Shortening of Time for Marriage in Australia: Grounds, Cost and How to Apply
In Australia you normally need to give one month's notice before you marry. If you can't wait, you can apply for a Shortening of Time. It's only approved if you fit one of five legal circumstances: employment or travel commitments, wedding or celebration arrangements (including religious considerations), medical reasons, legal proceedings, or an error in giving notice. In Victoria the fee is $62 and Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) quotes 2 business days. Your celebrant doesn't decide the outcome. A prescribed authority does.
A couple rang us on a Tuesday morning. A close family member had been given days to live. They had always planned to marry, they just hadn't got around to it. Now the clock was ticking and they wanted to be married at the bedside.
By Wednesday afternoon they were legally married. We helped with the application, the evidence and the paperwork. Their application was approved within 24 hours.
That's Shortening of Time at its best. It's also a process with strict rules, and plenty of couples get knocked back because they apply for the wrong reason or bring the wrong evidence. This guide tells you exactly how it works, what it costs, what you need and how to give yourself the best shot.
→ Who decides (it isn't your celebrant)
→ The 5 legal grounds, with the evidence each one needs
→ Reasons that don't qualify
→ How to apply, step by step
→ Cost and timing
→ The "why didn't you give notice sooner?" question
→ What happens if you're refused
→ FAQs
What Is Shortening of Time?
Under the Marriage Act 1961, every couple must lodge a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) at least one month before the ceremony. The month starts the day your celebrant receives your signed and witnessed NOIM, not the day you book or pay.
A Shortening of Time (sometimes called a notice shortening application) is a formal request to marry before that month is up. It isn't a loophole and it isn't automatic. It's assessed case by case, and a prescribed authority can only approve it if your situation fits one of the legal circumstances. There is no discretion to approve one outside them.
If you're not in a rush, the simplest answer is to lodge your NOIM early and let the month run. Our guide on how quickly you can get married in Australia covers that. This page is for when you genuinely can't wait.
Who Actually Decides? (Not Your Celebrant)
This trips people up, so let's be clear. Your celebrant does not approve or refuse a Shortening of Time. A government body called a prescribed authority makes that call.
In Victoria the prescribed authorities are the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria (BDM) and the magistrates' courts. Other states and territories have their own, so check with your celebrant or your local registry.
What your celebrant does do is vital: they complete your NOIM, confirm your identity, write the letter saying they can marry you on the new date if it's approved, and guide you through the evidence. A good celebrant makes your application easy to approve. They can't promise the result, and nobody honest will.
The 5 Legal Grounds (and the Evidence Each One Needs)
Your reason has to fall into one of these five. The evidence is what turns a good story into an approved application, and you must supply it all at the time you apply.
A job that takes one of you away, or a family member visiting from overseas for a limited time who needs to be at the wedding. The key is that you need to be married before someone leaves.
Bring: an employer's letter or contract showing the dates, flight bookings or itineraries, and visa details if they apply.
You've already made binding arrangements, and cancelling would cause real financial loss or hardship. This also covers religious reasons that tie the marriage to a particular date. Simply wanting to marry sooner doesn't count.
Bring: signed contracts, deposit receipts and invoices, proof you started planning more than a month ago, and a letter from your religious leader if religion is the reason.
A serious illness affecting one of the couple, or a close family member who may not survive the notice period. This is the ground we see approved most often in urgent cases.
Bring: a letter from the treating doctor that states the condition and the prognosis. Specific beats vague every time.
Court proceedings that mean one of you could be unable to marry within the month, for example a risk of imprisonment. It's rare.
Bring: a court order, or a letter from your solicitor setting out the situation and the dates.
A mistake in how your notice was given that wasn't your fault. Think of a celebrant who gave wrong advice, lost your NOIM or lodged it late.
Bring: a letter from the celebrant acknowledging the error, plus your wedding plans and any emails or messages that show what happened.
