Tanzania offers countless exotic, romantic and fascinating locations for you to have your wedding. Experience a unique wedding beyond your wildest dreams in the heart of Africa.
Legal Tanzania weddings can be arranged in the Serengeti, at Ngorongoro Crater or anywhere you choose (at a price). You can even have your wedding blessed in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro – Africa’s highest mountain. Please remember Tanzania is not cheap! Most people do the legalities at home and we can arrange a mock wedding/blessing for you. This is save on costs as the officiant doesn’t have to travel to the lodge (and usually have to spend the night due to travel distances from the main cities). A lot of people will have a Zanzibar wedding and then go on their honeymoon on safari in Tanzania. This means their guests won’t have to pay so much.
The friendly people of Tanzania, together with the country’s breathtaking scenery, make Tanzania a magical wedding destination.
Serengeti wedding (Tanzania)
Steps for a Tanzania Wedding
Step 1:
You need to get a letter of no impediment from your home country. This legal document (translated into English) must state that there is no impediment to your marriage because: You were never married before, or Are divorced (relevant divorce certificate(s) attached), or You were widowed (relevant death certificate(s) attached.
A Certificate of No Impediment must be completed and notarized by a notary public. In Tanzania, the Consular Section at the Embassy can serve as the notary. You should also have your Birth certificate. If you will marry in a church, you will probably need a letter from your home Pastor/Priest.
Step 2
Apply for notice of your marriage or a ‘special marriage license’ You must first contact the Office of the District Commissioner nearest to your wedding location to notify the government of your intention to get married. We will provide this information when you book your wedding through Africa A-Z.
At the Registrar of Marriages you must complete the necessary forms, pay the fee and submit the following documents: Notarized copy of passports, The Certificate of No Impediment, and Two passport photos each.
Once your have notified the Registrar you must wait twenty one days so that persons with adverse information may register their complaints. While this old tradition that has pretty much died out in Western countries, it is part of Tanzanian law.
To avoid the twenty one day waiting period, you may get a waiver by applying for a “Special Marriage License” from the local Registrar of Marriages. After completing the application form for “Special Marriage License” and paying the fee, the Registrar can issue the license. Then the wedding can take place.
Step 3 – The Wedding
After twenty one days or the granting of the “Special Marriage License,” you need to schedule a time for your wedding with the Registrar of Marriages. The civil ceremony can be done at the Registrar’s office during working hours (in Arusha). Or you can arrange a time for the Registrar to come to your location (this will require an extra fee and transportation costs for the government officials). At the actual ceremony, the couple must have two witnesses of their choosing (resident or non-resident). A Tanzanian Marriage Certificate (in duplicate) will be issued upon completion of the ceremony.
The requirements for religious weddings vary from one organization to the next, so you must contact the selected faith to discuss the process prior to the wedding.
Step 4
Apply for an international certificate of Marriage. This legal document is more readily accepted outside of Tanzania as proof of your marriage. This certificate is from the Registrar of Marriages. There is a fee for entry into the Register of Foreign Marriages and an additional fee for the International Marriage Certificate. The Tanzanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs can endorse the International Marriage Certificate. While both the certificate and the endorsement are optional for US citizens & UK citizens, you should clarify with your spouse’s home country to verify if it needed in that country or for immigration purposes.
The above is just a guideline and as laws/procedures may change at any time, it is best to check this with your consultant at the time of booking your wedding.
Have a look at our Tanzania accommodation to pick a lodge so we can get a customized package for you. Let us know if you have another lodge in mind as we have all of them (just haven’t listed them all here). This is based on whether you chose the legal or mock wedding options. Plus the number of guests, number of nights staying and the frilly bits that will make your Tanzania wedding unique. Just for you or for your guests too.
