3 Ways to Marry in Ghana—Legally!

Are you thinking of  marrying in Ghana? Here are some tips to guide you. There are three legal forms of marriage in Ghana: the Customary, the Islamic and the Ordinance.

Customary marriage in Ghana is a kind of marriage between a man and a woman, and involves performance of certain local customs. There are as many variations of the custom as the ethnic groups there are in Ghana. Two things common to the various customs are: a gathering of the extended families of the couple; and payment of a bride-price to the bride’s parents.

Customary marriages are potentially polygynous: a man may have as many customary wives as he can, and there is no limit to the number of such marriages that can be legally registered under the Customary Marriage and Divorce Registration Law, 1985 (PNDCL 112).

Islamic marriage is a kind of marriage that is made in accordance with Islamic rules regarding marriage. Marriages made under Islamic law may be polygynous. A marriage made under Islamic rules must also be registered under the Marriages Act, in order to be valid.

The Registrar of Mohammedan marriages and divorces must be notified within one week of the marriage, or else the marriage will be declared null and void. However the Law provides for certain actions for instances where it is impossible for all the necessary parties to attend at the Registrar’s office within a week.

wedding-ringsOrdinance marriage or a marriage under the Marriage Ordinance is regulated by the Marriages Ordinance, 1884-1985, and it is strictly monogamous. One of the parties in the intended marriage must give notice of marriage to the Registrar Marriage of the district where the marriage will take place. The Registrar will publish notice of the intended marriage for twenty-one days and then issue a certificate if no objections are made against that marriage.

The couple now submit the registrar’s certificate to a licensed marriage officer to perform the marriage. Then the couple must marry within three months, otherwise, the Registrar’s certificate becomes invalid and a new one must be obtained. Now read the requirements for ordinance marriage in Ghana.

This is a straightforward overview of the legal types of marriage that exist in Ghana.

259 thoughts on “3 Ways to Marry in Ghana—Legally!

    1. No! A man who marries by ordinance cannot take another wife by any means as long as the one taken by ordinance has not been dissolved. If a man takes another wife whiles the ordinance marriage is still valid, he may have committed bigamy, a misdemeanour under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) of Ghana.

      1. Mr. George, please I got married last year to a US citizen and I have not been hearing from her anymore , about 8 months now when she return back home , what can I do about it

    2. Ordinance marriage is strictly monogamous,which means you can only have one wife. By implication, the one bound by the laws of ordinance, cannot get into any form of marriage, unless he divorces legally to be free to do otherwise.

      1. so please…you mean a couple can visit the registrars office with two witnesses each and get married and not perform any customary rites?

  1. Can u register customary marriage under proxy…meaning when both couples are not around but will be represent by parents.

  2. My partner lives in Ghana; he is Norweigan and now live there. He ask me to marry him…But he was stay we can get married without me there. He went to the chief. Where he lives I need to find. It would cost a lot of money… Please would you help me.

    1. chloe.b, Why would you spend “a lot of money” to search for a man who has made a marriage proposition to you? Anyway, the sum of official fees for ordinance marriage for this year 2014, at the Accra marriage registry, is 46 Cedis only (that’s about US$15 or GB£12).

    1. Indeed, Christianity recognises customary marriage and therefore once it has been established that the customary rites have been performed, you can partake in communion

  3. Can a married Nigerian man marry another Nigerian woman under the Ghanaian law, either Islam or customary ?

  4. Please, when a customary marriage is contracted, can both families, on behalf of the couple, undertake the divorce process since the couple are in the States? If yes, what article or law can that be found?

  5. Hi There. Can a couple living in UK register their marriage through Ghana Ordinance marriage? If so, How do one go about it?

    1. Yes, they can, but the couple must be present in Ghana to do that. They must be present at the marriage registry or chapel to sign their marriage certificate.

      1. Is it possible for a legally married man marry another woman legally again making it two legally marriages

  6. I want to ask whether it is necessary to marry under customary and then after, ordinance? Because it seems its the order of the day in Ghana.

