Notice of Intended Marriage

Section 42 of the Marriage Act 1961 (the Marriage Act) requires that a marriage shall not be solemnised unless a notice in writing of the intended marriage (this form) is given to the authorised celebrant solemnising the marriage.

Remote witnessing arrangements

From 12 June 2024 the Notice of Intended Marriage may be witnessed remotely:

The Marriage Act has been amended to permanently provide couples with the option to have their Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) witnessed in person or remotely by means of a facility that enables audio and visual communication between persons in different places.

The requirements for authorised witnesses will remain unchanged and location-dependent. If the couple is in Australia then the person remotely witnessing the NOIM (which can include an authorised celebrant) must also be in Australia. If the couple is outside Australia, the authorised witness (which cannot be a celebrant) must also be outside Australia. To be clear, you cannot witness online a NOIM for a person or couple outside Australia. 

Authorised witnesses are listed in the “Signatures of parties and witnesses” section of the Notice of Intended Marriage.