Much more than just tying the knot...
Ever since I started this website, the husband has been reminding me to transfer useful information from a previous half-hearted blog over here. This entry contains some of the most valuable stuff we learned the hard way back in 2009 -- getting married with French and Malaysian passports. For me, it was a tonne of paperwork and I remember feeling tired even before anything.
He proposed. You said yes. Congratulations! You've found yourselves right at the tip of the Big Day iceberg. So many things to look forward to in every aspect of your life and yet, one wonders *pun intended* "Where do I begin?..."
For us, we tried not to get sucked into the materialistic bits of wedding planning. So the boss did his homework back at the town hall in France; while I ran my own errands between several Malaysian ministries/departments. So for the benefit of Malaysians who intend to sign up for the same "package" as ours, here's what you have to do:
He proposed. You said yes. Congratulations! You've found yourselves right at the tip of the Big Day iceberg. So many things to look forward to in every aspect of your life and yet, one wonders *pun intended* "Where do I begin?..."
For us, we tried not to get sucked into the materialistic bits of wedding planning. So the boss did his homework back at the town hall in France; while I ran my own errands between several Malaysian ministries/departments. So for the benefit of Malaysians who intend to sign up for the same "package" as ours, here's what you have to do:
1. Go to any JPN office or Malaysian embassy/high commission in your country of residence (consular section), tell them you're getting married and ask for the set of forms for surat pengesahan taraf perkahwinan. You'll get a cover letter, surat akuan and the JPN.KC09 form.
2. Get the Commissioner of Oath (there's one such person in each of these offices) to endorse the surat akuan saying you have not been married. I paid SGD 10 to have mine endorsed at the Malaysian High Commission in Singapore. If you do it in Malaysia, it's only MYR 5.
3. Submit the whole set of documents along with photocopies of your MyKad. Allow 7 working days to process the application. I highly recommend that you do this at the JPN headquarters in Putrajaya. Why? Assuming that you're getting married outside Malaysia, you'll require an extract of your birth certificate. The JPN headquarters (repeat: headquarters) is the only place that issues birth certificate extracts. Think of it as Professor Charles Xavier's Cerebro in the X-Men.
Before you are disgusted at the thought of having to wait 7 working days just to have the surat pengesahan taraf perkahwinan, I am most delighted to share with you that a family member is able to collect the document on your behalf. All you need is to prepare a letter of authorisation indicating some proof of identification.
4. Again, on the assumption of your getting married outside Malaysia, you'll need to have these documents (the surat pengesahan taraf perkahwinan and birth certificate extract) authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Government-to-government, documents are only recognized when they are attested by the ministries of foreign affairs. Else, any Chong, Muthu, Lopez or Ahmad could lay claim to just about everything under the sun. Well, here's the good news: the MFA office is just round the same precinct as the JPN headquarters in Putrajaya.
5. Are you still with me? We're almost there! Once you've collected the authenticated documents from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you deserve a really good meal. For now, there is only one person who can lead you towards the light and eventually out of the tunnel. Get in touch with the Malaysian Embassy in Paris, speak to Rogayah at the consular section. Follow her instructions in sending the documents and payment over - she is the link between you and the French government. Your documents will be translated in French after which, Rogayah will send them either back to you or anyone you specify (in my case, my in-laws in France to present to the town hall). Lovely lady even though I have never met her in person.
Also, to plan your series of battles more efficiently, you should take note of Malaysian public holidays, and there's no harm in calling to verify counter service hours before making your way to Putrajaya. You know, lah... ;-) I've included only the general URL to both ministries, since the guys update their sites often and any links to specific pages may be obsolete thereafter.
2. Get the Commissioner of Oath (there's one such person in each of these offices) to endorse the surat akuan saying you have not been married. I paid SGD 10 to have mine endorsed at the Malaysian High Commission in Singapore. If you do it in Malaysia, it's only MYR 5.
3. Submit the whole set of documents along with photocopies of your MyKad. Allow 7 working days to process the application. I highly recommend that you do this at the JPN headquarters in Putrajaya. Why? Assuming that you're getting married outside Malaysia, you'll require an extract of your birth certificate. The JPN headquarters (repeat: headquarters) is the only place that issues birth certificate extracts. Think of it as Professor Charles Xavier's Cerebro in the X-Men.
Before you are disgusted at the thought of having to wait 7 working days just to have the surat pengesahan taraf perkahwinan, I am most delighted to share with you that a family member is able to collect the document on your behalf. All you need is to prepare a letter of authorisation indicating some proof of identification.
4. Again, on the assumption of your getting married outside Malaysia, you'll need to have these documents (the surat pengesahan taraf perkahwinan and birth certificate extract) authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Government-to-government, documents are only recognized when they are attested by the ministries of foreign affairs. Else, any Chong, Muthu, Lopez or Ahmad could lay claim to just about everything under the sun. Well, here's the good news: the MFA office is just round the same precinct as the JPN headquarters in Putrajaya.
5. Are you still with me? We're almost there! Once you've collected the authenticated documents from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you deserve a really good meal. For now, there is only one person who can lead you towards the light and eventually out of the tunnel. Get in touch with the Malaysian Embassy in Paris, speak to Rogayah at the consular section. Follow her instructions in sending the documents and payment over - she is the link between you and the French government. Your documents will be translated in French after which, Rogayah will send them either back to you or anyone you specify (in my case, my in-laws in France to present to the town hall). Lovely lady even though I have never met her in person.
Also, to plan your series of battles more efficiently, you should take note of Malaysian public holidays, and there's no harm in calling to verify counter service hours before making your way to Putrajaya. You know, lah... ;-) I've included only the general URL to both ministries, since the guys update their sites often and any links to specific pages may be obsolete thereafter.