    1. Fred, Thanks so much for your observation. Marriage contracted under any one of the three forms of marriage is sufficiently valid legally as marriage. It is not necessary to have a marriage by ordinance after a customary one. Although having a marriage by ordinance after a customary ceremony is common in Ghana, it is really not necessary to combine the two.

      1. Hello George, pls can a man who has married under customary, but has registered the marriage at the KMA marry again? The reason being that the woman has instigated for a divorce by bringing back their drinks but does not want to cancel the registration at KMA. Pls advice.

        Thank you

        1. Although you haven’t mentioned the type of registration, that man would have to complete a divorce properly irrespective of the type of registration.
          If it’s ordinance marriage registration, a divorce can be done only through a Law Court. That man must obtain a judgement of divorce before he could marry another woman.
          But if it’s a customary marriage registration only, that man ought to go KMA to register that customary divorce. As marriages registered under customary law can be polygynous, the status of a marriage so registered may not stop that man from taking another wife under customary law only.

  7. If I am legally married in the United States to one wife but decide to transition my life to Ghana, can I then legally marry multiple wives under the customary marriage laws of Ghana?

  8. frm Nana , pls do U need a Pastor n rings before U can marry under ordinance at the marriage registry?

    1. Sam, among all the customs in Ghana, the rites are performed for the woman and therefore if the German is the man, then yes it can be done, but if otherwise, then it’s not possible

  9. Can one have engagement and wedding on same day in Ghana? I was told there needs to be 21 days space between engagement and wedding.

    1. Alex, there are 21 days between filing a notice of marriage and issue of a registrar’s certificate at the marriage registry in Ghana. A registrar’s certificate gives a couple clearance to go on with marriage by ordinance or wedding. Now, if by ‘engagement’ you’re referring to Ghanaian customary marriage, (as some Ghanaian’s do) yes, one can have both on the same day.

  10. I’m married under the customary marriage law. Can I marry another under the ordinance or should I divorce first.

    1. William, you cannot have a marriage by ordinance with someone while you have any other form of marriage with another. If you did that you may have committed bigamy and it’s illegal under the marriage ordinance.

    2. George thank you. but what is the way forward because I don’t want to commit bigamy but I seriously want to divorce, what is the process under the customary marriage. can I marry another person under ordinance I have divorced my wife

  11. I started a customary marriage process unfortunately I couldn’t complete it and the woman deliver a baby for me. I decided not to go ahead with the marriage process again. That means I cancelled the marriage. I want to marry a different lady. What is the law position on that? Have I committed any crime?

  12. Hello, please where can I apply for a proof of singleness document in order for me to marry outside Ghana?
    I need location and process please, thank you.

  13. Please does the signing of the marriage certificate outside the registry invalidate the marriage. Which section of the law defines the location for signing of the certificate

  14. I found out my bf has a marriage certificate. But he lives in the USA. She lives in Ghana. He asked me to marry him. Would our marriage be legal

    1. Please when you are married under customary law with a legal certificate, does it permit the man to marry another woman. Thank you. Aba

  15. We hv sepreted for 6yrs n we married under ordinance.we started process of dissolution n am pregnant with a diff. Woman. Can I perform the customary rite?

    1. No, the law forbids Nana Ama from entering into another marriage in any form as long as that dissolution mentioned is not complete. But it’s strange Nana Ama has says she is pregnant with another woman@**! Same sex marriage is not legal in Ghana.

  16. I met a woman here in the US and she is from Ghana , she says she is pregnant by me however is being very difficult with me and not letting me see her or see if she is really pregnant , now she is saying that she went to Ghana last month and got Married because if it got out that she was pregnant out of wedlock it would look bad to her family and her family is royalty ….If she is pregnant with my child i want to be in my child’s life ……WHAT DO I DO !? she is back here in the states now …do i have options?

  17. I have been married since 26/11/2014 by an Iranian Imam in Ghana . I didn’t register my marriage till today 25/6/2015. I want to register it now; what are the steps I should take . I’ve done it in the Islamic way. Thanks

    1. You may visit the marriage registry in your district and tell any senior officer that you want to register your Islamic marriage, and you’ll be asked to provide some information and directed what to do.
      If you live in Accra, you may go to the AMA Marriage Registry.

