Every year, there is changes to the rules and regulations of getting legally married. However, if you are willing to do some leg-work at home and a few stops during your stay in Malaysia...more power to you and me!

Check out my site - simply-blissful.com for more

REVISION

There has been a revision to the procedures in getting married here...the revision has already been added on to the rules below!!!

By The By...

... Should you wish to get married in Langkawi, I would be more than happy to offer my services ...

However, I do reserve the right to NOT accept your request!!!

How To Get Married Legally - Foreigners

PROCEDURE FOR GETTING MARRIED IN LANGKAWI

It is possible for foreigners to get married in Langkawi. However, at present there is no appointed Registrar of Marriages for any Christian Church. As a result, all marriages are conducted in the National Registration Office in Langkawi without any religious rite and ceremony of the Christian religion.

Eligibility to Apply & Documents

Both parties must be above 21 years and unmarried, must produce Certificate of Residence (Civil Status : Unmarried)/Certificate of Single Status certified and legally authorised by The Government & The Malaysian Consulate in your home country.

If either party has previously been married, the party concerned must produce his/her Divorce Certificate or Death Certificate of his/her deceased spouse certified and legally authorised by The Government & The Malaysian Consulate in your home country.

Original Certificate of Residence (Civil Status : Unmarried)/Certificate of Single Status certified and legally authorised by The Government & The Malaysian Consulate in your home country and / or if either party has previously been married, the party concerned must produce his/her Divorce Certificate or Death Certificate of his/her deceased spouse certified and legally authorised by The Government & The Malaysian Consulate in your home country and 2 copies of all documents and passports Certified as True Copy as well as 3 pieces of passport sized photographs of each party to be sent to hotel at least 1 month before arrival to facilitate the filling up of forms.

Original Certificates as stated above must be submitted to Wisma Putera / Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kuala Lumpur for further approval before either party can seek to obtain their Special License. There is a fee to obtain this stamp of approval.

How to Apply

Both parties must present themselves personally to apply for the Special License which will be approved by the Magistrate of Langkawi and the District Officer of Langkawi or the State Government Secretary using Form JPN.KC02 and JPN.KC01C, submitted/attached with the couple's International Passport, relevant Original Documents and copies and two coloured photos of each party (32mm x 36mm/passport size)

Upon approval being granted by the District Officer of Langkawi or the State Government Secretary, a levy payment of RM100.00 (Ringgit One Hundred Only) cash will be required.

Upon approval of the special licence, the abovementioned forms and documents will be submitted to the Registrar here in Langkawi and a copy each of witnesses’ passports. It is necessary to submit the forms and documents earlier and fix a later date to solemnise the marriage.

Registration of Marriage

The marriage will be solemnised on an appointed day by the Registrar of Marriage. The marriage will be registered and the Marriage Certificate will be issued to the couple upon payment of a fee RM44.00 (Ringgit Forty Four Only).

For Solemnisation and Registration on an appointed date, the couple must produce as follows :

2 credible witnesses (age above 21 years)

International passport of all four parties

Formal dress (The couple and both witnesses) – Wedding Attire i.e.; wedding dress, wedding suit

We can assist you to fill in the forms before your arrival upon receipt of documentation copies, relevant information and photographs. The couple has to stay at least 3-5 days to process the documents.

Traditionally speaking...

Excerpt - www.virtualmalaysia.com

... marriage rites of the three largest ethnic groups in Malaysia is filled with traditional ceremonies and customs. A brief glimpse into the marriage ceremonies of the Malay, Indian and Chinese ...

The Malays have perfected the art of subtlety when approaching the bride's family to ask for her hand in marriage and this line is invariably one of the subtle, poetic exchanges that take place. The representative of the groom, typically a male relative, is usually accompanied by a small entourage bearing trays of gifts including, among others, a betelnut leaves arrangement, an engagement ring and sweets ...

... In some respect, the traditional Malay wedding ceremony bears similarity to the Indian wedding ceremony. Before the advent of Islam, Hindu was the most prolific religion in this region and this has been attributed to these similarities, which include, among others, the mandi lulur. Like the Indians, a day before the wedding, traditional Malay bride and groom would often partake in a mandi lulur - a special bath scrub whose ingredients includes turmeric powder - in their respective homes. The majlis berinai - whereby the bride will have henna applied onto her hands and feet - is also reminiscent of the mehndi ceremony in an Indian wedding ...

... The Indian wedding ceremony is perhaps the most elaborate … Before the wedding, the mehndi or henna is applied onto to the bride's hands and feet to ward off evil. The bride then dons the sari and jewellery, gifts from her future husband on the day of their engagement, and makes her way to the temple. Bright hues of yellow, red, orange, peacock blue and green are favoured as they are believed to bring good luck and blessing to the occasion, while white and black - considered to be mourning colours - are generally avoided … But the central part of the Hindu wedding is the agni parinaya. Agni parinaya is the circumambulation of fire - which symbolises divine witness to the marriage while all the time reciting a Vedic chant …

... Traditional Chinese weddings encompass the three letters (betrothal letter, gift letter and wedding letter) and six etiquette (proposal, divination of birth dates, confirmation, presentation of gifts, choosing of wedding date, and acceptance of marriage) between the two families. The matchmaker plays a pivotal role, acting as the main go-between for the two families.

Red - a colour symbolising prosperity to the Chinese - fills the house of the bride. The central act in a Chinese aside from the wedding act itself, is the tea ceremony. This is a ritual that places the parents, above all else. The ceremony is also a symbol of respect. Before the arrival of the groom, the bride offers tea to both her parents in way of thanks for having raised her. This is done on her own without her groom or the bridesmaid.

Once this ceremony is completed, the groom will arrive and with the help of his best man, plead, pay, haggle, sweet-talk their way into the bride's house with much merriment and teasing from relatives and friends - a light-hearted moment shared in a traditional Malay wedding. This is followed by the wedding ceremony itself, which is a relatively simple affair with the bride and groom paying homage to Heaven and Earth, the Kitchen God and family ancestors, asking for blessings for the union. Unlike the Malay or Hindu wedding, a traditional Chinese wedding does not normally involve a priest.

This is followed by a tea ceremony between the newlyweds and the groom's parents, which basically completes the wedding. Three days after the wedding, it is customary for the newlyweds to pay a visit to the bride's parents where she will be received and treated as a guest ...

Words by Salmah Nur Mohamed