Newsletter for celebrants: 26 August 2022

Jeff Montgomery,
General Manager and Registrar-General

Message from the
Registrar-General

Tēnā koe – hello.

I have just got back home after a really good break and was lucky enough to visit some amazing places – from Spain to the UK to Israel. While I was away, Adrian Jarvis, the Programme Director of Civil Registration, spoke at the recent Celebrants Aotearoa AGM. As we have done in previous newsletters and in the spirit of Adrian's presentation, we will continue to keep you up to date as we work on modernising the BDM system.

This issue is mainly focused on the upcoming annual renewal. Please read the guidance carefully so you are prepared for when the renewal starts.

Kia pai tō rā (Have a good day)
Jeff

2023 celebrant renewal

Renewal is fast approaching for celebrants. Now is a good time to prepare for the upcoming renewal.

Independent celebrants: Opens Friday 30 September and closes at midnight Monday 31 October.

If you do not apply for renewal between those dates, you will be removed as a celebrant and will not be able to marry couples in 2023. If you later decide to be a celebrant, you must make a fresh application, pay the full application fee and provide new documents.

Independent Celebrant Renewal

All independent celebrant renewals are required to be completed online using your verified RealMe Identity. All independent celebrants should now have a verified RealMe Identity ready to use for the 2023 renewal.

RealMe

If you have not already verified your identity or wish to confirm your login details are still correct visit www.realme.govt.nz.

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

Keep your contact details up to date

Make sure your contact details are up to date by logging in to the self-service portal at www.govt.nz/organisations/births-deaths-and-marriages/information-for-marriage-celebrants/update-your-celebrant-registration-details/

Not used the portal before

If you have not used the portal before, email celebrants@dia.govt.nz with your name and celebrant number to obtain your personalised link.

Fees

The fee can be paid online via credit, debit or Prezzy card when completing the renewal. This fee is for application only and is non-refundable should your renewal be declined.

If the renewal application is not completed before the official close date, you will be removed from the list of celebrants. To become a celebrant again you will need to complete a new celebrant application and pay the full fee of $220 (Independent). If you want to retain your licence for another year complete the application before the close of the renewal.

Further Information

The independent celebrant renewal will open on Friday 30 September and closes at midnight Monday 31 October.
All independent celebrants are required to complete the renewal online using a verified RealMe Identity.
Independent celebrants will be required to pay $60 when submitting their renewal application online.
A link to the renewal will be sent to you via email as soon as the renewal opens.
You may continue taking bookings and performing weddings throughout the renewal process.
We will send you an email advising that the renewal has closed.
Before Thursday 22 December, we plan to notify the celebrants that have been approved or removed.

Any questions relating to the 2023 renewal should be sent to celebrants@dia.govt.nz as soon as possible to ensure an easy renewal process.

Check your car insurance coverage

A celebrant recently had a car accident on their way home from performing a marriage ceremony. As the celebrant was using their car as a business vehicle (involved payment or income) it was not covered by their private vehicle insurance.

If you are using a vehicle to travel to and from marriage ceremonies, we recommend you check with your insurance provider to make sure you are appropriately insured.

Celebrants Aotearoa questions are answered

Celebrants Aotearoa recently asked BDM a series of questions. Here are our answers for your information.

1. How many new independent celebrants were appointed/removed in 2021?

532 independents were added and 810 were removed (in the annual renewal). Overall there were 278 fewer independent celebrants.

2. Is there a minimum number of weddings you need to officiate at to ensure renewal for the 2023 year?

There is no “minimum number” but if a celebrant has done one or fewer then they will be asked to explain: the reason for this; what they are doing to maintain their celebrancy practice; and why they believe there is still a community need for them to be a celebrant.

3. Is there a report on how many weddings each celebrant has performed over the last few years?

The most recent report shows ceremonies performed from 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021 https://catalogue.data.govt.nz/dataset/independent-marriage-civil-union-celebrants-number-of-ceremonies-performed/resource/90554172-dc22-4881-a13f-bab5543bdf4b

4. How is COVID-19's impact on celebrants work dealt with during renewal?

Celebrants are given an opportunity to explain why they have not performed any marriages since last renewal, which may be because they have had COVID-19, been sick or stuck overseas etc. There is the opportunity for celebrants to state they have had reduced work during the COVID period when re-applying and this will be taken into account.

5 Is there an update on the review of registry wedding fees paid to celebrants as $90 is not sufficient?

Fees are set by Cabinet, based on recommendation from the Minister of Justice. It is expected that fees will be reconsidered next year.

6. Couples that want a civil union need to sign a paper form at a Registry Office. Is this going to be simplified?

The number of civil unions each year is very low so it is unlikely that this process will go online. So far this year we have registered 24 civil unions when compared to 12,009 marriages.

7. With borders reopening tourists may want to have their wedding in NZ. Will they be able to apply for their translated/apostilled marriage certificate online?

This is not currently a priority.

8. When sending emails to bdmtoregister@dia.govt.nz why do we get confirmation of receipt sometimes and not others?

Everyone gets at automated acknowledgement but in some cases it may go to your spam folder. Celebrants need to check their spam folder or discuss with their email provider.

9. Can BDM process yearly registrations as we apply and pay our fee? They do that in other industries.

We acknowledge this is difficult. We have moved the renewal closer to winter off-peak to try and help. The current set-up is running smoother than previous years and operates as best it can under current constraints.

10. Would BDM consider two-year registration for registry wedding celebrants?

The Marriage Act is very prescriptive and requires annual renewal for everyone.

Safari and https://celebrants.dia.govt.nz

Customers that use the Safari web browser (usually on an Apple device) may find that they cannot view all of the normal features when they search for a celebrant at https://celebrants.dia.govt.nz.

Please ask your couples to search using a different browser, such as Chrome, or use a device that doesn't use Safari as the browser.