  18. My fiance went into a contract marriage with a white lady who came to Ghana. Now, we want to marry legally to cover shame (pregnancy), can we still marry legally?

  19. I have been separated from my spouse for 8yrs without divorce can I go ahead and marry legally again?

    1. Customary marriage is different from marriage under the ordinance. You may have a traditional/customary marriage (what some call engagement), and register that customary marriage; or you may choose to have an ordinance marriage at the marriage registry or at the court; or by way of church wedding.

  20. do i have to look for a licensed marriage officer myself or one will be assigned to me after the certificate has been issued to me?

  21. does the licensed marriage officer seek for the approval of the partners’ parents concerns before officiating the marriage ceremony?

    1. It’s not a requirement, but those officiating at church weddings do seek the bride’s parents’ consent by asking “…Who gives out the lady’s hand in marriage?”

  22. I have been married for 2years I can’t find my marriage certificate. Can I be issued another one? And if I will. Pls what is the process.

  23. My husband filed for a visitors visa for his father,we put single on his application because we thought a customary marriage isn’t legal…was we wrong for thinking it’s not legal or is it not recognized?

    1. It’s no if your intention is to go for customary marriage registration. That must be done after the marriage customs are performed. It’s yes you may, if you intend to go for a ordnance marriage registration (court marriage) But you must know that you may have a valid marriage even if you have no engagement after that.

    1. John, it’s normal for couples in a customary marriage celebration to exchange rings. In fact, I know some people who have done so. But I haven’t seen where a bride is given two rings. I don’t know of any rules against your two rings proposition though. Go celebrate your love in style. All the best!

    1. No, Neil, you can’t. Any new marriage you may enter shall be invalid and you’ll be guilty of bigamy, unless you secure a valid judgement of divorce for your existing marriage.

  24. George, is a person considered married under the ordinance marriage if the gathering took place at a home, (there were no Minister or Registrar present and no vows exchanged)? She paid someone to have the marriage registered, but no one officiated over it (no ceremony) or vows exchanged. Is the marriage considered legal regardless?

  25. i married customarily, and my husband went in for another lady and told people that he has divorced me. can I take a legal suite against him?

    1. Hi Sarah, how could he do that? But the info you gave is too little for a good answer. So go speak with a lawyer. Have you tried to resolve the issue at the family level?

  26. My boyfriend and I intend getting married next year. He prefers a customary marriage which I have agreed to. But the problem is, he won’t register the marriage not until after 5yrs of marriage due to his past experience. My question is, will our marriage still be valid even without it being registered???

    1. Hi Abena, no, such a marriage may not be valid until it’s registered. You also have little legal protection under the arrangement your boyfriend has proposed.

    2. Abena, no, such a marriage may not be valid until it’s registered. You also have little legal protection under the arrangement your boyfriend has proposed.

  27. Can I marry a woman in Ghana if I’m not in the country at the time of the ceremony?.its kind of a rush ceremony. For financial reasons.?

  28. Hi George,

    I’ve similar question than Jim. Can I marry a man, who is working in Ghana if I’m not there. We’re both living in UK , also we have different nationality. Is it possible? Which one is the best for us? I don’t really understand the costumary marriage. We would like to do this as soon as possible.
    Thank you for your help

  29. Bene please we got married under customary, for some period my husband travel to abroad. and now we want to register and have certificate so that i can visit him there please what should i do whiles he is not in Ghana now? due to financial issues.

  30. Hello,

    Thank you for your posts. Really appreciate your patience in answering the questions asked.
    Pls I’d like to know the following;
    1. Where do I locate the marriage registry in Accra?
    2. I will be undertaking an Islamic marriage. What are the requirements, the process, etc. And is it any different if the man is a foreigner? What other requirements are needed.

    Kind regards

    1. There are a number of marriage registries in the city : The Registrar General’s Dept., AMA Head Office, Madina Circuit Court, LEKMA.

