# How to register an overseas marriage in QLD?



## nitka (Apr 27, 2011)

Hello,
I hope that somebody will help me. I (Polish) and my Australian husband got married in Poland in February this year. I have already changed my Polish ID and my name, all the documents. Now, my questions is: how can my husband inform his country, that is Australia of course, that he is not a single man anymore? Who should he inform about it? I have checked the Queensland Government webpage for Births, Deaths and Marriages and it is said there that they don't register overseas marriages! But there must be some way! Otherwise, hypothetically, my husband is still able to get married in Australia, am I wrong? 
Please, help us. He called Centrelink as well, but they were not very helpful.

There must be some kind of office. And if an Australian women gets married abroad and takes her husband' s surname, where should she go to change all her personal details? 

Please, help us. Thank you for all answers.


----------



## aussiegirl (Dec 15, 2009)

Hi there,

By law, all legal overseas marriages are recognised in Australia. There is no need to register it in Australia. You should get your record of marriage from the Polish registry and/ or the certificate translated and notorised.

Only marriages entered into in Australia are registered in Australia. You can read about it on the DFAT site or smart traveller site.


----------



## nitka (Apr 27, 2011)

Thank you aussiegirl for answering. I can understand that we cannot register our marriage in Australia. So does it mean that my husband CAN marry again in OZ? (I mean, hypothetically). I do have my marriage certificate translated and certified, where should we go with it? I am just paranoid here. It is hard to imagine for me that the country does not see to these matters. I believe we will just get married again in Australia, but this is a catch22 situation, as I will NEVER get no impediment to marriage from my country. Coz I am married. I believe that right now, my husband, if he asked for no impediment for marriage in Australia, he would get one. Because there is no way they know he is married. I think I am too stupid to understand the rules of the Australian law sometimes.


----------



## Turboadam (Apr 19, 2011)

He can not marry again in Australia. He would commit the offence of bigamy.
You say how would Australia know? How do they know if you kill someone and bury them in the desert? They don't know.

Unless someone told them. Even though the authorities are not aware of something, it is still illegal. Now find something else to worry about.

An australian woman who gets married may take on the husbands name. She goes to Births deaths and marriages to arrange it. A woman who gets married outside of Oz would take her translated (if necessary) marriage cert and register her name change.


----------



## aussiegirl (Dec 15, 2009)

If he were to marry again in Australia, he would need to proove he is not already married, at which stage he would have to go to his embassy in Australia and get a cert. to say he is single. His embassy would require him to get proof from the registry of births marriages and deaths in his country. If he were married, it would be discovered at this point.

If you don't believe me, look the registry of births deaths a marriages in QLD and find out for yourself.

Overseas marriages

I have married overseas and used my foreign marriage cert. in my husband's partner application. DIAC had no problem accepting it.


----------



## Turboadam (Apr 19, 2011)

aussiegirl said:


> he would have to go to his embassy in Australia and get a cert. to say he is single. His embassy would require him to get proof from the registry of births marriages and deaths in his country.


Aussiegirl, HE is Australian.


----------



## missmullen (Jun 9, 2011)

Legally, he can not marry again - he would be committing an offence if he were to do that. He can not even marry you again, even if you wanted to have another ceremony in Australia, you couldn't sign a marriage certificate or have it registered. 

I married my husband in Australia, and we will have a second ceremony in Zimbabwe with his family and friends, but that ceremony in Zim will not be a legal marriage, as we are already legally married.


----------



## aussiegirl (Dec 15, 2009)

@Turboadam, sorry for the mixup. I read so many posts that I try to answer and sometimes I confuse myself. But, it would still hold even if the husband is Australian because they got married abroad, and there is no need or way really to register this overseas marriage in Australia.


----------



## nitka (Apr 27, 2011)

Thank you guys for all your posts and thoughts. Sorry it was so complicated. I think I know what it is all about now. I just asked because here in Poland there is no problem in registering overseas marraiges. I believe my husband will first mention my existance in hist tax return statement or something similar.  And they the country will know I am his wife!  Thank you everyone.


----------

