The context
Marriage law depends on personal law — Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Parsi — or on the Special Marriage Act, the civil route open to interfaith couples and to marriages involving a foreigner. Family involvement is usually decisive, and the two sides often negotiate the arrangements directly.
Entering the country
An e-visa is available to most nationalities through the official portal; intermediaries charge for a simple process. Passport validity of six months beyond return is required.
Marrying, and having it recognised
Under the Special Marriage Act, a notice of intended marriage is published for thirty days before the ceremony — a public posting that some couples find intrusive but cannot avoid. Registration follows and produces a certificate. India is party to the Apostille Convention, so the certificate can be apostilled rather than legalised — a real simplification. See civil marriage in India.
Getting there
Direct flights from Europe, the Gulf and Asia to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and other cities. Domestic flights are cheap and frequent. Avoid the peak of the monsoon and the north Indian summer.
Customs and family
Haldi, mehndi, sangeet, the baraat, the mandap and the saptapadi — the seven steps — structure a Hindu wedding over several days. See wedding customs in India.
Points to watch
- Dowry demands are unlawful under the Dowry Prohibition Act, whatever local practice suggests.
- The thirty-day notice is public and cannot be shortened: plan the calendar around it.
- A religious ceremony alone may not be enough for recognition abroad — obtain the registered certificate.
Two absolute prohibitions, wherever you live
Sex tourism and any relationship with a minor are punished here as everywhere, and your own country's law follows you abroad. For sexual offences against a child, almost every state sets aside dual criminality and dispenses with any complaint: you can be prosecuted and tried at home whatever the local law says and whatever the local authorities do. See sexual offences committed abroad.
If you met online
The warning signs are the same everywhere: a very fast escalation, a systematic refusal of video, a request for money for an urgent reason, pressure to leave the platform. The rule holds here as anywhere: you do not send money to someone you have never met face to face. Someone genuine will happily take a video call, meet in a public place and introduce you to their family.
Spotting and reporting a romance scam — India
India: everything on this site
This country appears on 35 other pages of this site, across every section. Here they all are, in one place.
Sexuality
Health
- Assisted reproduction
- Abortion
- Alcohol and tobacco
- Contraception
- HIV and AIDS
- HPV
- Hepatitis B
- Mental health
- Pregnancy
Advice
Marriage
- Same-sex marriage
- Divorce
- Marriage
- Matrimonial property and inheritance
- Partnerships and cohabitation
- Religious ceremony
- Wedding customs and ceremonies
Names
Rights
- Adoption
- Copyright
- Data protection
- Fundamental rights
- Identity theft
- Image rights
- Online shopping
- Privacy
- Sexual offences committed abroad
- Speech and online harassment
Official sources and links
- Your own foreign ministry's travel advice — read it before each departure: it also conditions your travel insurance. Official portals: United Kingdom · United States · Canada · Australia · New Zealand · Ireland
- Your consular post there, or the one covering the country — civil status, marriage, emergencies; note the number before you go. Official directories: United Kingdom · United States · Canada · Australia · New Zealand · Ireland
- World Health Organization — health recommendations by destination
- Hague Conference on Private International Law — celebration and recognition of the validity of marriages