Quick answer: For a nikah in Delhi, the bride and groom each need age proof (Class 10 certificate, birth certificate or passport), photo ID, address proof and passport-size photographs; two adult Muslim male witnesses (or one man and two women, per the school followed) bring their own photo ID; anyone married before brings proof of divorce or the spouse's death certificate. After the nikah, the marriage must be registered under the Delhi (Compulsory Registration of Marriage) Order, 2014 within 60 days (a further 60 days with ₹500; ₹1,000 penalty after that). The government fee is ₹200, Tatkal ₹10,000 extra where available. You apply online, upload documents, attend an appointment with two witnesses who have Delhi address proof, and receive the certificate. The route matters: registering a nikah under the 2014 Order keeps Muslim personal law, while the Special Marriage Act changes succession.
Key takeaways
Last reviewed: 22 September 2026 · 36 min read
Most delays in a nikah or its registration have nothing to do with law. They come from paper: a date of birth that differs between the school certificate and Aadhaar, a name spelt three different ways, a rented flat with no address proof, a divorce that happened years ago with no talaqnama to show for it, or a witness who forgot his ID. Every one of these problems is easy to solve before the nikah and slow to solve after it. This guide gives a complete, practical checklist of documents for a nikah in Delhi, explains what each one proves and why it is needed, covers the special cases (divorced, widowed, NRI, foreign national, out-of-state, name mismatch, no birth certificate), and then walks through registration of the marriage step by step, with fees, timelines and the mistakes that cause refusals.
It is written for couples, parents and anyone helping to arrange a nikah. We are a Delhi marriage service with our own Qazi; we read nikahs, prepare nikahnamas and affidavits and handle registration. We do not provide witnesses: the witnesses at a nikah and at registration must be real people who know the couple, and you bring your own.
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In Muslim law, a nikah is a contract. Its essentials are simple: a proposal (ijab) and an acceptance (qubool) in one sitting, free consent of two parties who are legally capable of marrying each other, witnesses as required by the school followed, and mahr. None of these essentials is a piece of paper. Why, then, does every careful Qazi ask for documents?
Because the Qazi and the nikahnama have to record facts that the law cares about, and those facts must be true. The Qazi must be satisfied that both parties are adults, that neither is already married in a way that prevents this nikah, that the bride is not within her iddat, that the parties are not within prohibited degrees of relationship, and that both consent. Documents are how he satisfies himself. They also make the nikahnama accurate: names as they appear on official records, correct dates of birth, correct addresses and the parents' names.
The second reason is registration. In Delhi, registration is compulsory under the 2014 Order, and the registration office will ask for documentary proof of age, solemnisation, identity, residence and citizenship. If the documents used at the nikah are the same documents used at registration, and they all agree with each other, registration is quick. If they conflict, it can take months.
The third reason is the future. A marriage certificate is asked for when you apply for a passport with a spouse's name, a spouse visa, a joint home loan, a name change, a child's birth certificate, a pension or insurance nomination, and, sadly, when a marriage breaks down and mahr or maintenance is claimed, or when a spouse dies and the estate is divided. A nikahnama with the right details, backed by consistent documents and a registration certificate, protects both spouses, and especially the wife, for the rest of their lives.
The table below is the core checklist. Bring originals and at least two self-attested photocopies of each. Where a document is marked "or", any one of the listed documents is enough, but it is better to carry two, in case one has a spelling or date problem.
| Document | Bride | Groom | What it proves | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age proof | Yes | Yes | That both are adults (bride 18+, groom 21+ for registration and under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act) | Class 10 certificate, birth certificate or passport are best |
| Photo identity | Yes | Yes | That the person is who they say | Aadhaar, voter ID, passport, driving licence or PAN |
| Address proof | Yes | Yes | Residence, which decides the registration office | Aadhaar, voter ID, passport, utility bill, registered rent agreement |
| Photographs | 4 | 4 | For the nikahnama, affidavits and registration | Recent, passport size, plain background |
| Joint photograph | 2–3 of the nikah | That the marriage took place | A clear photograph of the couple at the nikah | |
| Proof of divorce | If divorced | If divorced | Freedom to marry | Talaqnama, khulanama, mubarat deed or court decree |
| Spouse's death certificate | If widowed | If widowed | Freedom to marry | Plus the earlier nikahnama if available |
| Passport and visa | If NRI/foreign | If NRI/foreign | Identity, nationality, legal stay | See the special cases section |
Parents' names are recorded in the nikahnama, so make sure the father's name (and, where the form asks, the mother's name) is spelt as in the age proof. The bride's father or another relative often attends as wali or as a family representative, and should bring his own ID if he is signing anything.
