𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐈𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝟐𝟖 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

… 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒓𝒚’𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒍 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔

By Yeshi Dolma

The High Court reviewed 111 applications for Foreign Marriage Certificates (FMCs) in 2025 and
issued 28 certificates, according to the Annual Report 2025. While representing a relatively
small segment of marriage-related services, FMCs highlight an important area of the judiciary’s
work in managing marriages involving foreign jurisdictions.

Marriage registration, however, continued to dominate notary services provided by courts across
the country. During the year, courts issued a total of 6,827 marriage certificates, accounting for
47.8 percent of all notary services delivered nationwide. Following marriage certificates,
attestation of documents made up 23.2 percent of notary services, while affirmation of marital
status accounted for 22 percent. Other services included the closing and transfer of shares and
accounts at 2.9 percent, issuance of child travel documents at 1.7 percent, and miscellaneous
services at 2.4 percent.

These figures reflect the judiciary’s expanding role beyond adjudication, as courts increasingly
provide essential civil services that directly affect citizens’ legal status, documentation, and
family life. Among different court levels, Dzongkhag Courts recorded the highest number of
notary services, handling 12,154 cases in 2025, followed by Dungkhag Courts with 2,096 cases.
Marriage certificates constituted the largest share at both levels, with Dzongkhag Courts issuing
5,295 certificates and Dungkhag Courts issuing 1,532.

Court-wise data further shows that Thimphu Dzongkhag Court registered the highest number of
notary services, reflecting the concentration of population, employment opportunities, and
administrative institutions in the capital. Other Dzongkhags with notable volumes of notary
services included Paro, Punakha, Samdrup Jongkhar, Samtse, Wangdue, and Bumthang.

Despite marriage registration being a routine legal process, public understanding of marriage
laws remains varied, particularly among younger citizens.

“I have heard from friends and people around me that men can marry three times, but women are
allowed to marry only two times,” said Tashi Wangmo, 25 years-old. “Many of us do not really
know what the actual law says. We mostly rely on what we hear from others, and that sometimes
creates confusion. I think people assume the rules are different for men and women, but we do
not really discuss the legal part properly.”

Such perceptions, she said, often circulate informally and are rarely clarified unless people are
directly involved in the marriage registration process.

However, the Marriage Act of Bhutan, 1980, does not differentiate between men and women in
terms of the number of marriages permitted. The law applies equally to both genders.

Under Section Kha 1–15 of the Act: “If any man or woman who, subsequent to acquiring a
Marriage Certificate on three separate occasions from a Court because of being divorced on all
the three occasions by his or her successive partners on account of his or her repeated
misconduct, then in such a case, the said defaulting man or woman shall not be granted a
Marriage Certificate if he or she marries for the fourth time.”

The provision clarifies that a fourth marriage certificate may be denied only if an individual has
been divorced on three separate occasions due to repeated misconduct, and it applies equally to
both men and women.

For couples, the process of obtaining a marriage certificate can vary depending on circumstances
such as residence, place of origin, and employment status. Chogyal Tenzin, who recently
registered his marriage, shared his experience navigating the procedure.

“Both my wife and I are originally from different Dzongkhags, but we are currently living and
working in Thimphu,” he said. “Because of that, there were certain requirements we had to fulfill
before applying for the marriage certificate. We had to submit employment consent letters from
our respective offices, which took some coordination.”

He added that the application process required advance planning. “We had to make an
appointment first, and only after completing all the documentation were we able to apply. Once
everything was submitted, the process itself was quite efficient. We received our marriage
certificate the next day, which was a relief after going through the formalities,” he said, noting
that clear guidance from court officials helped make the process smoother.

His experience reflects how administrative requirements can differ for couples, particularly those
residing outside their home Dzongkhags or working in government and corporate offices, even
though the core legal process remains standardized.

Beyond notary services, courts also continued to play a role in alternative dispute resolution
through court-annexed mediation. A total of 1,604 cases were mediated in 2025, with
Dzongkhag Courts handling 1,390 cases, Dungkhag Courts mediating 212 cases, and the High
Court mediating two cases.

The Annual Report highlights the judiciary’s dual role in both adjudication and service delivery,
showing how courts remain central not only to resolving disputes but also to managing critical
civil processes such as marriage registration, legal documentation, and mediation that directly
affect citizens’ everyday lives.