the Certificate of Non Impediment to Marriage has to be obtained from our consulate representative located in Bali or it can be done in our home country and getting it translated and notarized?
Thanks,
Joseph
Hi Joseph,
Thx. for being in touch with us. The details for how to obtain all the necessary documents you best discuss directly with your wedding organizer / planner. If you want us to help you finding the right planner for you let us know.
Happy Wedding – Jameela
I am Brazikian. I am interested to get legally married to my American boyfriend in Bali. What can we do for document preparation from our countries (Brasil or USA)? How long does it take to get legal marriage there? Do you have any trusted wedding planner who can help us for legal wedding there?
Thanks for your inquiry. Pls see the wedding planner section on our blog to find the right partner to help you with your requirements.
Happy Wedding – Jameela
Hi,
My partner and I are both from Australia but neither of us are religious so we were hoping to have a qualified celebrant who is a family friend (from Australia) marry us.
Is there a way to do that in Bali where it would still be legally binding?
I apologise if you have explored this in the above content and I have misunderstood.
Thanks,
Tenille.
Hi Tenille ,
Thx for being in touch and considering Bali as your wedding destination. Unfortunately I need to advise that AFAIK it is not possible to get legally married under the circumstances you are suggesting.
Happy Wedding – Jameela
hi im a filipino and we are planning to get married legal in bali however we cannot present one of the requirements for some reason
hi
I will be travelling to Bali to marry my Indonesian fiance. It will be very small with no guests. We are both Christian and want an official wedding. Can you tell me how long i should allow in Bali to make arrangements etc and what will be the minimum cost for this very simple wedding and who i should contact to arrange.
tx
Andrew
that depends on the country you are from. Best you talk to your wedding planner / organizer on this.
Hi there,
My fiance and I have booked a wedding at a hotel in Bali in September 2014. He is British and I am Irish, Im trying to find out what documents I will need to marry and whether my certificate of freedom to marry needs an apostille stamp? I dont know if you would be able to help? the information provided on your website is great! just that one question 🙂
Alex
This is the big problem with hotel & resort weddings. They dont provide a complete service and leave many questions unanswered…
Hi
Would you be able to help me. My partner and I want to get legally married in Bali, he is a New Zealand citizen and I’m from the UK. Is there any further documentation we need to be able to get married in Bali? We are both non practising Christians. We are just wanting something very chilled just the two if us in a beach so who would be the best to contact ??
Would the ceremony be able to take place in English and will the marriage certificate be in English or be able to be translated or transferred ?
Thanks for your help in advance.
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
For the exact documents required pls see our article and also talk to your wedding planner. Yes, the ceremony is in English. All wedding celebrants in Bali speak English. And yes the paperwork is also all in English.
Hope this helps.
Jameela
We are due to get married this Monday in Bali. We have just been told today (Friday) that our wedding isn’t legal, only recognised in the UK.
Is this true? The consulate as travel agent don’t have the answers.
Looks like you have fallen victim to one of the many ‘rouge’ players in Bali’s wedding industry. From the article above it should be pretty clear whether you are having a legal wedding in Bali or not. I guess you have opted for one of those cheap, all inclusive packages…
Hello Jameela,
I’ve just read your article in the hope to try and find an answer to this question but am struggling to find the correct answer. We plan on getting married in Bali in June 2015 and are both UK nationals. We wish for a recognised legal ceremony to be arranged in Bali on our special day however the problem we have is that neither of us are religious. I was christened as a child as a Christian Catholic and my partner’s family are of the muslim faith, but we both do not practice our families religions. I understand that we have to declare the same religion but note the repercussions if we both declare Christian Catholic as we do not wish to get married in Catholic Church but at a hotel instead. Does this mean we both will have to declare ourselves as muslims? If so, we both feel uneasy about doing this as we are non-believers plus we would struggle to produce a document that identifies us both as muslims. What other options are available to us?
I look forward to hearing from you.
George
Pls read the article above in great detail – its all in there. And check with your wedding planners.
Hi,
Useful blog! Thanks for this, i’m a singaporean and my fiancee is an american. How much would it cost to be legally married in Bali? Any nationality can be legally married there?
You may want to obtain that information from your wedding planner / wedding company.
Would be glad to have more info. We know we should bring our pasdports,degree nisi letter and photos but
What is non impediment cert?
How long foes it takes to be issued and where do i get this cert?
How long do we need to stay in Bali for a simple Christian wedding?
Whats the total cost for fees?
Thank you,hope you are able to guide us. Sylvia
Hi Sylvia,
Thanks for your inquiry. We have already replied to you via email.
Thanks – Jameela
I am from Australia & want to marry a beautiful woman from Indonesia. Is it possible & is it very difficult to arrange. What do I need to do as I have no idea at all? Thanks for your time Trevor
Hi Trevor,
Thx. for your inquiry and congratz for choosing Bali as the destination for your wedding. You should start planning your wedding by reading:
http://baliweddingblog.com//2014/01/bali-wedding-start/
And yes it is VERY EASY to get married in Bali as a foreigner. 400 – 800 foreign couples do this every month….
