17 March 2021
45 Pipitea Street, Wel ington 6011
Phone +64 4 495 7200
Email
[email address]
Pavan Challa
Websit
e www.dia.govt.nz
fyi-request-14702-
[email address]
Dear Pavan
Official Information Act 1982 request – 2021-0459
I refer to your request received by the Department of Internal Affairs (Department) on 18
February 2021. This response is provided to you under the Official Information Act 1982
(OIA).
You requested—
-
I need my spouse marital state, as per NZ records. I have right to know if my wife is
married to another person while stil married to me.
Response
The Births, Deaths, and Marriages (BDM) office is bound by legislation to only release
information of a birth, death, marriage, civil union, or name change, to an individual in the
form of a certificate, printout or copy of the original registration form.
These documents provide details on birth, death, marriage, civil unions and name changes
that occurred in New Zealand. In order for you to obtain this information, you would need to
contact BDM directly to apply through the appropriate channels and pay the appropriate fee
where required.
Therefore, I must refuse your request under Section 9(2)(a) of the Act; the withholding of
the information is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of
deceased natural persons.
If you have sufficient information on the suspected marriage e.g. bride and grooms’ names,
approximate date or year of the event, place of the event etc you can submit an application
for a marriage certificate. If the application has been completed correctly and a record is
located, we will send you the marriage certificate by post or courier. This will be
confirmation of the marriage being registered in New Zealand. BDM will contact you if a
record cannot be located. Please find attached an application form for your reference.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
or freephone 0800 802 602.
Yours sincerely
Julia Taylor
Manager Operational Policy and Official Correspondence
Service Delivery and Operations
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