Getting married in Mauritius

The Civil Status Act of Mauritius enables the marriage of non-citizens and non-residents to be celebrated on the day immediately following the day of publication. The intending spouses should however produce to the Civil Status Officer at the time of publication a certificate issued under the Authority of the Prime Minister to the effect that they are not citizens or residents of Mauritius, and is obtainable from the Registrar of Civil Status.

The wedding is a civil legal ceremony and similar in style to that performed at a Register Office. The ceremony, in English, normally takes place on the beach at selected hotels and is presided over by the Island Registrar. The hotel management provides interpreters in cases of language difficulties and deals with paperwork and any local problems. Having arrived at the hotel, arrangements are made to swear the original documents at the Supreme Court in Port Louis and a date is fixed with the Registrar.

The wedding may be celebrated at the Civil Status Office or in any hotel by the Civil Status Officer of the locality where the parties are holidaying. All applications are to be addressed to –

Registrar of Civil Status
7th level, Emmanuel Anquetil Building, Port Louis.
Tel: 230 2011727
Fax: 230 2112420

When two Catholics wish to celebrate their religious wedding in a catholic church in Mauritius, their tour operator or the episcopate in Port Louis can provide them with information on the procedure to follow. They will have in any case to contact the responsible person of the diocese where they reside. For further queries contact - Episcopate of Port-Louis Monseigneur Gonin Street, Port Louis Tel: 230 2083058 Fax: 230 2085507

1. Weddings can be performed from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays, depending on the commitments of the Registrar.
   
   
2. Prior to travel, copies of the first six pages of both passports and both birth certificates must be provided to the tour operators, which are forwarded to the authorities for processing in Mauritius.
   
3. Documentary evidence is required in cases of divorce, change of name or where one or both parties are widowed.
   
   
4. The documents to be forwarded on application are 2 photocopies of each birth certificate and 2 photocopies of each passport (the first 3 pages only) and any other document in case of divorce or widow/widower.
   
   
5. The application for a certificate of non-citizen/non-resident should reach the Civil Status Office not less than 10 days before the date of the proposed wedding.
   
   
6. The application for a certificate of non-citizen/non-resident should reach the Civil Status Office not less than 10 days before the date of the proposed wedding.