Happy Wedding – Jameela
I want to get married in Bali, I am from Egypt, my partner is Australian, I am Muslim and he had recently converted in Dubai. Please advise if there are any complications we need to be aware about and how long would it take to finish the paperwork?
Hi there,
For rules that apply for particular countries it’s best you consult with your Bali wedding planner. Never handled any weddings involving Egyptian citizens… therefor I cannot comment on the rules and regulations that apply for citizens from there. You may also want contact the Egyptian embassy in JKT or let your wedding planner do that.
Happy Wedding – Jameela
Hi Mbak,
saya Ayu dari Jakarta. merencanakan untuk menikah di Bali dengan foreigner dalam waktu dekat, menurut agama Kristen. apakah bisa diadakan di Bali secara legal dan Kristen?bila ya, persyaratan apa saja yang diperlukan?
terima kasih atas bantuannya.
Salam,
Ayu
http://baliweddingblog.com//2013/03/how-to-get-legally-married-in-bali/ and for more info pls contact your Bali wedding planner.
Hi we are currently going through the process of getting married in Bali. Unfortunately we have left it 20 days to get a single status certificate. My question is: will a certificate of single status be sufficient or wwill we need a certificate of no impediment?
best to check with your wedding planner or whoever is organizing your wedding.
Hello from USA!
My fiancé and I would love a May 2014 Bali wedding. We are both Christians, planning to have a civil service in the US, but want our “ceremony” (just the two of us without guests) in Bali.
Can my fiancé use his US military passport? Or is a civilian passport required?
Is a visa required if you have a passport?
Do we need to “reside” is Bali over one day before the wedding?
Besides the legal factor, is there a different between a religious wedding compared to a blessing ceremony?
Thank you for this information – Kate
Hi Katelyn,
For special passports pls contact Indonesian embassy. No you do not need to reside in Bali. A blessing ceremony can be carried out by anyone. A commitment ceremony by a real priest. Sometimes its the other way around.
Hi, We would love to legally get married at a Bali resort this year. How long does it take to obtain the Certificate of Non-Impediment to marry and Notice of intention to marry please as we will only be in Bali for about 10 Days?
Cheers Yvonne
that depends on the country you are from. Different countries , different embassies, different rules and different times. Pls consult your wedding planner on this.
Thanks – Jameela
Hi, I’m writing for some advice as I don’t have the first clue what to do about weddings! We have moved to Perth Australia from Scotland and are considering getting married in Bali. I am Catholic although have not had my confirmation but have had my first communion. Paul is baptised as a Christian. We would like a very small catholic church/ chappel wedding without too much fuss what do I need to do? Who should I contact? Also, neither of us have been married before.
Kind regards
Jess
Thank you for considering Bali as the destination for your wedding. We have alrd contacted you via email and sent further info.
can we just get married there without wedding party?
Hi Sally,
Thx. for contacting us. Of course you can get married in Bali without a party. No problem at all. You may want to consider the services of:
BALI WEDDING PACKAGES – they will have exactly what you need.
Happy Wedding
Jameela
how long we have to wait to get after we submit all the paper? can we get married in next two week if I submit the paper this week?
that will depend on many factors such as your nationality and others.
Hi, my partner and I are planning on getting married in Bali in 2014. I have a question….my partner and I want a “legal service” where our marriage is legally recognised in Australia. We dont plan on doing a church service, thinking more garden, beach or villa. However, my partner and I are both NOT religious people nor have we been christened into a religion? Would this impact us on having a legal service?
Thanks
Thanks Bel. You will find the answer to your question in the following article: HOW TO GET LEGALLY MARRIED IN BALI :
Fantastic Blog, I am organising a wedding in Bali & the information provided on your blog answered all my questions & concerns when it came to the legalities of the wedding. Thank you
I am very interested in having a very easy blessing ceremony in Bali and would be happy to go to a celebrant or temple etc… Can be at the hotel in Nusa dua as well… We are just very interested in a brief ceremony with an exchange of rings, as we are an older couple going to Bali again with a couple of friends in August 2013! Is there a chance you could direct me or help with this? We are not interested in having flowers or the like, just something very simple…. I know this is unusual but it will be meaningful to us. I am looking forward to your thoughts.
Thank you Wendy
I am Vietnamese. I am interested to get legally married to my Italian boyfriend in Bali. What can we do for document preparation from our countries (Vietnam and Italy)? How long does it take to get legal marriage there? Do you have any trusted wedding planner who can help us for legal wedding there?
Many thanks.
Victoria.
Hi there,
Thanks for your inquiry. We have already replied to you via email.
Thanks – Jameela