What is this application for?
Relationship certificates are a celebration of a special part of your life. They're also an important personal document that you can use as proof of your relationship for legal and other official purposes.
Who can apply?
We can issue certificates only for relationships that are registered in Victoria.
Relationships outside Victoria
If your relationship was registered outside Victoria, contact the Registry of the state, territory or country where the registration took place.
What you’ll need
When ordering a certificate you will need to prove your identity.
Details of the person named on the certificate
At minimum, you'll be asked for:
- Given name and family name of both people in the relationship
- Date that the relationship was registered.
If some information is missing, such as if an adult was separated from their birth family at a young age, let us know.
Proof of identity
You can prove your identity two ways.
The easiest way to prove your identity is online.
You can use this proof of identity questionnaire if you are not sure which option is best for you.
Requirements when applying for someone else’s certificate
If you're applying for someone else's certificate, you must prove that you're authorised to do so. Read how to get someone else’s relationship certificate.
Processing times
When you apply for a certificate or registration, we email you details of documents you need to provide. Our processing times start when we receive all required documents.
If you didn’t receive an email after applying, contact us.
| Type of application | Processing time |
|---|---|
| Certificate | Up to 14 days (2 weeks) |
| Commemorative certificate | Up to 28 days (4 weeks) |
Allow extra time for public holidays and postage.
Types of certificates
Legal certificates
A legal certificate can be used as proof of your relationship for legal and other official purposes.
Commemorative certificates
Commemorative relationship certificates are decorative mementos to preserve your special event. They're not a legal document and can't be used for official purposes.
You can choose to order a commemorative certificate at the time you order your standard relationship certificate. There are two designs by local artists to choose from. Each is printed on archival quality paper and fits a standard frame size of 280mm x 355mm (11" x 14").
If you want a certificate for display purposes, order a commemorative certificate.
Commemorative relationship certificate - Eternity
Commemorative relationship certificate - Calligraphy
Certificate fees and postage
The fees are non-refundable except as set out on our Refunds page. A fee waiver may be available in certain circumstances of financial hardship.
Certificate fees
| Whereabouts of original certificate | Price |
|---|---|
If you return the original relationship certificate No fee for certificate (There may be a postage and handling fee for the new certificate. Check Postage, below) | $0.00 |
If you do not return the original relationship certificate The price of a legal relationship certificate applies, | $55.80 |
Postage
We send legal certificates by express post, for security.
For commemorative certificates, you may only choose standard post. This is because they're not official identity documents. Legal and commemorative certificates will arrive separately.
| Postage type | Price |
|---|---|
| Express post (within Australia) | $10.20 |
| Express post (International) | $55.50 |
Payment methods
Pay via credit card, Paypal or BPAY.
After your application is submitted
You‘ll receive an email after submitting your application.
If you didn’t receive an email after applying, first check your spam inbox. If you still don’t have the email, read about common causes of delay.
Once we have everything we need, we’ll complete your application within processing timeframes. We’ll email to let you know when we’ve posted your certificate.
Updated