The Department of Internal Affairs: Births Deaths and Marriages - Becoming a Civil Union Celebrant


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Becoming a Civil Union Celebrant

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Persons wanting to solemnise civil unions must be approved according to the Civil Union Act 2004 and have their name published as a Civil Union Celebrant in the New Zealand Gazette.

There are three main criteria that are considered when making an appointment as a Civil Union Celebrant:

An applicant must be a person of good character; and
An applicant must conscientiously perform the duties of a civil union celebrant; and
There must be evidence that an appointment as a civil union celebrant is in the interests of, either:
- the public generally; or
- of a particular community (whether defined by geography, interest, belief, or some other factor).

The Registrar-General will also take into consideration any potential conflicts of interest and apparent bias that may arise if that person is appointed, and consider whether those issues can be managed appropriately.

Formal training is not required to become a Civil Union Celebrant.

A Marriage Celebrant approved under the Marriage Act 1955 is not authorised to solemnise a civil union, and similarly, a Civil Union Celebrant approved under the Civil Union Act 2004 is not authorised to solemnise a marriage. However, a person may be authorised to act as a celebrant under both Acts.

For further information about the role of a Civil Union Celebrant view or print out Civil Union Celebrant: A guide to the role of Civil Union Celebrant in New Zealand.

If you are interested in becoming a Civil Union Celebrant, complete the Civil Union Celebrant application form.

Once you have completed the application form, attach the required documents and post it to:
Celebrant Application
Births, Deaths and Marriages
PO Box 10 526
Wellington 6143

Processing of Civil Union Celebrant applications
Births, Deaths and Marriages will advise each applicant of the outcome of their Civil Union Celebrant application as soon as possible. In some cases, applicants may be asked to provide additional information to assist in the consideration of their application and may be referred to their local Registrar of Civil Unions for a formal interview.


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Last updated: 08/04/2010