Jeff Montgomery,
General Manager and Registrar-General
Message from the
Registrar-General
Tēnā koe – hello.
The Omicron variant is providing new challenges this year with information circulating from various sources, both official and unofficial, about how to apply the traffic light system (COVID-19 Protection Framework). Therefore, it may be difficult for you to know which advice to follow.
My office does not set the rules for the traffic light system so my advice is that you should always go directly to these two websites from the government and Ministry of Health to answer any questions you have:
- Information about COVID-19 from the Ministry of Health
- Government advice about COVID-19 on Govt.nz
Please continue to always follow that advice.
Keep safe.
Kia pai tō rā (Have a good day)
Jeff
The unvaccinated can still get married
We have heard that a celebrant may have refused to marry a couple because they were not vaccinated.
Under the traffic light settings, weddings and civil union ceremonies can go ahead but there may be different restrictions depending on whether at Green, Orange or Red and if those attending have a My Vaccine Pass.
At Red according to https://covid19.govt.nz/traffic-lights/life-at-red/gatherings-and-visits-at-red/public-and-private-gatherings-at-red/:
"Gathering limits without My Vaccine Pass
- Gatherings at your home or a private dwelling are limited to 25 people.
- Gatherings at other venues are limited to a maximum of 25 people. It is the responsibility of the venue to ensure it complies with capacity limits based on its defined space and 1-metre physical distancing.
They can be a mix of people with and without a My Vaccine Pass."
If you are unsure of how to proceed, always refer to the the advice from the government and Ministry of Health.
Mask wearing at gatherings
As per the advice at https://covid19.govt.nz/traffic-lights/life-at-red/gatherings-and-visits-at-red/public-and-private-gatherings-at-red/:
"We encourage you to wear a face mask whenever you leave your home.
From 4 February 2022, you must wear a face mask when attending a gathering — you cannot take your face mask off for photographs, but you can take it off to eat and drink.
Performers do not need to wear a face mask, but they are strongly encouraged to."
Cannot use Zoom/Skype to marry a couple
Under the Marriage Act, a marriage can’t occur virtually (i.e. you cannot use video conferencing software like Zoom, Skype etc.) and the couple, celebrant and witnesses must be physically present in the same place.
Everyone must be physically present, in-person, at the geographical place when the couple say their vows to each other.
The marriage licence application and return of the signed papers can be done online.
Only approved celebrants marry couples
Please remind anyone you know that wants to be a celebrant, that they cannot marry couples until they have been officially approved as a celebrant and their name has been added to the list of celebrants.
Until they are approved as a celebrant, they may only participated in a marriage ceremony by, for example, reading a poem.
It is an offence to pretend to be a marriage celebrant and the marriage may be void ab initio.