  31. Hi me and my partner wants to get married but we live in the UK and he’s not legal here am I able to get a marriage by proxy in Ghana because he can not travel.

  32. My fiancé and I want to get married this year, but he’s under contract marriage, can we perform the engagement and register it and perform white wedding I church without registering until his contract is finalized?

  33. My fiancé and I live in the state , we want to perform both traditional and white wedding but we want to register it in the state, is it possible?

    1. Hi Margaret, I don’t have the fee for Ordinance Marriage in Kumasi now. But the fee at A.M.A. Accra, this year is 220 Gh cedis, equivalent to $58 at today’s forex rate.

    2. Hi Margaret, I don’t have the fee for Ordinance Marriage in Kumasi now. But the fee at A.M.A. Accra, this year is 220 Gh cedis, equivalent to $58 at today’s forex rate. I expect that the fee in Kumasi is not more than $58

  34. We’ve been married for 2 years now,customary marriage and not registered, and have a son. The marriage came as a result of pregnancy, I really don’t want to continue the marriage, because am not happy and I don’t love this lady. What’s the legal implication?
    Do I need to pay compensations, if yes how much?
    What about my son?
    I really need your help. Thank you

    1. Dada, you appear to be in a difficult situation; please, you have to speak with a lawyer. Or you may like to speak first with an elder you can trust in your family, for advice.

  35. My fiancé lives in UK he is a divorced man can we married again in court or its not right please how long will it take to do court wedding please I need to know ..thanks

  36. Hi my name is Joe & I’ve just recently dated a young lady on one of dating site, am 56yrs old & she’s 38yrs old, after a few messages she’s asked me to marry her & then within 3weeks asked me for some money, I felt sorry for sent her some but then she said that she is my wife now & I her husband after a while she wants me to visit her in Accra & for me to ask her hand in marriage after talking to her every day now since November & we have got close but now she said that the elders have asked for me to bring £5000.00 to marry her but I feel that this could be a bit extorting money from me as I have no idea of there custom please can you explain if this right or wrong. She intends to marry me hear in the uk & also come back with me, she’s asking for £1000.00 now before I see hear in February this year. We have only known she other for 2months & am worried that her family are talking advantage of my generosity. Please advise thank you

  37. I got married customarily. My husband went to A.M.A to register; we later got married at church, did the whole ceremony thing. Does it mean we are registered in the system in Ghana or we need to go to Registrar General to register? Pls help! I’m confused, a friend said the US did not accept his marriage certificate that was given to them at church or a.m.a.. what shows

    1. I know the procedure at AMA very well, and I should expect that you’ll not have any problem with your registration if you followed the procedures. Secondly, a certificate issued by your church is not a valid certificate of marriage, unless it is the legitimate one issued on behalf of the Registrar General by a church duly registered as a place for celebrating marriages.

    1. You or your partner must be in the country 15 days, at least, for you to qualify to obtain the Registrar’s certificate to marry.

  38. Good evening George my name is Dee I am from the United States my fiance lives in Ghana what are ceremony would be legal here in the US considering we’re going to file for him to come to the u.s. with me thank you very much for your time

  39. Hi my name is Sarah my fiance lives in Ghana but want me to marry him there and then register for him to come afterwards, should I marry him customary or ordinance, please help. With customary can he Mary more women while married to me.

    1. I think you should choose ordinance marriage. You’re right, with Customary, he can marry more women legally, while he’s still married to you.

  40. Good day please am in a complex situation could help me ,am a Cameroonian, based in paris and want to get married to a Ghanaian based in uk he said for things to be easy for us we need to go for the customary marriage (proxy marriage) I don’t know much about that cause it is not common in my country but later agreed , my main problem is the certificate came in with a lots of errors on the dates
    Names etc which am very much not comfortable with it cause I don’t think it is genuine please I wish to know if it is possible to rectify the errors and how can I find out the certificate was truly regustered

    1. To verify if marriage is registered you request a search and confirmation at the marriage registry.

    1. It’ not difficult if the error is administrative, but for names and dates, that suggests factual errors. Please speak with a lawyer for advice.

