How To Get Married Overseas as a Malaysian

How To Get Married Overseas as a Malaysian

Getting married legally may seem to be a simple process. The process to get married as a Malaysian in Malaysia locally is direct and straightforward. However, if you intend to get married overseas as a Malaysian, things may be a little different since different countries may have different sets of law and regulations. So, how to get married overseas as a Malaysian and what do you need to prepare? This article will solely focus on the requirements applicable to non-Muslim Malaysians intending to get married abroad.

In order for a non-Muslim Malaysian to get married overseas legally, it is important to ensure that you need to get your documents in order. As mentioned, different countries will have different requirements. Therefore, it is important for you to check with the relevant countries accordingly. But there’s one document that is required by most of the countries. This document is known as a Single Status Certificate or some country may term it is as a Certificate of No Impediment. For non-Muslim Malaysians, this certificate is issued by the Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) Malaysia.

Why Is This Document Important?

This document is important to ensure that Malaysian intending to get married overseas is single and unmarried under the law of Malaysia. This is especially important if the country has strict laws against polygamous relationships which is against the norms of the country.

The document shall be conclusive proof that one is unmarried under the law and this certificate shall be valid for only 150 days from the date of issuance by the JPN.

Therefore, if you intend to get married overseas, it is advisable to apply for this certificate first before you can register your marriage overseas.

So, Can You Apply Single Status Certificate from Overseas?

Unfortunately, you cannot apply through the embassy of Malaysia in overseas. Since the certificate can only be issued by the JPN, you may only apply to the JPN personally, through a proxy or engage a lawyer. Duration required to apply for this certificate will typically takes 4-6 weeks through a proxy or lawyer if you’re based overseas.

Additionally, if you are already divorced, it is important to ensure that you have already updated the JPN on the divorce status before the JPN can issue the Single Status Certificate.

Final Step

Finally, once you have obtained the Single Status Certificate, it is important to note that you need to get endorsements from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Malaysia (first endorsement) and followed by an endorsement from the embassy of the country you wish to register your marriage (second endorsement) before you can use the certificate in a foreign country.

To apply for this certificate, it is advisable to seek for legal assistance to ensure that the process is a smooth one since the process may be a little complicated especially if you’re applying for the first time.

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