Registry ceremonies for civil unions

A registry ceremony has a set cost, standard vows, and takes about 30 minutes. You have it on a weekday, and not a public holiday.

  1. 1

    Decide where in NZ

    To find a celebrant near you, contact Births, Deaths and Marriages.

    The celebrant may provide a venue, or will agree on a venue with you.

    Virtual weddings

    Under current legislation, a civil union ceremony can’t occur virtually. That is, you cannot use video conferencing software, for example, Zoom, Skype and so on) and the couple, celebrant and witnesses must be physically present in the same place.

  2. 2

    Apply for a civil union licence

    You have to apply for a civil union licence at least 3 working days before the ceremony. A licence confirms it’s legal for you to have a civil union.

  3. 3

    Arrange witnesses

    You need to bring 2 witnesses to the ceremony.

    Who can be a witness

    Your 2 witnesses must understand what’s happening during the ceremony. They must be able to clearly identify both of you and be satisfied you both consent to the civil union.

    They:

    • don’t need to have known you for any specific length of time and
    • can be children of any age, so long as they understand the concept of a civil union.

    If the witnesses speak a different language to you, you’ll need an interpreter. The interpreter must sign a declaration before the ceremony to say they’ll interpret what you say accurately.

  4. 4

    Have the ceremony

    Registry ceremonies follow a script and you must use the standard statement:

    If you prefer to use your own statement: Personalised ceremonies for civil unions

    Your celebrant will give you a “Copy of particulars of civil union”. This is not the same as a civil union certificate.

    They’ll use another "Copy of particulars of civil union" to register your civil union with the NZ government.

Who to contact for more help

If you need more help or have questions about the information or services on this page, contact the following agency.

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