Documentation & Fees

The Wedding date should be reserved with the Church well in advance to ensure the couple’s preferred time (where possible).

Every Greek Orthodox Priest in Australia is also a registered Civil Celebrant. Consequently, he is authorised to conduct the Marriage in accordance with both State and Ecclesiastical law. However, he is permitted to perform the Civil Marriage only in conjunction with the Religious Service on the same day.

The ‘Notice of Intended Marriage’ for the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, and the Application to the Archdiocese for the Church, must be completed in the presence of the Priest at least one calendar month before the set date of marriage – preferably, three months prior. The couple should, therefore, arrange to meet with him during afternoon Office Hours or, in special cases, by appointment.

The Parish Priest will give directions as to the necessary Documents, fees for the Archdiocese, as well as fees for the local Church. These will vary, according to the individual status and circumstances of the couple.

In all circumstances, both parties (whether Orthodox or not) must present to the Priest their Birth Certificate (if born in Australia) or their Passport (if born overseas) as well as their Baptismal Certificate.

Orthodox parties who have never been married before must obtain a Certificate of Celibacy or ‘Agamias’ (that they are not married) from their local Parish Priest. This must be signed by two witnesses (parents, brothers, sisters, cousins or friends) upon presenting the Baptismal Certificate of the party concerned.

The ‘Local Parish’ is where one has been residing for the previous two years or more.

Parties already married either in Australia or overseas are prohibited by State and Church law to re-marry without a Divorce.

If either or both parties are widowed, the Death Certificate of the deceased spouse must be provided.

When one or both parties are divorcing, they must firstly obtain a civil Divorce Certificate from a Court of Law (Decree Nissi – ‘Degree Absolute’). Following this, they must also apply for an ecclesiastical divorce in order for the previous marriage to be dissolved according to Church Law. For more information, please see the ‘Divorces’ section.

For persons entering a second or third marriage the Divorce from the previous marriage must have been issued by the State and by the Church at least one calendar month prior to the next marriage.

In case the Marriage Certificate is lost after the wedding, a copy can be obtained subsequently from the Archdiocese office. Contact us for more details.

The fee for the copy of the Marriage Certificate is $150.