• NRI Marriage Registration in 30 days Bill

My girlfriend and I both live in US on H1B visas. We are planning to apply for a marriage license and then get married in a civil ceremony which will give us a certificate from our US state. I was reading online and found a bill that requires us to register this marriage within 30 days or our passports will be revoked: https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-registration-of-marriage-of-non-resident-indian-bill-2019 

We both would be considered as NRIs according to this bill. I have several questions regarding this:
1. Was this bill passed, and did it become a law? 
2. If yes, what exactly do they mean by "registering a marriage". Will a certificate issued by the US state we get married in qualify? Or do we need to register it with the Indian Courts/Indian Embassy? 
3. If we need to register it in the India Courts/Indian Embassy in the US, how can this be done? 

We both obviously do not want our passports to get impounded and want to make sure we do this properly.
Asked 5 years ago in Family Law
Religion: Hindu

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6 Answers

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs of India recently approved the Registration of Marriage of Non-Resident Indian Bill, 2019.  If enacted, the bill will empower Indian passport authorities to impound or revoke Indian passports or travel documents of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who fail to register their marriage (whether in India or abroad) within 30 days after getting married. It will apply to every NRI who marries a citizen of India or another NRI. The Bill does not allow a late registration beyond the 30-day period. If the marriage occurs outside Indiait must be registered with a Marriage Officer, who will be appointed from among the diplomatic officers in a foreign country. 

2) you have to register with Indian embassy or consulate 

Ajay Sethi
Advocate, Mumbai
99776 Answers
8145 Consultations

1. The Registration of Marriage of Non-Resident Indian Bill, 2019 was introduced in Rajya Sabha on February 11, 2019, and further it is approved by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs of India 

2. As per this Bill , every NRI who marries a citizen of India or another NRI shall register his marriage within 30 days, and in case an NRI fails to register the marriage within 30 days, the passport authority may impound his passport. 

3. If the marriage occurs outside India, it must be registered with a Marriage Officer, who will be appointed from among the diplomatic officers in a foreign country.  

Mohammed Shahzad
Advocate, Delhi
15814 Answers
242 Consultations

To my knowledge the bill referred by you has not been enacted as law yet. 

2. You can get your marriage solemnized in USA registered with the Indian embassy at U.S. 

3. You approach the Indian embassy in that country and enquire about the formalities to be complied with. 

T Kalaiselvan
Advocate, Vellore
89978 Answers
2492 Consultations

1. Yes the bill is been approved by the Parliamentary Standing Committee.

2. You need to Register your Marriage U/s 17 of Foreign Marriage Act. in India.

3. If you want to register your marriage from the Indian Embassy @ US then please follow the rules & guidelines mentioned in there official website. <https://www.indianembassyusa.gov.in/extra?id=9>

 

Thank you.

Ritwik Sarkar
Advocate, Kolkata
26 Answers
2 Consultations

No new Act has into force yet and you will have to be governed by the old Acts only. 

Devajyoti Barman
Advocate, Kolkata
23653 Answers
537 Consultations

Registration  of Marriage of NRI Bill, 2019 is not yet enacted. It is yet to be passed by Parliament, so the provisions of Bill are ineffective and no passport will be revoked. But you can register your marriage in Indian Consulate before Marriage Registration Officer. Both approach the consulate with notarized affidavits, passport size photos, passport original the Counsular General will register your marriage and ask you to publish a notice  in local news papers of your place of resident in India and give a date after one month. On the date given your marriage will be performed.

Ravi Shinde
Advocate, Hyderabad
5125 Answers
42 Consultations

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