  41. Was a marriage by proxy and almost all the spelling were wrong in stead for them to type 2016 it’s 2916 and it has being registered so wondering we can go back for them to rectify it

  42. A man from Ghana is in the U.S. He wants to date me but I want to know if he is married in Ghana in anyway. How do I find out ?

  43. I am an us woman that .lives in the united States. I met my fiance online over a year ago. We communicate daily and video chat alot. He wants to come here and get married. What is the best way of going by doing this please

  44. Hi George, please how long can the white or church wedding be done after the customary marriage? Thank you

    1. You decide when you want to have your wedding after a customary marriage.
      But once you file a notice of marriage, you’ll be compelled to have the wedding within a number of months.

  45. am a boy of 25 years old from nigeria i live in ghana i need a woman for a serious relationship that will leads to marriage anyone interested should contact me 0269576318

  46. Hello, i got married under the church ordinace n we have been separated for over 3 years now. I want to move on so initiated a divorce process but the man doesn’t want to grant the divorce. Is there a provision in the law that allows me to re-marry? Thank u

    1. Kukua, you can re-marry only when you obtain a valid judgement of divorce from the Court. So go speak with a lawyer?

  47. Mr Agboklu please i will like to talk to you personally about an issue concerning marriage, its confidential but i can disclose it to you. Can i please get your contact? That’s mine 0549******. Thank you

    1. George please am married under customary marriage and is registered am I entitled to be called Mrs.

      1. Of course you can be called Mrs. You have to do a change of name at the Ghana Publishing Corporation (Assembly Press) to make it formal. That’s the requirement for everybody, including women who have church wedding.

  48. Have the fees to get married changed since 2014 e.g. $15usd and are there any other filing fees for legal notice. and thank you for posting comments and answers

  49. Hi I have a big problem and I would like ur advice. Am jamaican and my partner is Ghanaian we been together for almost a year now we both live in the UK but he doesn’t have his papers and I have 10 year route visa. We want to get married so we have been talking about a proxy marriage the only this is we don’t know the process of doing a proxy marriage can u pls tell me what is the best way to go about doing this.

  50. Hello, am a Ghanaian my guy from from German wants to come down to Ghana to marry what are the document required for this marriage? Any help!

  51. Hello, am from Ghana and my lady is from U S and want to get married. My question is she can not come to Ghana for marriage rite can she send some one to do it on her behalf and sign the marriage license as well. Thank you.

  52. If you travel to usa for 2yrs,married under the ordinance for 13 yrs and upon returning your husband don’t you to come to the house both were married.what should I do

  53. Good evening
    Please can a customary marriage certified by the consolat from the ministry of foreign affairs and rural development and the chief justice office been used to travel to Europe.

    Regards
    Edward

  54. Can one remarry when the wife packed out of her matrimonial home about 8years ago and out of the 8years he has not set eyes on the wife effort is made to call the woman to go to court and desolve the marriage but she is proven storbon. Kwaku

  55. Hello does it mean with ordinance marriage the man does not pay any amount to the woman’s family? Like bride price or something like that

  56. I live in the Unites States and I want to marriage someone on Ghana west Africa what do I need to do to stay the paper work

  57. Hi George,
    I got married under customary law and got a certificate. I got the green certificate from my pastor with the licence gazetted but i did not go to the AMA to do anything. My pastor did all the process is it legal.

  58. hello. please i have a question. can a licensed Registrar of any municipal assembly follow a couple up to their church hall that has not been gazetted to perform vows for them on their wedding day?

  59. Hello pls can I marry the same person twice under the ordinance marriage?if no what offense will I be charged for.thank u.

  60. Hello George, please can I marry the same person twice under the marriage by ordinance? If no, what charged can be levelled against me? Thank you

  61. Hello, pls if a registrar officiates a marriage outside the courtroom, or marriage hall , is the marriage and certificate valid and legal?

