Couples who have got married during the COVID-19 pandemic period and are unable to get it registered at local bodies can now register their marriage through videoconferencing.

Minister for Local Self-Government M.V. Govindan said here on Wednesday that an order has been issued to this effect. The registration can be done with the special permission of the chief registrar after making clear that they are unable to appear in person in the current scenario.

The chief registrar and the registrars at the local body level have to ensure that there are no cases of impersonation during the online registration process. Some couples who had gone abroad during the pandemic without completing the registration formalities have been approaching courts to get it done online. Registrars in various locations have been allowing such registrations based on court orders, the Minister said.

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Mr. Govindan said that the marriage registration certificate is a pre-requisite for house rentals and other facilities in some countries. The order for online registration has been issued considering these conditions.