Civil Celebrants of Marriages Scheme by Immigration Department

Civil Celebrants of Marriages Scheme

According to section 21 of the Marriage Ordinance, a marriage celebrated by a civil celebrant shall take place at any place in Hong Kong other than a marriage registry and a licensed place of worship.

The Civil Celebrants of Marriages Scheme aims to provide greater flexibility in the choice of venue for marriages and the purpose of which is different from marriages celebrated inside licensed places of worship according to the religious rites.

Civil Marriages vs Religious Marriages

The Civil Celebrants of Marriages Scheme was introduced specifically for secular marriages, which are different from marriages celebrated by ministers according to the rites or usages of marriages observed in their respective religions, denominations or organisations. Should there be a need for the marrying parties to celebrate a marriage by a competent minister outside a licensed place of worship, an application may be made to the Chief Executive for a special licence to be granted for that purpose under section 11 of the Marriage Ordinance.