If you are marrying in a hurry, do not skip documents; see our urgent nikah service, where we check documents the same day and read the nikah as soon as everything is in order.
Age is the single most important fact in the file. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 treats a woman under 18 and a man under 21 as a child for the purposes of marriage, and registration in Delhi requires the bride to be at least 18 and the groom at least 21. A careful Qazi will not read a nikah if either party appears to be under age, whatever a family says, because a marriage of a child is prohibited and those who conduct or promote it commit an offence.
Many adults, especially those born at home or who did not finish school, have no birth certificate and no Class 10 certificate. The options, depending on the office, include a late birth registration through the municipal corporation, a medical age certificate from a government doctor, or a passport if one is held. An affidavit stating the date of birth can support these, but an affidavit alone is weak proof of age. Start early: late birth registration takes time.
If Aadhaar says 1 January 2001 and the Class 10 certificate says 14 March 2000, use the Class 10 date in the nikahnama and application, and file an affidavit explaining the difference. Never "choose" whichever date makes someone look older. A false statement about age in an affidavit or official application is an offence, and a nikahnama with a false date of birth can create serious problems later.
Address matters twice: it is recorded in the nikahnama, and it decides which registration office in Delhi will handle your application. Under the 2014 Order, registration is generally handled by the office for the area where the marriage was solemnised or where either party lives; always follow the office named on your appointment slip.
Good address proofs are Aadhaar with the current address, voter ID, passport, a recent electricity or water bill in the person's name, a bank passbook with address, or a registered rent agreement. The problem is common: a young couple live in a rented flat in Delhi while their Aadhaar still shows a village address in Uttar Pradesh or Bihar. In that case the options are:
We tell you before filing which of these works best on your documents.
Witnesses appear twice in the life of a nikah: at the ceremony, and at registration. The rules are different for each, so it helps to plan both together and, where possible, use the same people.
Under Hanafi law, which most Sunni Muslims in Delhi follow, a nikah needs two adult, sane Muslim male witnesses, or one man and two women, who hear the proposal and acceptance in the same sitting. Under Shia (Ithna Ashari) law, witnesses are not a condition of validity, though it is wise to have them. Each witness signs the nikahnama and should bring photo ID with address, such as Aadhaar or a voter ID.
The registration appointment under the 2014 Order requires two witnesses, who must produce identity and Delhi address proof and confirm the marriage before the officer. They must actually know the couple and the marriage. It is simplest if the nikah witnesses, or close relatives or friends who attended, come to the appointment as well.
Important: We never provide or arrange witnesses. A witness who does not know you and did not see your marriage is not a real witness; using one can make an affidavit or registration false, which is an offence. Bring relatives, friends, colleagues or neighbours who know you.
Many couples, especially those marrying by choice, have family outside Delhi, or families who will not attend. Friends and colleagues living in Delhi can be witnesses if they know you. If no one with Delhi address proof is available, tell us before filing; the office's practice varies, and we advise on what the officer is likely to accept.
A person who was married before must show that the earlier marriage has ended. This protects everyone: the new spouse, the former spouse and any children.
| Situation | Documents | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Divorced by talaq | Talaqnama; ideally a certificate from the Qazi or Darul Qaza that recorded it | The talaq must have become final, and the woman's iddat must have ended |
| Divorced by khula or mubarat | Khulanama or mubarat deed signed by both, or a Darul Qaza certificate | Iddat must have ended before the woman remarries |
| Divorced by court | Certified copy of the decree (1939 Act, or any court decree) | Check whether an appeal is pending |
| Widowed | Death certificate of the former spouse | A widow's iddat is four months and ten days, or until delivery if pregnant |
| Earlier marriage under the Special Marriage Act or another law | Divorce decree from a court | A civil marriage can end only by court decree |
If the earlier marriage was a civil marriage under the Special Marriage Act, or a Hindu marriage before one party embraced Islam, a religious talaq or khula does not end it. Only a court decree does. A new nikah while such a marriage subsists can be void and can expose a person to prosecution for bigamy. The Supreme Court made this clear in Sarla Mudgal (1995) and Lily Thomas (2000): conversion to Islam cannot be used to escape the first marriage.
If the talaqnama or khulanama was never written down, or is lost, the person can swear an affidavit giving the date, place and manner of the divorce, supported by whatever evidence exists. Registration offices may still want more; a court declaration is sometimes needed. Start early in such cases.
