Getting married in Singapore

nburge · Post by **nburge** » Thu, 28 Apr 2011 8:10 pm

Hi - I need to "remarry" my wife because the ceremony we did in Cambodia doesn't come with a proper legal wedding certificate. I'm thinkiing of doing this in Singapore if possible. However, I travel a lot for work, and I'm wondering what the deal is with the rule about a foreigner having to spend 15 continuous days in Singapore before being able to file a notice of marriage.

As background:
I am flying out this Sunday, and will arrive on May 2nd. I understand that I need to stay 15 whole days, which means May 3rd-May 17th in Singapore. Earliest date I can file is May 18th... which is where my problem lies. I need to be in Bangkok for work on May 18th, and would either have to fly late at night on the 17th, or early morning in the 18th.

Assuming I can leave early enough on the 18th, I would have been in Singapore for 15 consecutive days. Am I then allowed to go back to Singapore and submit the application to marry when I return, or would I have to start afresh and wait another 15 days before I can get married there? (i.e. do the 15 days I've spent there count if I don't submit a marriage application before i leave again)?

Thanks,

Neil.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Thu, 28 Apr 2011 8:30 pm

nburge wrote:Hi - I need to "remarry" my wife because the ceremony we did in Cambodia doesn't come with a proper legal wedding certificate. I'm thinkiing of doing this in Singapore if possible. However, I travel a lot for work, and I'm wondering what the deal is with the rule about a foreigner having to spend 15 continuous days in Singapore before being able to file a notice of marriage.

As background:
I am flying out this Sunday, and will arrive on May 2nd. I understand that I need to stay 15 whole days, which means May 3rd-May 17th in Singapore. Earliest date I can file is May 18th... which is where my problem lies. I need to be in Bangkok for work on May 18th, and would either have to fly late at night on the 17th, or early morning in the 18th.

Assuming I can leave early enough on the 18th, I would have been in Singapore for 15 consecutive days. Am I then allowed to go back to Singapore and submit the application to marry when I return, or would I have to start afresh and wait another 15 days before I can get married there? (i.e. do the 15 days I've spent there count if I don't submit a marriage application before i leave again)?

Thanks,

Neil.

'One of the parties to an intended marriage must have been resident within Singapore for at least 15 days preceding the date of the notice [notice of marriage].'
http://app.rom.gov.sg/internet/reg_info ... ration.asp

Does that answer your question?

p.s. As a perhaps pedantic side-note I see that you have to be 'resident'. In what sense though? Resident as in your live there (from the say tax angle), or resident as in you are physically in situ? Hmmm.

nburge · Post by **nburge** » Thu, 28 Apr 2011 8:34 pm

That's pretty much my question - I know I have to be resident there (for which I am assuming they mean I have to physically reside in the country for 15 consecutive days) but I don't know whether I have to stay there after those 15 days are up, or whether I am free to travel about as and when I please...

I guess that if I submit the application online on the 18th prior to leaving Singapore I'll have fulfilled the 15 days rule and that will be the end of the matter...

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Thu, 28 Apr 2011 8:45 pm

Yes, the requirement is silent about where you might be after the 15 days, so it seems it not an issue (?).

Try calling them and asking. I have to say that ROM are absolutely the only government department (in any country) that I have found a joy to deal with!

nburge · Post by **nburge** » Thu, 28 Apr 2011 9:54 pm

OK - I'll give them a call tomorrow. I guess if that's the case I only need to have resided there for 15 days, then I can make the application whenever I like... seems a bit odd though.

Then again, the whole 15 days rule seems pretty odd to me.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Fri, 29 Apr 2011 4:21 am

nburge wrote:OK - I'll give them a call tomorrow. I guess if that's the case I only need to have resided there for 15 days, then I can make the application whenever I like... seems a bit odd though.

Then again, the whole 15 days rule seems pretty odd to me.

Think it is to deter 'wedding shoppers' [a la Gretna Green or Bali]. Anyway call ROM.... they don't bite

Mad Scientist · Post by **Mad Scientist** » Fri, 29 Apr 2011 4:35 am

JR8 wrote: they don't bite

Yeah , I agree they plonk !!!

nburge · Post by **nburge** » Tue, 03 May 2011 12:45 pm

Thanks guys. I decided to wander into their office today, and it seems you are allowed to announce a marriage after 15 days, then leave the country. So in my case I got here yesterday, today is my first full day, and the 15 days is up on the 18th of May. I can go online and announce the marriage just after midnight as far as they care. Just in case anyone else finds themselves in my rather strange situation.....

leeste · Post by **leeste** » Mon, 16 May 2011 4:19 pm

Am a bit late to this discussion, but I have one other data point to offer for anyone else in this situation.

Both my husband (Singaporean citizen) and I (foreigner) were living overseas but wanted to marry in Singapore and did not have sufficient vacation leave. Apparently the ROM allows a 'Special Marriage Licence (SML)', which lets you bypass the 15 day residency rule. It cost S$200, and you need a letter from your employer stating that you work abroad, plus a special interview (with both the bride/groom present) at Canning, where you have to sign some documents under oath. Most of the questions were to make sure it was not a marriage of convenience. A few days later we picked up the certificate and officially ROMed off-site. The time from the verification interview, to the ROM ceremony was 6 calendar days.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Mon, 16 May 2011 5:02 pm

Interesting point Leeste. Despite going through the ROM process I had heard nothing of this option.

Doing a little Googling I get an impression that it not an option that is publicised, and it's that non-standard that unfortunately depending on who you speak to at ROM you might get different interpretations of it.
Reading this topic might be os interest who think they might benefit from the SML route...
http://www../cgi-bin/ ... ge=1200171

manutdfan · Post by **manutdfan** » Tue, 17 May 2011 12:00 am

nburge wrote:Thanks guys. I decided to wander into their office today, and it seems you are allowed to announce a marriage after 15 days, then leave the country. So in my case I got here yesterday, today is my first full day, and the 15 days is up on the 18th of May. I can go online and announce the marriage just after midnight as far as they care. Just in case anyone else finds themselves in my rather strange situation.....

My vague recollection is that in 2005 we came to Singapore in January, went to the ROM and told them we were getting married, then went back to the UK and came back a week before the actual wedding in June.

It certainly was the case that neither me nor my Singapore citizen wife were in Singapore for the full 15 days before the wedding.

nburge · Post by **nburge** » Sat, 21 May 2011 5:18 pm

It's ok - I made 15 days and announced on Wednesday morning before my flight

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