Celebrancy Information
There are two types of marriage celebrant in Australia.
Both are administered by the Attorney-General's Department.
Civil celebrants are required to complete a Certificate IV in Celebrancy (CHC42608) or an equivalent university qualification prior to seeking appointment by the Attorney-General's Department.
Religious Celebrants are required to be a minister of religion and appointed by a "Recognised Denomination".
A Recognised Denomination is a religious body or organisation declared by the Attorney-General's Department.
To be a "Recognised Denomination" the applicant organisation should:
be independent of any other religious body or organisation;
have a central administrative authority for the nomination of ministers of religion;
have at least twelve congregations that need a marriage celebrant;
be established for at least three years.
Currently, more than ninety percent of "recognised denominations" are Abrahamic. This precludes many minority religions and belief systems who do not have large congregations or lack a central administrative authority. The Interfaith Church of Australia seeks to bring these groups together and represent them to the Attorney-General's Department without interfering in their religious structure.