A nikah is a Muslim marriage, so under Muslim law both parties in a Sunni nikah should be Muslim, or the groom Muslim and the bride of a "Kitabi" faith, according to classical rules that different scholars apply differently. Where one partner has embraced Islam, the Qazi will usually ask for:
Conversion must be free and genuine. Courts have repeatedly examined conversions made only to marry, and several states have anti-conversion laws with notice and declaration requirements. Delhi does not currently have such a law, but if either partner lives in or has links to a state that does, take advice before proceeding.
For a couple of different faiths who do not want either partner to convert, the right route is a civil marriage under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. See our Special Marriage Act service and the Hindu–Muslim marriage guide.
Plan the registration appointment before the NRI partner flies back. A marriage certificate is needed for the spouse visa, and registration is very difficult to complete once one spouse has left. See our NRI nikah service and the NRI nikah, apostille and visa guide.
Registration under the 2014 Order applies where at least one party is an Indian citizen. Some foreign governments recognise a marriage only if it is registered in a particular way, so check with the partner's embassy before the nikah.
Couples from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Rajasthan and other states often marry in Delhi. The nikah can be read in Delhi without any residence requirement. Registration in Delhi, however, depends on a Delhi connection, usually the place of solemnisation or a Delhi address for one spouse. If neither applies easily, registration may be simpler in the home state; we advise before you file.
This is the most common reason for delay. Typical problems:
The fix is a "one and the same person" affidavit: a sworn statement, on stamp paper and notarised, listing every version of the name and the documents in which each appears, and declaring that they all refer to the same person. For dates of birth, the affidavit should explain which document is correct and why the others differ. Use the same spelling everywhere in the nikahnama and the application, ideally the spelling in the passport or Class 10 certificate.
If the nikahnama has already been written with a wrong spelling or date, it can often be corrected by the Qazi who wrote it, with an affidavit, or through a supplementary document; see our duplicate and correction service.
On the day, the Qazi will check documents, meet the bride privately (or through her wakil, with witnesses) to hear her consent, confirm the mahr, and then read the nikah. Have these ready in a single folder:
The nikahnama records the names, parentage, addresses and dates of birth of the bride and groom, the date and place of the nikah, the mahr (prompt and deferred), the names and signatures of the wakil and witnesses, and the Qazi's name and seal. Many formats have space for special conditions, such as the bride's right to continue studying or working, a delegated right of divorce, or an agreement to try arbitration before any talaq. For a clause-by-clause explanation, see the nikahnama format guide.
Check every entry before anyone signs: spellings, dates of birth, the mahr in both figures and words, and the date and place. A mistake in the nikahnama is repeated in every document that follows.
Ask for three signed copies: one for the bride, one for the groom and one for the Qazi's register. The bride should keep her own copy; it is her proof of marriage and of her mahr. Photograph every page on the day.
With our nikahnama, certificate and court affidavit package (₹7,000), you also receive a marriage certificate from our side and sworn affidavits of the bride and groom, prepared for registration. These make the registration file complete from day one.
The nikah itself is valid under Muslim law once it is properly solemnised. Registration does not create the marriage; it records it with the state and gives you an official certificate. In Delhi, however, registration is compulsory, and the route you choose has consequences.
| Delhi (Compulsory Registration of Marriage) Order, 2014 | Special Marriage Act, 1954 (registration of an existing marriage, s.15) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Every marriage solemnised in Delhi, all religions, where at least one party is an Indian citizen | Couples who choose a civil registration |
| Personal law | Muslim personal law continues | Succession of the couple and their children moves to the Indian Succession Act (s.21) |
| Other effects | None | Further consequences for family property (s.19 and related rules) |
| Notice period | No 30-day notice | Notice and objection period |
| Best for | Almost every nikah | Couples who deliberately want a civil marriage |
For some years, Delhi's online system did not offer Muslim couples a clear option under the 2014 Order, and many were steered into registration under the Special Marriage Act without being told what it does to succession. In 2024, in Faizan Ayubi v. GNCTD, the Delhi High Court directed that Muslim marriages be registrable online under the 2014 Order and set aside a registration that had wrongly been made under the Special Marriage Act. Before you file, make sure the application is on the right route. If you are not sure, ask us; this single choice affects inheritance for your whole family.