  62. Hello I married my husband in Kumasi Ghana in 2013 it was the court marriage we had Witnesses and all of that there sign the paperwork I have my marriage license and all of those things what I want to know is can he married another woman legally like through the courts can he have a absolute nother wife legally I’m asking this because his uncle told me that he had a wife in Ghana my husband is now here he got here in 2016 he’s been here almost a year not quite yet I am now confused I don’t know if I am leagally married or if I am not because I don’t know the laws but from what I’ve read it seems as if I am legally married I just don’t know if my husband can get legally married twice and Africa because I don’t know the laws help me please?

  63. If a couple does the customary marriage ceremony followed by the ordinance on the same day or later, does it constitute double marriage?

    1. That’s how many Ghanaians choose to celebrate their marriage and there’s no problem with it. But if what really you want to know is whether doing so invalidates the marriage, the answer is that it doesn’t.

  64. Hi Gorge, my parents have been married under customary law for over 30 years. They want to register their marriage now. What I want to know is that. Will the certificate show that they’ve been married for over 30yrs ago or it will show that they just got married this year.

  65. since they didn’t register their marriage until now, I wanted to know if they can back date the date to when they got married? They had both the customary and religious marriage done somewhere in 1976.They’ve got pictures of their weeding and a religious marriage certificate, but not the legal one.

  66. Hi George,

    Am married to a Ghanaian man for more than ten years now not knowing he was already married in Ghana. He last went to Ghana before we were married. I never knew that he had children with this woman. Is this regarded as bigamy? He says the lady knew about our marriage and is true as more than once I picked her calls and she always maintained that she was his sister until I found pictures of the children and their wedding. He says he married at church only. He told the woman only after these discovery that he wants divorce. How can we resolve this matter? How can I find out for sure what kind of marriage he had?

    1. You haven’t stated clearly the form of marriage you and your husband have, and the form he may have with the other lady you mentioned. There are instances where a man could have more than one wife legally. You should speak with a lawyer.

  67. Hi George, If my partner had a customary marriage in ghana but did not sign any paperwork. Are they actually married? Can he marry someone else legally?

  68. We have a civil marriage- ordinance in Ghana. He says they have a christian marriage. I believe a man can only have more than one wife if his first marriage was Customary. Both our marriages are based on monogamous principles, right

  69. am still tinking about dat. if dats possible to do, why den are dey delaying me and wants me to bring a letter or d person b around himself??

  70. Hi George,

    Who has an obligation to report the man for bigamy, especially committed in a foreign country. If the first wife knew that her husband got married to another woman in a foreign country and accepted it, can she turn around and cry bigamy? I believe my husband and this other woman in Ghana after the traditional celebration they signed at church and apparently she knew that he was married in SA though I only knew after 10 years

  71. SIR PLEAS MY MUM HAS BEEN MARRIED TO MY DAD FOR 38 YEARS AND HE HAS WED OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY. WHAT WILL BE THE INHERITANCE OF MY MY MUM

  72. If you meet a woman from Ghana and they say you marry she is still in Ghana and I am still in the U.S. and even a marriage license is shown does that make you legally married?

  73. I the customary system,how many rings are needed? Where can one register his customary marriage??

  74. Hello Gorge, I was dating a married man in the university and we have 3kids now …now he wants to marry me because he feels it’s the best thing to do so he can take care of his kids …..please is it possible we can perform an engagement 💍 n then register it in Court????

    1. Of course, it’s possible and absolutely legal. Your partner must not be in any other marriage that is registered under the ordinance or court wedding.

  75. What does it take for a Nigeria man marry a Ghanaian woman and wed her in Nigeria court or church without the woman having two Ghanian witnesses.

  76. Please is it possible for someone to marry a white lady outside Ghana and then come to Ghana to marry again. is it legal?

    1. It depends on the type of marriage: a man who marries under the customary law can marry more than one woman, but he cannot do so if it’s ordinance marriage or a court marriage.

  77. George
    I have met a woman from Ghana we have been talking for a while I am thinking of asking her to marry me how can I find out is she is on the up and up I am worried about scams please help

  78. Will Akan customary marriage if not registered in Ghanaian court be clasified as legal marriage. I am wondering if US Embassy see that as legal marriage.