Reasons That Won't Be Approved
Save yourself the stress. These usually don't qualify on their own:
✗ Not knowing about the one-month rule, with no wedding arrangements already made.
✗ A holiday or a nice date you've picked, with no bookings you'd lose.
✗ A reason with no documents to back it up.
If you're unsure whether your situation qualifies, email us before you spend money. We'll tell you honestly.
How to Apply, Step by Step
Book a celebrant who can do short notice
Tell them up front that you need a Shortening of Time and what your reason is. Not every celebrant is available at short notice. We are.
Complete and sign your NOIM
Fill in the Notice of Intended Marriage, but don't sign it until you're in front of your celebrant or another authorised witness. It has to be signed and witnessed to count. If one of you is overseas, it must be witnessed by a notary or at an Australian embassy or consulate.
Lock in your new ceremony date
Pick the date and time you want to marry. If it's approved, that's the day it happens. You can change it later if you need to.
Get your celebrant's letter
Your celebrant writes a letter confirming they've received your notice and will marry you on that date, if the shortening is approved. At I Do Drive Thru this letter is $150.
Gather your evidence
Use the checklist below. Everything has to go in with the application, because the prescribed authority won't chase you for missing documents.
Lodge the application and pay the fee
Send the application form, your documents and the fee to a prescribed authority. In Victoria that's BDM or a magistrates' court. Other states have their own forms and fees, and we'll point you to the right one.
Get married
If approved, the prescribed authority signs the shortening section of your NOIM and it comes back to your celebrant. You can marry on your chosen date. Your celebrant meets you wherever you want to say your vows.
☐ Celebrant's letter confirming the ceremony date
☐ Photo ID for both of you
☐ Evidence for your ground (see the five grounds above)
☐ The completed application form
☐ Payment of the application fee
What Does Shortening of Time Cost?
Most celebrant pages dodge this one. Here are the actual numbers for Victoria (other states may vary for BDM fee):
Fees and forms vary by state and can change, so always check with the prescribed authority before you pay. Evidence costs, such as a doctor's letter, are on top.
How Long Does It Take?
BDM Victoria quotes 2 business days once a complete application is in. Other prescribed authorities set their own times, so ask them. In urgent medical cases we've seen approval come through within 24 hours.
The biggest delay isn't the government. It's an incomplete application. Missing evidence is the number one reason things drag, so get every document together before you lodge.
The Question Everyone Dreads: "Why Didn't You Give Notice Sooner?"
You'll be asked to explain why you didn't lodge your notice earlier, and whether you'd suffer hardship if the shortening is refused. This is where honest, simple answers win.
Short, factual and tied to dates. "Dad was diagnosed on the 3rd and the specialist gave him two weeks." "The job offer came through on Monday and starts in nine days." Attach the document that proves it. Don't pad it with drama. The person reading it handles these every week and spots a vague story instantly.
What If You're Refused?
It isn't the end of the road. If the application is refused, you can still marry once one month has passed from the day your celebrant received your signed NOIM. That's why lodging your NOIM the same day you book matters. Your normal countdown is already running while the shortening is being decided.
You can also pick a new date, or, if your circumstances change or you find stronger evidence, talk to your celebrant about whether a fresh application makes sense.
Common Situations We Help With
The most urgent and the most moving. A doctor's letter and a complete application can move very fast.
A work transfer or posting with a firm departure date, backed by an employer's letter and flight details.
Another celebrant cancelled, vanished or didn't lodge your NOIM, and your date is close. We step in quickly.
Family flying in for a short stay, or a visa timeline that makes the date matter. We can also supply visa letters.
Short on time? We move fast.
Book online and we lodge your NOIM the same day, so your one-month countdown starts straight away. Then we help with the letter and the evidence. Available across Australia.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Requirements and fees can change, so confirm details with your celebrant and the relevant prescribed authority. Victorian details checked against the BDM Victoria notice shortening page, updated 1 July 2026.