Confused about procedure -Pune

Hi everyone!
My fiance and I are planning to begin the marriage process within the next month, and I wanted to clarify some things before we got started.

I'm an US Citizen planning to marry and reside in India. I understand I need a No Objection Letter, that I can only obtain through the consulate in Mumbai?

Will I need any other documents from Mumbai? And I've read about getting the X-visa, that I may need to go to Delhi?

I know there's a 30 day marriage procedure, but I'm unsure what all I need to do before and after that.

I hope this isn't too redundant. I've looked all over the forums and online, but I'm still a bit confused.

I presume you are here on a 10-year T visa, Your spouse-to-be should go to the registrar under whose jurisdiction your residence falls and get a list of documents.

You will be able to convert to X visa, once you are married and registered as such.

The 30 day wait period is for SMA (Special Marriage Act) Ask your spice (spouse-to-be) to do the legwork.

Are you a person of Indian origin?
Do you have PIO or OCI(I think not because otherwise you would not ask about x-visa)?

Hi again! Thank you Nycank and Nayan. I'm not of Indian Origin, and I know I can't apply for an OCI card until I've lived in India for two years.

The biggest issue is when or if I need to go to Bombay? My fiancée is working full-time and so we are trying to minimize the time he takes off of work and how much money we spend.

The process of the SMA for two Indians -
1. any one of them(or family) submits the form(with both future bride and groom having signed it) to the marriage registrar of the area/locality where one of them is staying for at least last 1 month.
2. After a wait of 30 days the bride and the groom(and three witnesses) turn up at the registrars office or invite the registrar to a ceremony at home. They sign the papers. the witnesses sign. the registrar declares them married.
3. They get the certificate in hand in 3-4 days.

There are minor variations according to state and city but this is the basic process.
Indians do not need any proof of "no impediment" because such a proof is not possible to obtain in India.

Here is the official requirements for registering a marriage outside Bombay(Mumbai) - http://igrmaharashtra.gov.in/SB_ACTI...istration.aspx Unfortunately, it is in Marathi (....and they say Pune is not a socially conservative town ) so ask your spice to translate it for you & himself, unless he is a bhadrolog !

I did read somewhere that the Pune Registrar's Office is not the most accommodating place for SMA hopefuls.

I wonder if US consulates do issue a no objection letter. If not they might well respond that way and the letter would suffice. Don't see the need to go there personally. In them old days when dinosaurs roamed the jungle we had the registrar come to our wedding in Pune to make the religious ceremony official (I am sure some consideration induced him to come in the evening). However, if this is without family a whole lot of tamasha wouldn't be necessary..

More likely his residence, as she doesn't live in India. As per Nayan's post.

You can apply for an OCI card even if you have never even set foot in India: the neccessary small correction is until you've been married to your Indianfor two years.

Thank you everyone for your help!

Nycank, I went through that website you sent me with my future mother in law. ^_^ There's nothing in the Marathi documents about a No-Objection Letter. I also contacted the embassy, which didn't give a clear answer ("To the best of my knowledge..."). Finally I went to a marriage bureau that works with the Special Marriage Act and they laughed when we asked about going to Bombay to get the letter.

So far it isn't required in Pune, at least.

Ask in writing for list of requirements - Always go with MIL, Let Tai/Aie deal with the babucrats.


Good luck with the lifelong training

This no-objection thing is confusing/wrong terminology.

What is, or may be, actually required is evidence that the couple are eligible to marry, ie, that they are old enough, and neither is married already. Hence, a person may be required to show that they are widowed, divorced or never married. The first two options are easy, as paperwork will usually be to hand. With the third, proving the negative is not so easy.

Many, if not most, countries, neither keep records to show that a person is not married, nor care who, what nationality, or where they do marry. Hence, there is no form of certificate that says, "This person is single." Some consulates/embassies, recognising the official requirement but being unable to fulfill it, provide a piece of paper to the effect, "We don't know, but as far as we are able to say, there is no impediment to this person marrying."

It does not mean, "We have no objection to this person marrying."

(I took a sworn document (like an affidavit, but more so), from UK, but our registrar said, "Not needed: I'll take your word for it.")