  79. George I have Canadian citizen that we plan to marry in June , what are the procedures we can adopt since she is living in Canada and I am here

  80. Do you have to register for a customary marriage in order for it to be considered legally valid? What happens if you just have the ceremony, but don’t register with the government? Do you still have to get a divorce? Do Ghanaians see it as legitimate and if any children are born from this relationship are they considered legitimate in the eyes of society and the government if you don’t register with the government?

  81. Hi,if tranditional marriage was performed 20yrs ago but not registered and the man performed a second traditional marriage with another woman,what rights does the the first lady has.Lots of properties involved in Ghana as well.They dont live in Ghana

  82. Hi,My then girl friend got pregnant and i had to rush to perform a traditional wedding which I arranged for a marriage certificate from a friend from a district court without following the normal procedures acquiring it .The pastor who officiated the ceremony endorsed it aside the two witnesses from both my side and hers.After few months i travelled for barely 2year..Last year she sent my drinks back to my family that she is no more interested in the marriage.she told my family she would finish of with the court separation process which she hasnt for the past 3month…I live outside Ghana so i have little chance to push it.is there anyway or an institution i can call on to summon her to pursue the annulment?she also refuses to let our child to see any member of my family except hers.can you also advice on that since am the one paying for her fees plus living expenses.Thank you.

  83. I’ll give you a reply. Dirty Dog !! You make babies all over town and then leave the mother to deal alone while you marry another ugh. What kind of woman would even want you. Filthy dog

  84. That is wrong in so many levels. If you married and agreed to be monogamous and you secretly marry another it’s bigamy

  85. In Ghana, there are three types of marriages, that’s customary, religious(Christian and Islamic) and marriage by the ordinance. I would like to know why in Ghana one has to performed all the three marriages before being recognized? First one has to perform the customary or traditional marriage, follow by the ordinance one during the couple have to register their marriage at registrar department and finally, the religious one. Is this not complete misplaced priority? I stand to be corrected. This is complete madness!

  86. Can a minister issue marriage certificate to couples who have customarily married but have not licence in court

  87. How can I find out if a man that claim he wants to marry me still married in Ghana I live in the United States and searching and need to be guided in the right direction because I don’t trust him ?

  88. Please am dating a guy , and he now married a different girl by registering their marriage in the A M A office, but has promised me he will marry me to his wife can it be possible for him to marry me also

  89. Please if you want to dissolve your marriage, which was customary, would u have to be in the court before?

  90. If a couple Do’s both the Ordinance marriage and the customary marriage which one takes presidence over the other

  91. I’m Sarah. I got married to a close relatives which our families dissolved the marriage but we already signed at the court, there was no sex and my surposed husband went ahead and had a child with another lady and left the country. I later got married to American and he filed for me ,but at interview I was requested to provide divorce decree which I got marriage annulment certificate and submitted to the consulate but my visa was denied based on I was not free my husband by the time we got married and the case was returned to national visa centre. What can I do?

    1. From your narration, it appears you and “your first husband” didn’t divorce before properly before you went into a “second marriage”. If that’s the case your second marriage couldn’t be valid. You can have a valid marriage now that you have a certificate of annulment.

  92. Good day sir, can a man married under ordinance in a foreign land and also wish to marry another lady by just customary marriage in Ghana. it is legal.

  93. Hello George,
    My Fiance and I would like to marry legally in Accra next year, we met 10 years ago as youngsters in the UK, lost each other for some years and have reunited back together and just want to finally live our lives together. We are both a bit clueless as to how to go about the marriage? I will be travelling to meet him in Ghana end of June next year for only 3 weeks, should he inform of the marriage when he arrives there before me around April time i read something about 21 days before the marriage commences? What do we then do in terms of the fees, ceremony, certificates etc, we would like it to be recognized certificate worldwide also.

    Thank you in advance 🙂

    1. A customary marriage is dissolved customarily. If someone registered a customary marriage and obtains a document to that effect, documents of divorce must be obtained after a customary divorce.

