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Please be advised that the Consulate General of Ireland, Hong Kong website has moved and this page is no longer being updated. The Consulate website is now available at Ireland.ie/hongkong.

Marriage & Civil Partnership Abroad

If you are an Irish Citizen resident in Hong Kong or Macau and need a Certificate of Freedom to Marry, find out how to begin your online application

Online questionnaire

To apply for a Certificate of Freedom to Marry, you must complete an online questionnaire about yourself and your upcoming marriage.

Statutory Declaration

Based on this questionnaire, you’ll be presented with one or more Statutory Declarations to complete and a checklist of supporting documentation you'll need to submit with your application.

You need to:

  1. Print and sign your questionnaire
  2. Print out a copy of each Statutory Declaration
  3. Print out your checklist
  4. Make the online payment
  5. Complete the Declarations and have them witnessed
  6. Post them to us with your supporting documentation and signed questionnaire.

Remember...

Print off or save each form right after your online questionnaire, as you won't be able to retrieve them later.

When to apply

Submit your application at least four months before the date of your marriage. Your witnessed statutory declaration(s) cannot be dated more than six months before the date we receive your application.

Remember...

Your application is not complete until we get hard copies of your questionnaire, statutory declaration(s), and all supporting documentation.

Your checklist will tell you exactly what supporting documentation you'll need for your application, which may include:

  • Original long-form birth certificate
  • A court order, if you are under 18 years
  • Marriage and Death certificate of your previous spouse, if widowed
  • Petition and final decree of your divorce, if divorced
  • A photocopy of your current Irish passport
  • Your original naturalisation certification, if naturalised

Translating your documents

You'll need to submit certified translations of any of these documents, if the originals are in a language other than English or Irish.

Getting replacement documents

We need original documents (except for the photocopy of your passport) to process your application.

Getting your documents back

We will return all your original documents to you after we inspect them.

Remember...

If you haven't included all the necessary documents, your application will be returned to you.

Your statutory declaration must be witnessed before you can submit it.

Who can be a witness?

Your witness must:

  • Know you personally
  • Know a third party personally who can identify you
  • Be able to verify your identity through your official documents (e.g. a passport)

Applying in Ireland

Your witness can be:

  • A notary public
  • A Commissioner for Oaths
  • A solicitor

Applying abroad

Your witness can be:

  • A notary public
  • A Commissioner for Oaths or someone authorised to administer oaths or declarations

Please note: Diplomatic and Consular Officers at the Consulate General of Ireland Hong Kong do not witness these declarations.

Your witness needs to:

  • Witness you completing and signing your Statutory Declaration(s)
  • Complete and sign the relevant part of your Statutory Declaration(s)

Remember...

It’s against the law to make a Statutory Declaration that you know is false or misleading in any way.

Please ensure the appropriate fee is included with the application.

Certificate of Freedom to Marry (Certificate de Cotume/Nulla Osta)

Per Irish applicant: HKD 630

Late Fees

Applications submitted 28 days or less before the date of intended marriage will incur an additional fee of HKD 630 per applicant.

Payments to the Consulate can be made by bank transfer (see below). You can also present payments in cash or Hong Kong Dollar-denominated cheque drawn on a local bank. We can only accept local currency for applications submitted in Hong Kong. Cheques should be made payable to "Dept Foreign Affairs & Trade Ireland Consulate HK HKD Public Bank".

Bank details for electronic transfers

Bank Name HSBC
Bank Address 1 Queen's Road, Central Hong Kong
Currency Hong Kong Dollar
Account Name Dept Foreign Affairs & Trade Ireland Consulate HK HKD Public Bank A/C
Account No  848-659975-838 
Swift Code  HSBCHKHHHKH 

Note: Please enclose a copy of bank transfer or deposit slip with your application

Applications should be made in person, by appointment, to the Consulate General at the following address:

20/F, 33 Des Voeux Road,
Central,
Hong Kong

Telephone: Tel: (+852) 2535 0700
Email: Contact Us