Certificate of Freedom to Marry Confusion

Irishurban

I’m an Irish National currently living in England. I’m wanting to get married back home in Ireland. I attended an appointment this week to give notice of intention to get married, but was surprised to be asked for a Certificate of Freedom to Marry. I thought that this was only required by non-nationals or for Irish nationals wanting to get married abroad. I’ve never heard of an Irish National needing a Certificate of Freedom to Marry when wanting to get married back home in Ireland even if not currently a resident in Ireland. I’m sure that they are making a mistake about this. Does anybody have any knowledge or experience in this area and are able to shed any light?

Greater dane

Im also an Irish national living in the UK and got married in Ireland this summer. I didn't have to provide a certificate of freedom to marry and did postal notification. So yeah, no idea why they're asking for it, I think you're right that a mistake has been made

Irishurban

Thanks for your rapid reply Greaterdane. That’s just as I suspected. I did try and explain at the Civil Registration Office that they were making a mistake in asking me for this document, but they were having none of it. I’ve now contacted the Embassy in London to seek clarification on the matter. Hopefully, they will confirm the same as you and assist in clearing this up. Thanks again and best wishes.

love_love

Irishurban, they are entitled to ask you for it, and may be doing so because of the duration that you have lived abroad. You could have been married in the UK and not registered the marriage in Ireland so they are within their rights to ask, as far as I am aware.

S.M.B.

I am an irish national living in the UK and about to marry a non national in ireland next month.

I was not asked to provide this doc at my appointment but my wife to be obviously did.

I have heard that the requested documents can be very different depending on where you have an appointment.

Irishurban

S.M.B. wrote: »

I am an irish national living in the UK and about to marry a non national in ireland next month.

I was not asked to provide this doc at my appointment but my wife to be obviously did.

I have heard that the requested documents can be very different depending on where you have an appointment.

Yes SMB. This appears to be the case unfortunately and is what appears to be causing a lot of confusion regarding the matter.

I have indeed been in touch with the Embassy and they have since been able to shed some light on the matter.

They have of course confirmed the following:

“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issue a civil letter of freedom to Irish citizens getting married abroad. We do not issue these certificates for marriages taking place in Ireland.”

This was my original and correct understanding, however, they also added the following:

“If you wish to get married in Ireland and have lived abroad for a period of time, the registrar in Ireland MAY require a letter from the civil authorities in the country in which you are living/have lived to confirm you were never married there.”

Apparantly these changes were introduced as recently as this past July. Note that it says “the Registrar may require” thus alluding to the fact that it is optional and at the entire discretion of the Registrar. So I guess its if your “face fits” or whether they take a liking to you LOL!

Clearly as S.M.B says, it appears that whether you get asked for the said document is different from branch to branch and where you are having your appointment to notify your intention to marry. Greater Dane also said that he married recently and that he wasn’t also asked for it similarly to how SMB has not been asked for it.

I unfortunately was asked for the document and I’ve had to fork out £100 for the privilege of doing so. It’s not just a randomly added inconvenience, but also a more financially costly one and the older that you are, the more you end up having to pay as the General Records Office in England actually charge for £50 per 10 year searches for this “no trace of marriage” letter.

When I ordered it, the gentleman at the General Records Office actually said that he really doesn’t understand why they ask for this letter of no trace as marrying in another country can be so quick and easy these days such as when going on holiday for example. So it really is a costly waste of time. Coupled with the fact that some of us will be hit by this inconvenient request and added financial burden, while others in exactly the same set of circumstances and predicament may not really does make it rather unfair and unjust.