ROM Singapore: The Complete Registration Guide

Getting legally married in Singapore is, on paper, one of the cheaper parts of a wedding. A civil marriage is handled by the Registry of Marriages (ROM) through the online Our Marriage Journey (OMJ) portal, and the licence itself costs S$42 for most local couples. The planning around it — the timing, the solemniser, the documents — is what trips people up, so here is the whole process in order.

This guide covers civil marriages, where at least one party is non-Muslim. If both of you are Muslim, your marriage is registered with the Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM) instead — see our ROMM guide.

Who can marry under ROM

Before you file, both of you must meet the basic conditions:

Age. Both at least 21 on the solemnisation date. If either of you is 18–20, you need written parental or guardian consent, and — where at least one party is a Singapore Citizen or PR — you must complete an MSF-approved Marriage Preparation Programme before applying. Marriage under 18 needs an approved Special Marriage Licence (with parental consent, a social assessment and a preparation programme) that can take several months, so don’t finalise arrangements until it is granted.
Marital status. For a civil marriage under the Women’s Charter, neither of you may already be married. Any previous marriage must be legally dissolved.
Relationship. You cannot be closely related by blood or adoption.
Residency. Singapore Citizens and PRs have no residency requirement. If one or both of you are foreigners, at least one party must have been physically present in Singapore for 31 continuous days before filing. The 31 days exclude the day of arrival, need not fall immediately before you file, and may come from a single earlier trip — see getting married as a foreigner.

The fee: S$42 or S$380

The licence fee depends only on citizenship or residency, not on where you hold the ceremony:

Card summarising ROM civil marriage: fee S$42 or S$380, notice 21 days to 6 months, age 21+ with extra rules under 21, two witnesses

Civil marriage essentials. Source: Our Marriage Journey (Registry of Marriages), as of October 2026.

S$42 if at least one of you is a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident.
S$380 if both of you are foreigners.

These figures are from the Our Marriage Journey portal and were current as of October 2026. Always reconfirm the fee on the portal before you pay, since official fees can change.

The timeline: 21 days to 6 months

The Notice of Marriage is the legal step that sets the clock. You must file it:

No later than 21 days before your intended solemnisation date; and
No earlier than 6 months before that date.

In practice, most couples file a few months out, once the venue and date are fixed. If you have a genuine reason to marry sooner than 21 days, you can apply for a Special Marriage Licence to waive the 21-day notice. Approval is discretionary; the fee is S$280 where at least one party is a Singapore Citizen or PR, or S$380 if both are foreigners. Don’t commit to arrangements until it is granted. For how this fits with the rest of your planning, see our 12-month wedding timeline.

Step by step on Our Marriage Journey

Create the application. Log in to the OMJ portal with Singpass (ROM e-kiosks can help if you need them) and file the Notice of Marriage within the 21-day to 6-month window.
Choose where to solemnise. Book an available slot at a Registry site, or plan an external venue and invite a licensed solemniser.
Invite your solemniser and witnesses. If you are using an external venue, invite a licensed solemniser through the portal and make sure they accept — the venue options and how solemnisers work are covered in solemnisation venues.
Complete verification and declaration. Eligible couples (both Singpass holders, first marriage, aged 21+) can do this online; others attend an in-person or approved video-link appointment shown in the application summary, where documents are verified.
Solemnise and register. The solemniser conducts the ceremony before your two witnesses, and your marriage is registered. Couples receive a digital marriage certificate.

Where you can solemnise

While the Canning Rise building is being redeveloped, ROM solemnisations are held at the interim site on Level 3 of Esplanade Mall, which has been open since April 2025 and takes Saturday bookings. The Registry is due to return to a larger, redeveloped Canning Rise building in 2029. You can also solemnise at the Ficus Room @ Gardens by the Bay or at an external venue of your own. Video-link solemnisation is allowed only in exceptional circumstances, with the Registrar’s prior approval, and the couple, solemniser and both witnesses must all be physically in Singapore. The full list and the trade-offs are in our solemnisation venues guide.

Documents and witnesses

You will need identity documents for both parties (NRIC for citizens/PRs, passport for foreigners) and for your two witnesses, who must be 21 or older. Foreign couples may need additional documents, such as a Letter of No Impediment. The portal lists exactly what to upload for your situation.

After the ceremony

Once registered, your marriage is legally recognised and you receive a digital marriage certificate. If you are buying an HDB flat, note that housing timelines and your marriage date often need to line up — check the current HDB requirements. Celebrations, banquets and traditions are entirely up to you; a ROM-only marriage with no reception is the lowest-cost route, covered in our budget guide.