Do you have the nagging feeling of discovering your information is being used in a marital agreement without your consent? This is an area no one wants to be in. For this reason, we recommend that you educate yourself about the online marital status verification process. According to statistics released by the Department of Home Affairs, the number of corrupt unions has dropped significantly over the past decade.

However, this still does not mean that the department’s efforts have borne fruit. Further efforts are needed to make this problem a thing of the past. For this reason, the ministry has developed an online marital status check.

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To address the problem of fraud in the country’s trade unions, the Department of Home Affairs introduced smart card ID documents in 2003. Card barcodes have proven difficult to counterfeit. Thus, the issue of marital cheating was suppressed.

The department has also developed a database containing spousal records. The database allowed members of the public to remotely check their marital status. To take advantage of this possibility, you need a South African ID number. However, these measures do not mean that everyone is safe, especially those who are not legally or customarily married.

Home Affairs marital status check: SMS

Apart from making the marriage process more transparent, the Home Office has opened the Home Office marital status search option to the public. This process can be performed remotely at the convenience of the stakeholders.

How can I check my marital status through SMS?

Wondering how to check your marital status via SMS? The process is as easy as entering the letter “M” followed by your national identification number or passport number and sending a short message to 32551. (example:
M 5001010050080) SMS rate is R1.

The results of the process of marital status in South Africa will be sent to your phone in the form of a short text message. For inquiries about the Home Affairs marriage status check, you could contact the department at 0800 60 11 90.

Department of Home Affairs: marital status

The Department of Home Affairs is responsible for the celebration of civil partnerships, civil marriages, and custom marriages. The department operates under the Marriage Act of the South African Constitution. Therefore, the department has come up with strict rules for the process. Rules not only manage processes, but they are also strategies to prevent fraud.

These are the South African marriage rules that both parties should fulfill for them to get married:

• Both parties should ensure that according to the constitution, they qualify to get married.

• Both parties should ensure that they are aware of and understand the consequences of being legally married. This requirement refers to the issue of ownership of property.

• Both parties should ensure that their union will abide by the legal requirements of a legal union in South Africa.

What do I need to get married at Home Affairs?

Apart from the rules mentioned above, both parties are required to have the following documents:

• Identification documents, especially if they are South African citizens.
• If it is a union between a South African citizen and a non-South African, both parties are required to present their valid passports. They will also be required to submit a filled-in BI-31 Form.
• If the wedding involves someone who is below eighteen years, he or she is required to present consent on Form DHA-32 from their parent, legal guardian, judge, or an officer from the Commissioner of Child Welfare.
• If either of the parties is widowed, they are required to present the death certificate of their deceased spouse.
• If either of the parties is divorced, they are required to present the final decree of the divorce.

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Marriage Certificate

Marriage takes place in the places provided by the Constitution. The marriage officer must supervise the signing of the marriage license along with two other witnesses. The signing of this certificate is proof that the union was carried out with the consent of both parties.

The officer then issues a handwritten certificate (BI-27) to the couple without asking for money. After that, he must submit a marriage registration to the nearest departmental office to update the couple’s data in the National Population Register to confirm the marital status.

If you are unsure of your status, you can go through the online citizen status verification process. So you know where you stand. I also know what to do if I find myself a victim of a crime.