Home Affairs Reminds Public of 31 August 2026 Customary Marriage Registration Deadline
Brought to you by SAnews: The Department of Home Affairs has issued a notice reminding spouses to regularise unregistered customary unions before the special registration window closes on 31 August 2026.
In terms of the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, No. 120 of 1998, customary marriages entered into must be registered with the Department to obtain an official marriage certificate and ensure statutory recognition of the marital regime.
The extended registration dispensation applies to:
- Marriages entered into prior to the commencement of the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act in November 2000; and
- Marriages concluded subsequent to November 2000 that were not registered within the prescribed statutory timeframes.
Applications for registration must be lodged at local Department of Home Affairs offices nationwide prior to the 31 August 2026 cutoff date.
What this means for you, your business, or your clients
- For yourself: If you are party to an unregistered customary marriage, apply for formal registration at a Department of Home Affairs office before 31 August 2026 to ensure legal certainty regarding your marital status and proprietary rights.
- For your business: Update HR, payroll, pension fund, and group life onboarding processes to verify that employees claiming spousal benefits under customary unions hold valid marriage registration certificates.
- For your clients: Fiduciary, estate planning, and family law practitioners must audit client marital statuses to ensure customary unions are formally registered, preventing estate administration disputes, spousal maintenance challenges, and intestate succession complications.
Originally published at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/register-your-customary-marriage-home-affairs-deadline