Collect: the nikahnama (original and copy); age proof, ID and address proof of both spouses; photographs of both and a joint photograph of the nikah; the affidavits (marital status, date and place of marriage, and nationality, as the office requires); proof of divorce or death if either was married before; and the ID and Delhi address proof of your two witnesses. Check that every name and date matches across all documents, or that an affidavit explains the difference.
Applications are made through the Delhi government's online portal (e-District / the Revenue Department's marriage registration service). You create an account, choose the correct registration category for a marriage already solemnised, enter the details of both spouses and witnesses exactly as in the documents, and upload scans of the documents. Pay the government fee online.
An appointment is allotted at the registration office (the office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate) for your area. Print the acknowledgement and the appointment slip. Check the date against the witnesses' availability. If there is a genuine deadline, such as a visa appointment, ask whether Tatkal is available on your route.
Both spouses and both witnesses attend, with all originals. Arrive early. The officer checks the originals against the uploaded copies, verifies identities, and may ask simple questions: when and where the nikah took place, who read it, whether either was married before. Witnesses confirm that they know the couple and the marriage. Answer truthfully and consistently.
If everything is in order, the spouses and witnesses sign the register, and the certificate is issued, often digitally signed and downloadable from the portal, sometimes after a few days. Check the certificate immediately for spelling and date errors; correcting them early is much easier.
Save the digital certificate in email and cloud storage, keep printed copies with the nikahnama, and give the wife her own copy. If you will use it abroad, see the section below on apostille.
| Stage | Who | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Document check and affidavits | Couple (with us) | 1–3 days |
| Online application | Couple (with us) | Same day once the file is ready |
| Appointment | Office | Depends on availability at the office; Tatkal is faster where available |
| Verification | Couple, witnesses, officer | One visit, usually |
| Certificate | Office | Same day to a few days after the appointment |
These timings are indicative. Office workload, holidays and document issues change them. We do not promise any officer's decision or a fixed date; we promise a complete, truthful and consistent file.
Couples are often confused by the number of papers they receive. It helps to know what each one is and what it can do.
| Paper | Issued by | What it proves | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikahnama | The Qazi, signed by the parties, wakil and witnesses | The nikah contract: parties, mahr, conditions, date and place | A private document; some authorities want a government certificate as well |
| Qazi's marriage certificate | The Qazi or the institution he belongs to | That the Qazi solemnised the nikah on that date | Accepted by many, but not the state's own record |
| Affidavits | Sworn by the parties before a notary | Facts the parties declare on oath | Evidence, not a certificate |
| Government marriage certificate | The registration office in Delhi | The marriage is entered in the state register | The strongest proof; needed for passports, visas and most official uses |
| Apostille or attestation | Ministry of External Affairs / embassy | That the Indian certificate is genuine, for use abroad | Only for foreign use |
The nikahnama remains the most important document inside the family, because it records the mahr and the conditions. The government certificate is the most important document outside it, because every official body recognises it. You need both.
Most returns and delays at the online stage come from avoidable mistakes. A few habits make a big difference:
If the application is returned with an objection, read it carefully and fix exactly what is asked; uploading the same documents again rarely helps. If an objection is unclear, we can explain it and prepare the correction.
In many families, all the marriage papers stay with the groom's family or in one cupboard. That is a risk for the bride. If the marriage runs into trouble, or if the husband dies and there is a dispute in the family, the wife may need to prove her marriage, her mahr and her conditions without anyone's cooperation. Courts in India see many cases where a wife cannot produce the nikahnama and has to prove the marriage by other evidence. A bride who keeps her own copy of the nikahnama, the registration certificate and the affidavits, ideally with digital copies in her own email, avoids that problem entirely. Our Qazi gives the bride her own copy at every nikah we read.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Government registration fee (2014 Order) | ₹200 | Within 60 days of the nikah |
| Registration in the next 60 days | ₹500 | Fee for the delay |
| After 120 days | ₹1,000 penalty | Plus explanation of the delay |
| Tatkal | ₹10,000 additional | Where available on your route |
| Notary and stamp paper | At actual cost | For affidavits |
| Our nikah service | ₹5,000 | Qazi, nikahnama, our certificate |
| Nikahnama + certificate + court affidavits | ₹7,000 | Ready for registration |
| Registration service | ₹6,000 | Route advice, filing, appointment, follow-up |
| Duplicate or corrected nikahnama | ₹2,500 | If lost or with errors |
Government fees are paid at actual cost and can change; the official portal shows the current amounts. See the full Muslim services price list.
