Marriage registration · Puducherry

Marriage Registration in Puducherry: e-Thirumanam Guide

In Puducherry, marriages are registered before the Sub-Registrar of the Registration Department, with applications on the e-Thirumanam portal. Puducherry also keeps a French-era civil marriage system for people governed by the French Civil Code.

By TrueSaath · published 2026-10-22 · checked October 2026

Official portal: e-Thirumanam Puducherry

Who registers marriages

The Registration Department of Puducherry registers marriages through its Sub-Registrar offices. Couples appear before the Sub-Registrar; for delayed cases, verification is done by the District Registrar or the Collector-cum-Secretary (Revenue). Online applications are made on the e-Thirumanam portal, which also lets you book a date.

Four kinds of registration

The department's marriage page lists four services.

Hindu marriage registration

For: couples where both partners are Hindu, Buddhist, Jain or Sikh.
Conditions: at least one partner domiciled in Puducherry, no living spouse, groom at least 21 and bride at least 18.
Ceremony: a marriage performed in a temple, by an Iyer, or as a Suyamariyathai or Seerthiruththa (reform or self-respect) marriage.
Who appears: the bride, the groom, one parent of either party and three witnesses, each with original photo identity.
Timing: online applicants attend their booked slot; for offline applications the department says registration can take place about a week after verification.

Background: Hindu Marriage Act registration.

Special marriage registration (already solemnised)

For: couples where one or both partners are Christian, Muslim or of another religion, registering a marriage already performed, under section 15 of the Special Marriage Act, 1954.
Conditions: at least one partner domiciled in Puducherry; living together as spouses since the ceremony; no other living spouse; both at least 21 at registration; not within prohibited degrees.
Process: a 30-day public notice is displayed. Online applicants must still submit documents physically. After the notice period, the bride, groom and three witnesses appear before the Sub-Registrar.

Intended marriage (court marriage)

For: anyone marrying before the Sub-Registrar under the Special Marriage Act.
Conditions: valid consent, groom at least 21 and bride at least 18, not within prohibited degrees.
Process: a 30-day notice of intended marriage is displayed; the marriage is then conducted on your chosen date, subject to availability, with three witnesses, and the certificate is issued after signing. See court marriage under the Special Marriage Act.

Condonation of delayed registration

For: Hindu, Buddhist, Jain or Sikh couples whose marriage took place more than five years ago and was never registered.
Verification: by the District Registrar if the marriage was 5 to 15 years ago, and by the Collector-cum-Secretary (Revenue) if it was more than 15 years ago.

See registering a marriage after the wedding.

Documents the department lists

Birth proof of both partners: birth certificate, transfer certificate or mark sheet.
Voter ID, Aadhaar, passport or driving licence of both.
Ration cards of both.
The original Iyer or solemnisation certificate (from an Iyer, priest or Kazi, for already solemnised marriages).
The original wedding invitation.

Fee

The Registration Department's page lists a fee of Rs 20 for each type of marriage registration, as checked in October 2026. Confirm it on the page or at the office.

Puducherry's French heritage

Puducherry was a French territory until the 1950s, and some of its people, known as renonçants, chose to be governed by the French Civil Code instead of their personal law. That choice still has effect. In 2021 the Karnataka High Court held that the French Civil Code continues to apply in marriage and divorce matters to renonçants and their descendants, wherever they now live.

For them, civil marriage runs through the municipality, not the Sub-Registrar. The Pondicherry Municipality's citizen charter names an Etat-Civil Officer for marriages under the French Civil Code, citing a Decree of 1888 on French marriage law. Its services include conducting a civil marriage, registering a marriage by declaration, publishing marriage banns, and issuing the livret de famille (family record book) and full extracts of marriage certificates. Birth certificates, ration cards and Aadhaar cards are listed as the documents for both a civil marriage and a declaration marriage. If your family is governed by French law, ask a lawyer which system applies to you.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws, procedures, forms and fees change, so confirm the current steps on the official portal or at the registering office before you apply. For your own situation, speak to a lawyer, or get free legal aid through your District Legal Services Authority or NALSA's toll-free legal aid helpline 15100. More state guides are on our marriage registration hub.

Planning the wedding itself?

Find an auspicious date, match kundlis and send invitations with RSVP — free, and nothing you enter is stored.

Wedding muhurat Free invitation cards

Questions people ask

Which portal is used for marriage registration in Puducherry?

The e-Thirumanam portal of the Registration Department, which takes applications and lets you book a date with the Sub-Registrar.

How many witnesses are needed for marriage registration in Puducherry?

Three witnesses with original photo identity, along with the bride and groom. For a Hindu marriage, one parent of either party also attends.

Can a self-respect marriage be registered in Puducherry?

Yes. The Registration Department lists Suyamariyathai and Seerthiruththa marriages among the ceremonies accepted for Hindu marriage registration.

Who registers a marriage that took place more than five years ago in Puducherry?

It goes through condonation of delay: the District Registrar verifies marriages 5 to 15 years old, and the Collector-cum-Secretary (Revenue) verifies older ones.

What is an Etat-Civil Officer in Puducherry?

The municipal officer who conducts and records civil marriages under the French Civil Code, mainly for families of renonçants.

Sources

Checked in October 2026. Rules, fees and portals change; confirm on the official site before you apply.

The national guides

Hindu Marriage Registration under Section 8 HMAhindu marriage registration Court Marriage under the Special Marriage Actcourt marriage process Documents for Marriage Registrationdocuments required for marriage registration Inter-Religion Marriage Registration in Indiainter religion marriage registration Marriage Certificate Onlinemarriage certificate online NRI Marriage Registration and Apostille in Indianri marriage registration Late Marriage Registrationlate marriage registration Name Change after Marriagename change after marriage

Other states

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