Making an application

Online questionnaire

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

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. Complete the Declarations and have them witnessed
5. Post them to us with your supporting documentation, signed questionnaire and fee

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 a minimum of four months before the date of your marriage or civil partnership.

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.

Supporting Documents

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
• 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.

Witnesses

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.

Fees

Return of original documents:

Applications from Jamaica and the Bahamas:

Please include a prepaid self-addressed courier envelope with your application or submit an additional $60 CAD fee to cover this.

Fee payable by:

Canadian bank draft, money order, certified or personal cheque:

payable to Embassy of Ireland in Canadian Dollars. Euro not accepted. 

Credit card: please include the name on card, card number, and expiry date.  Please do not include the three or four digit security code.

Debit cards are not accepted.    

Per Irish applicant:

$82 CAD (60 euro) (submitted more than 28 days before the date of intended marriage)

$164 CAD ($82 Fee + $82 Late Fee) (if submitted 28 days or less before the intended marriage) 

Where to apply

Applications should be sent to:

Certificate of Freedom to Marry, Embassy of Ireland, Suite 1105, 130 Albert St., Ottawa, ON, K1P 5G4

Apply Now

Begin your online Certificate of Freedom to Marry application