marriage in NYC

[Justinf]

Partner and I are heading to NYC in two weeks time. We are planning on getting married at the NYC City Clerks office in Manhattan. We have all the documents we need.
But the clerk's office seems very unknowledgeable on whether we need a certificate of nonimpediment. I rang them and the woman read it straight from their website, which really doesn't say a lot regarding this.
Has any Australian citizen on here done this? It seems we don't need this certificate, but obviously I want to be extra sure. The phonecall to the clerk's office in NYC didn't fill me with a lot of confidence that she knew what was going on.
Also, has anyone used the travelcard for overseas travel? The one that you 'buy' from your bank and you top up with funds and use it like a MasterCard? Experiences? Good?Bad? Indifferent? Can you use it everywhere.
Thanks and sorry for the longwinded post.

 

[JetLagged]

Also, has anyone used the travelcard for overseas travel? The one that you 'buy' from your bank and you top up with funds and use it like a MasterCard? Experiences? Good?Bad? Indifferent? Can you use it everywhere.

Justi, have no knowledge at all about the first (main) part of your post, so won't even offer a comment.

As to travel cards, there has been a lot of comment online here about these - some good, some bad, etc What many of us have found is that the Wizard Clear Advantage - now kown as 28 Degrees - Mastercard - is excellent. There are NO commission fees, overseas conversion fees, and the exchange rate is pretty spot on to current rates. Plus, you can send it into credit and therefore use your own money.

Happy wedding and honeymoon!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I would call the Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages here in Oz and ask what kind of documents you need to get married & more importantly what proof does the Reg of BDM need to validate your overseas marriage eg do you have to register it with the Australian High Commission in DC.

Maybe it's worth calling an The Australian Consul in NYC who may be able to source the info for you or make sense of what was said to you by the NYC Clerks Office.

Otherwise it's a bit like someone asking you what the protocol is for a US Citizen getting married in Oz.

 

[thewinchester]

Partner and I are heading to NYC in two weeks time. We are planning on getting married at the NYC City Clerks office in Manhattan. We have all the documents we need.
But the clerk's office seems very unknowledgeable on whether we need a certificate of nonimpediment. I rang them and the woman read it straight from their website, which really doesn't say a lot regarding this.
Has any Australian citizen on here done this? It seems we don't need this certificate, but obviously I want to be extra sure. The phonecall to the clerk's office in NYC didn't fill me with a lot of confidence that she knew what was going on.

Looking at the NYC City Clerk's Office website, it states that on applying for your marriage license you are required to complete an affidavit in which you are making a sworn statement that there are no legal impediments to the marriage.

So based solely on that statement, I would suspect that the certificate is not required.

However, if you would like to get the certificate just in case or need to know more about them - head over to the Smart Traveller website which has information for those considering marriage overseas:

Certificates of No Impediment to Marriage

Certificates of No Impediment to Marriage are issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through overseas missions and state and territory offices to Australian citizens seeking to marry overseas. Certificates of No Impediment to Marriage are not a requirement of Australian law. They are issued purely at the request of overseas countries seeking to ensure that a marriage involving one or two Australian citizens, celebrated in that overseas country, will also be recognised as a valid marriage by Australian authorities.

• Application form for Certificates of No Impediment to Marriage for use in Poland, Portugal and Turkey (pdf)
• Application form for all other countries (pdf)

The forms are also available from any state or territory office of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Some countries will only accept Certificates of No Impediment issued by the local Australian Embassy or Consulate in the country in which the marriage is to take place. However, if authorities of the country in which the marriage is to take place have advised that they will accept a Certificate of No Impediment issued in Australia, you should complete the applicable application form for a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage and return it to your state or territory office of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Consular Fee for a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage is $90.

 

[Stephen65]

I don't know about NYC but in Las Vegas you simply fill in and sign a form that states (as best I recall):

- you are not more closely related than second cousins

- you are not married to anyone else

The marriage certificate we were issued with by the State of Nevada is all we have ever required to prove our married status in Australia.