By The Big Buy desk · Last verified 4 October 2026
Getting married in Singapore is cheap on paper and expensive at the party. The Registry of Marriages (ROM) charges S$42 to apply for a marriage licence if at least one of you is a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, or S$380 if both of you are foreigners. The fee is the same whether you marry at ROM or at an outside venue, and licensed solemnisers are volunteers who expect no fee. You must file at least 21 days before the solemnisation, and an application stays valid for six months. ROM now runs from its interim site at Esplanade Mall, with Saturday solemnisations since May 2025. The big number is the wedding banquet: published 2025 hotel packages ran from about S$1,058 to S$2,088 a table, before service charge and GST.
Congratulations first. Then a calm plan: sort out the paperwork, which is quick and cheap, and put your energy into the guest list, which is what decides your budget.
Quick facts
- Marriage licence application: S$42 (at least one party a citizen or PR); S$380 if both are foreigners.
- Special marriage licence (for example, to waive the 21-day notice): S$280 each, or S$380 for two foreigners.
- File at least 21 days before the solemnisation, through the Our Marriage Journey portal; applications are valid for six months.
- You need two witnesses aged 21 or above, with NRIC or passport.
- Licensed solemnisers (Justices of the Peace, grassroots or religious leaders) are volunteers; a token of thanks is optional.
- Hotel banquet prices are quoted “++”: add a 10% service charge, then 9% GST on top.
What does ROM charge, as of October 2026?
ROM’s fees are short and mostly one-off. These are the ones couples meet most often.
| ROM service | Citizen or PR (at least one party) | Both parties foreign |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage licence application | S$42 | S$380 |
| Special marriage licence (notice waiver and other special cases) | S$280 each | S$380 |
| Registering an overseas marriage | S$75 | S$380 |
| Changing solemnisation details | S$25 | |
| Digital copy of a marriage certificate | S$50 | |
| Updating marital status in your Singpass profile | Free | |
Muslim marriages go through the Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM), which has its own process and fees; check the Our Marriage Journey portal for the current schedule.
How the civil marriage process works
- Pick a date and venue. ROM slots, including Saturday ones, can be booked up to six months ahead; an outside venue needs a licensed solemniser who agrees to come.
- File the application on the Our Marriage Journey portal at least 21 days before the date, and pay the S$42.
- Make your declarations. Couples aged 21 or above, marrying for the first time, with Singpass and filing jointly, can do this online; others verify in person or by video link with ROM.
- Get the licence. It is issued within the 30 days before the solemnisation, once the 21-day notice has passed.
- Turn up with two witnesses aged 21 or above, with their NRIC or passport. Sign, and you are married.
What does the banquet really cost?
A banquet is priced per table of ten, and the headline is never the bill. Published packages compiled by SingSaver in 2025 give the shape of the market; hotels revise them often, so ask for this year’s quote.
| Venue type (2025 published packages) | Typical price per table, before ++ | Usual minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Luxury hotels | About S$1,688 to S$2,088 | Often 120 to 250 guests |
| Mid-range hotels | About S$1,058 to S$1,668 | Often 10 to 32 tables, or 150+ guests |
| Lunch versus dinner | Lunch cheaper: about S$1,238 to S$1,888; dinner about S$1,438 to S$2,088 | Varies |
| Weekday versus Saturday | Weekdays about S$1,058 to S$1,588; Saturdays about S$1,314 to S$2,088 | Varies |
Watch for surcharges on auspicious dates and public holidays, corkage, and the price of extra tables beyond the package minimum.
A worked budget for a 20-table dinner
Take a mid-range hotel at S$1,588++ a table. Add the 10% service charge (S$1,746.80), then 9% GST on that: S$1,904.01 a table. Twenty tables come to S$38,080.24. Add the S$42 licence and the costs you choose to carry, such as photography, attire, rings and a solemnisation lunch, and get at least three quotes for each. Many couples count on red packets from guests to offset the banquet, but that is a hope, not a line in the budget; plan as if you are paying the full bill.
The WahLiao Verdict
Do the legal part early and cheaply: file the moment you have a date, and remember that a weekday ROM solemnisation with two witnesses costs S$42 and is every bit as married. Then set the guest list before you visit a single ballroom, because tables drive everything. Compare quotes in final, all-in dollars, after ++, and choose lunch or a weekday if the savings let you start married life without debt. The best wedding is the one you are still glad you paid for a year later.
Questions people ask
Does it cost more to marry at a hotel than at ROM?
Not in ROM fees. The marriage application fee is the same either way; the extra cost is the venue itself.
Do we have to pay the solemniser?
No fee is expected. You may reimburse their costs or give a small token of thanks; it is entirely up to you.
Can we marry on a Saturday at ROM?
Yes. Since 17 May 2025, civil solemnisations at the Esplanade Mall site have been offered on Saturday mornings and afternoons, bookable up to six months ahead.
What if we need to marry in under 21 days?
Apply for a special marriage licence, which waives the notice period. It costs S$280 for each citizen or PR applicant and needs good reasons.
Sources: Our Marriage Journey (ROM), ROM fee schedule; ROM, civil marriage process; Our Marriage Journey, licensed solemnisers and fees; MCCY, Esplanade Mall site and Saturday solemnisations; SingSaver, 2025 banquet package prices. The Big Buy explains; it does not advise.
Read next: BTO Applications and the HFE Letter · HDB Housing Grants · What ++ Means on a Bill · Back to The Big Buy
For what’s worth it this week, with the bill shown, read The WahLiao Week.
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