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Notice of Intended Marriage: what it is and when to give it

Direct answer. A Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) is the form you give to an authorised marriage celebrant at least 1 month, and no more than 18 months, before your wedding. Your celebrant will also need proof of your birth and identity, and proof that any earlier marriage has ended. If your wedding is less than a month away, ask your celebrant about approval.

Written by Vereli Weddings. Last reviewed 27 September 2026.

What is a Notice of Intended Marriage?

It is the form that tells the celebrant, and through them the government, that you intend to marry. You complete it, and you give it to the authorised marriage celebrant who will marry you. You can complete it if you are overseas and plan to marry in Australia. The Attorney-General's Department publishes the form, and your celebrant can help you fill it in. People also search for it as a notice of intention to marry, and celebrants often call it the NOIM.

How do I give a Notice of Intended Marriage, and when?

You complete the form and give it to the authorised marriage celebrant who will marry you. The timing rule:

  • At least 1 month before the wedding, and no more than 18 months before it.
  • Plan for the earlier end: book your celebrant early enough to lodge the form on time, and lodge it when they ask.

If there is less than a month

Talk to your authorised marriage celebrant. You may still be able to marry if a prescribed authority approves it. The Attorney-General's Department lists these reasons for a shorter time: employment or travel commitments, wedding or celebration arrangements, medical reasons, legal proceedings, and an error in giving notice.

What your celebrant will also need

  • Evidence of your date and place of birth (a birth certificate or passport).
  • Identity (a driver's licence or passport).
  • Proof that a previous marriage has ended, if there was one.
  • A meeting, in person, with each of you separately, before the ceremony.

Witnessing the form

Since 12 June 2024 you can have the NOIM witnessed remotely by audio-visual link, as well as in person. Ask your celebrant which they use.

The rules for who can marry

To marry in Australia you must:

  • not be married already;
  • not be marrying a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, brother or sister;
  • be at least 18, unless a court has approved a marriage where one person is 16 to 18;
  • understand what marriage means and freely agree to it;
  • use specific words in the ceremony; and
  • be married by an authorised marriage celebrant.

You do not have to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. If you are not, and you want to live in Australia after you marry, look into visas as a separate step.

On the day and after

Three marriage certificates are signed by both of you, your celebrant and two witnesses who are over 18. Your celebrant gives you a certificate of marriage on the day; this is a ceremonial certificate. Your celebrant must send the paperwork to the state or territory registry of births, deaths and marriages within 14 days of the wedding. To change your name or prove you are married, apply to the registry for an official copy; your celebrant can do this for you, generally at a cost.

Getting married overseas

An Australian-authorised celebrant cannot marry you overseas, and an overseas marriage cannot be registered in Australia. Overseas marriages are generally recognised here if they were valid where they took place and would have been valid in Australia. Check your state or territory registry if you plan to change your name.

Getting married at a registry office

Some states run their own registry offices, where a registry celebrant performs a civil ceremony. You still give your Notice of Intended Marriage in time, and you still need two witnesses. What each state's own page says (read 26 September 2026):

  • New South Wales: the Registry marries couples at the Pyrmont Wedding Registry and at other venues it names, and says bookings are essential. See Get married by the Registry.
  • Victoria: the Victorian Marriage Registry performs non-denominational ceremonies, with a 30-minute package and a 15-minute legal-only package. A marriage cannot be held online: the celebrant and two witnesses must be there in person. See the Victorian Marriage Registry.
  • Western Australia: the Perth Registry Office is one of the places you can choose to marry, and you still lodge the notice with your authorised celebrant at least one calendar month before. See Getting married in Australia: frequently asked questions.
  • Queensland: the state's marriage page lists Brisbane registry weddings; open Marriage and civil partnerships for the details.
  • South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT: not covered here yet. Ask that state or territory's registry of births, deaths and marriages.

Prices and availability change, so check the page for your state before you plan around them. We do not list fees.

Where this comes from

Everything above except the registry office section is taken from the Attorney-General's Department's Get married page, read on 26 September 2026. The department says it can give general guidance but not legal advice, so ask your celebrant about your own situation. The rules are set by the Marriage Act 1961 and the Marriage Regulations 2017.

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