Many couples in Delhi had a nikah years ago and never registered it. Now a passport, a visa, a school admission or a property matter demands a certificate. Late registration is possible, and a well-documented long marriage is rarely refused, but it needs more proof:
Where there is no nikahnama at all, a marriage deed declaring the existing marriage, with supporting evidence, may be the first step.
Once issued, the certificate is used for:
An affidavit is a written statement sworn before a notary or oath commissioner, usually on stamp paper. It is evidence, and a false affidavit is an offence. The affidavits used for a nikah and its registration are short and factual.
| Affidavit | By whom | What it states | When needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marital status | Bride and groom, each | Unmarried, divorced (with date and manner) or widowed (with date of death), and free to marry | Almost always, at registration |
| Date and place of marriage | Bride and groom | The date, place and manner of the nikah and who read it | Registration |
| Age and nationality | Bride and groom | Date of birth, the document proving it, and citizenship | Registration; where age proofs differ |
| One and the same person | Anyone with name variations | All versions of the name refer to the same person | Mismatched documents |
| Free consent | Bride and groom | Marrying of their own free will, without pressure | Especially for couples marrying by choice |
| Acceptance of Islam | The person who embraced Islam | Voluntary acceptance, date, place | Where one partner embraced Islam |
| Explanation of delay | Bride and groom | Why registration was not done within the time | Late registration |
We draft affidavits only from what your documents support. If a fact cannot be supported, we tell you, rather than writing something that could later be used against you.
After the nikah and registration, create a family file, in paper and digital form, with:
The wife should have her own complete copy. If the marriage ever faces difficulty, or when a spouse dies, these papers decide questions of mahr, maintenance and inheritance quickly and without dispute. Read more in the guide to Muslim women's rights in marriage and the mahr guide.
A groom from Jamia Nagar had "Mohd. Arshad" on his Class 10 certificate, "Mohammad Arshad" on Aadhaar and "Muhammad Arshad Khan" on his passport. We used the passport spelling in the nikahnama and application and filed a one-and-the-same-person affidavit listing all three. The officer accepted the file at the first appointment.
A couple lived in a rented flat in Okhla, while both Aadhaar cards showed addresses in Uttar Pradesh. The nikah had been read in Delhi. We used the place of solemnisation for registration, supported by a registered rent agreement and the tenant verification receipt, and their witnesses were Delhi-resident colleagues who had attended the nikah.
A bride had been divorced by talaq five years earlier, but no talaqnama had been written. Before the nikah, we asked her to obtain a certificate from the Darul Qaza where the divorce had been recorded, and she swore an affidavit with the date and circumstances. The new nikah and its registration went through without difficulty.
A groom working in Canada came to Delhi for three weeks. The couple wanted the nikah on the first weekend and the certificate before he flew back. We checked every document by WhatsApp before he landed, read the nikah on the Saturday, filed the application on the Monday and, because there was a genuine visa deadline, asked about Tatkal. The certificate was issued before his flight.
A Seelampur couple married in 2014 and never registered. Their son's passport application needed a marriage certificate. They had the original nikahnama, the children's birth certificates and a joint ration card. With affidavits explaining the delay and the penalty paid, the marriage was registered.
Parents usually handle the practical side of a nikah: the venue, the guests, the food and the Qazi. The documents deserve the same attention. A month before the nikah, ask the bride and groom to collect their age proof, ID and address proof, and check the spellings against each other. If anything differs, get the affidavit made then, not on the day. Make sure both witnesses will be in Delhi on the nikah day and on the likely registration date. Agree the mahr in writing between the families, and decide who will pay the prompt portion on the day. And after the nikah, make sure the bride has her own copy of the nikahnama. None of this takes more than an afternoon, and it saves weeks later.
Parents should also respect the adult bride's and groom's consent. The Qazi will ask the bride privately whether she agrees, and a responsible Qazi will stop if she does not. A nikah without free consent is open to challenge, whatever documents are in the file.
Bride and groom (each)
Witnesses (each)
For the nikah
For registration (within 60 days)
Get your nikah registered in Delhi – ₹6,000
Document check, affidavits, right route under the 2014 Order, online filing, appointment and follow-up until the certificate. Government fees at actual cost.
Book Registration – ₹6,000 →Also: Nikah ₹5,000 · Nikahnama + affidavits ₹7,000 · Urgent nikah
Facts in this article were checked against the following primary sources. Government fees and procedures change, so confirm current details on the official portal before applying.
This guide is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. Call +91 8376863962 for advice on your situation.
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