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:

• Your 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 diplomatic or consular officer of Ireland
• A notary public
• A Commissioner for Oaths or someone authorised to administer oaths or 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 note that Malawi kwacha fees for passports are regularly updated to keep in line with the Euro fees charged by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Ireland. (MWK fees below are indicative as of August 2014).

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

Per Irish applicant: 30,430 MWK

Late fee

If you submit your application 28 days or less before the date of your intended marriage or civil partnership, you’ll have to pay an additional fee of 30,430 MWK per Irish applicant.

Payment methods

• Cash
• Cheque (personal cheques are not accepted)

Cheques should be made payable to “Irish Aid Malawi”.

The Embassy is located at:

Arwa House (3rd Floor)
13/14 City Centre
Lilongwe

Consular Services Hours
Monday-Friday: 08.00 – 11.00

The Embassy’s postal address is:

Embassy of Ireland
13/14 Arwa House
P/Bag B490
Capital City
Lilongwe 3

For further details, see Contact Us

Begin your online Certificate of Freedom to Marry application