  94. Can a man who is married traditionally in a different country marry a ghanaian under ordinance

  95. Please I have registered my customary marriage. Can I later have a blessing at church and register my marriage as an ordinance marriage?

  96. We started the process and four gave as 21days now we don’t want to sign at church again.can w sign it at court on that very day
    Thank you

  97. This is Daavi Dorcas, can one marry under ordinance marriage without the knowledge of the woman’s parent. Because of some disagreement between them

  98. Pls can you marry other women if you wife denied you of love making but the first one is ordinance

  99. Please, is there a law that governs when two lovers who aren’t married but lives together for a period of time?

  100. Hi married under Ghana customary law which I understand by law is not mandatory to register. My husband recently passed with assets abroad what is my right as a customary wife to claim and will I need to get notary signed letter from the foreign affairs to validate my claim.

  101. A man who is Indian and has a wife, but it is family marriage, it is not registered and he wants to marry me. Can we marry under ordinance marriage?

    1. Your man is already in a customary marriage. He cannot have a valid ordinance marriage while he is already married. He can marry another or more wives under customary marriage only, (that is by the kind of marriage commonly called “engagement” in Ghana.

    1. A copy of the marriage certificate is saved at the registry, so a certified true copy can be issued to you. Cost? That should be a fraction of the current cost of marriage celebration (cost of signing a new certificate)

      1. George I have a question to ask I am a US citizen I’m in love with a Ghana young man and I’m coming to Ghana can we get married there but I want to keep my same last name and I want to bring him to the United States cause I’m not gonna stay in Ghana And does the United States know that I got married to him in Ghana are they such at like a traditional marriage

  102. Have been married under both Islamic and Customary marriage since 2015 But not registered it and now wish to registered it to enable us get married certificate document for travel abroad. What do we do now? Must the registration necessarily be done in Ashanti Region where the marriage took place or it can still be registered in Accra or Ho where we currently reside?

  103. Besides, what is the difference between Islamic marriage and the customary marriage in Ghana? Which of them is more flexible? Do they require the representatives of the spouses to witness the registration?

  104. Please can one marries under customary marriage and still register in court and if yes would the guy still marry more than one woman

    1. A couple who marry under traditional custom may choose to register that marriage at the court under customary marriage law, or they may register the marriage as ordinance marriage.
      When a couple registers under customary marriage law, the husband is permitted to marry more than one woman.
      But if the couple register an Ordinance marriage, they are not permitted to have other spouses.

  105. My Fiancé lives in Ghana and I live in the united states, What exactly do I need to do to marry him and bring him in the USA ?

  106. Hi Mr George pls my partner had a customary marriage n his wife has gone to the States for 5yrs now….she claims she doesn’t know when she will return to Ghana…..my partners family wants me to be a 2nd wife. I want both ordinance n customary marriage but he said he can only go with the customary marriage pls is it legal? Or can we go ahead with the customary n register @ court?

    1. You and your partner can go into a customary marriage because the law allows it for you partner to have more than one wife. However, ordinance for ordinance marriage, neither you nor your partner must be married to someone else. Your partner may risk having legal problems with his wife if he does an Ordinance marriage with you when his first marriage has not been dissolved through a divorce or any other legitimate process.

  107. Hello George, my fiancé and I wants to get married under ordinace is he supposed to pay money to my family as bride price and should the witnesses from both sides be strictly family members?

  108. Good morning George, am married under ordinance buh wants to have another wife by just seeing the ladies family and paying her bride price since I have a child with her, my first wife is ok with the decision is it allowed???

  109. Hi George. If someone is married under Customary Law and then they get married to another woman under Ordinance does the Ordinance overtake the customary? Thanks

  110. Hi George, I require some advice please…. My partner is married, he did a customary ceremony and this was registered at the Superior Court in Accra.

    He has asked me to marry him, I am unsure if this is possible or would this be classed as Bigomy?.

    Also could we have a Ordnance marriage or would it also have to be a Customary ceremony. I am from the UK and would want our marriage registered here, given the circumstances would this be possible?

    Many thanks in advance.

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