28 July 2026

There are 4 weeks before the renewal starts. Use the time wisely by following the instructions below to ensure you are ready.

Noho ora mai rā, 
Russell

2026 independent celebrant renewal

Applications are open for 4 weeks from Friday 28 August and close at midnight on Monday Monday 28 September 2026.

A link to the renewal will be emailed to you as soon as the renewal opens.

You may continue taking bookings and performing weddings throughout the renewal.

You’ll be notified of your approval or removal before 13 November 2026.

New celebrants approved after 1 April 2026, do not need to apply for renewal this time, but will from next year onwards. 

Questions relating to this years renewal should be sent to celebrants@dia.govt.nz.

Celebrants' with low activity levels

If a celebrant has performed zero or one marriage or civil union during the last 12 months, they will be asked to give reasons why they should be renewed for a further year. Activity levels from April 2023 will also be assessed. Historically low demand from the public or a particular community may indicate that the celebrants services are no longer required. Low activity levels also present a risk to a celebrants ability to maintain relevant skills, competence and performance. 

Failure to apply by 28 September 2026 

Late applications will not be accepted. If you do not apply for renewal between 28 August and 28 September 2026, you will be removed as a celebrant and will not be able to marry couples once the new list of celebrants is published in the NZ Gazette on 13 November 2026. If you later decide to be a celebrant, you must make a fresh application, pay the full application fee and provide new documents.

RealMe

You must complete the renewal online using your RealMe verified identity. 

Visit www.realme.govt.nz to confirm your login details are still correct. 

If you need to apply for a RealMe verified identity, start now. Once you have taken your application number (and if required, other documents for scanning) to a participating photo store, you'll need to allow about 10 working days for the Department of Internal Affairs to confirm if your identity is verified. Follow the instructions at www.realme.govt.nz/how-apply/

Fee

You will be required to pay $63 when submitting your renewal application online.

The fee can be paid online by credit, debit or Prezzy card. The fee is for the application only and is non-refundable if your renewal is declined.

Keep your contact details up to date

Make sure your contact details are up to date by logging in to the self-service portal. This means you will get our email when the renewal opens.

If you are using the self-service portal for the first time, get set up by emailing your name and celebrant number to celebrants@dia.govt.nz.

Self-service portal 

Things for you to check:

• Your contact details. There can be a variety of spellings for towns and cities so check to make sure yours is spelt correctly. For example: Whangaparaoa, Whangapāraoa or  Whangaparāoa - the last one is the correct spelling with the macron over the fourth a.
• If you are a current financial member of Celebrants Aotearoa and your membership number.
• If you are a validated member of Celebrants Aotearoa through participation in their specific professional development framework. This is an optional reflective process available to all CANZ members. The VCANZ acronym (V meaning Validated) can only be used if you've completed a successful application.
• Current financial membership of The Celebrant Guide, or successful completion of one of its training modules, may be listed as one of the 3 celebrant related qualifications or competencies.
• If you have completed a Certificate in Celebrant Studies, or Diploma in Celebrant Studies at The Celebrant School (TCS).
• If you have completed a Certificate in Marriage Celebrancy, or Diploma in Celebrancy at the Celebrant Training College (CTC).

Through the celebrants self-service portal, you can also ask us to publish, on Locating a Celebrant: 

• your email address, home phone and/or mobile phone
• your celebrant related website
• your Māori iwi (tribe)
• your profile photo
• your exact location (Google Maps), and
• up to three celebrant related qualifications or competencies e.g. if you can korero in te reo Māori.

The must haves – celebrants and ceremonies

An approved celebrant must be clearly seen by everyone attending to take an active role by officiating over the legal parts of the ceremony.

The celebrant must formally identify the couple, ensuring that the people standing in front of them at the wedding are the same people named on the marriage licence. That may be achieved by simply asking each party their name.

The marriage ceremony must be in New Zealand, which includes the Ross Dependency and up to our territorial boundary.

The couple must say their vows in front of an approved celebrant and before at least two other witnesses.

The full names of the couple as written on the marriage licence must be used at some point during the ceremony. Abbreviations and nicknames can be used in other parts of the ceremony.

Couples can write their own vows as long as they say to each other “I take you [partner’s name], to be my legal [wife/husband/partner]” or something similar during the ceremony. 

After you have married the couple and the Copy of Particulars of Marriage are fully completed (date, a specific place, couples signed, witnesses signed and addresses, celebrants name and signed and registration number/denomination) email a scan or photo to bdmtoregister@dia.govt.nz. Include the surname of both parties in the subject line.

Retain the Copy of Particulars of Marriage for 4 weeks in case the photo or scan needs to be redone. After 4 weeks the Copy of Particulars must be destroyed along with other emails and documents that include personal information.

Article on fake and duplicate weddings - TCG

The Celebrant Guide (TCG) have prepared an article on 'Fake weddings, duplicate weddings and doing a wedding "with a friend"'. This article has the support of BDM and was prepared in collaboration with Celebrants Aotearoa, The Celebrant School and the Celebrant Training College.

The Celebrant School - Te Wānanga Korowai Aroha is a small Kiwi business with a 30-year track record of inspiring the celebrants of Aotearoa-New Zealand with training and professional development opportunities, networking, and support services. For more information on what’s available visit www.celebrant.school.nz or phone 021 681 958.

The Celebrants Training College offers a variety of training and professional development, for new or experienced celebrants throughout New Zealand. More information is available by ringing our office on 021 027 896 96 or at www.celebranttraining.co.nz.