Interview with the officiant before the civil union ceremony

Before the civil union ceremony, you and your intended spouse must meet with the officiant. During the interview, the officiant must:

• check that you meet the conditions for a civil union; 
• ask you to sign the information statement used to publish your civil union notice.

In addition, you will be able to confirm all the details for the ceremony, such as the date and place.

If your civil union is to take place at a courthouse, the interview be place with a clerk or deputy clerk of the Superior Court.

You and your intended spouse must both show that you meet the conditions for forming a civil union.

Verification of identity

In order to verify your identity, you can give the officiant: 

• the original of your birth certificate, or
• a copy of your act of birth.

If you are unable to submit these documents you can contact the court clerk, who will explain the best way to proceed.

Proof of civil status

You must prove to the officiant that you are free from all previous bonds of marriage or civil union, by providing one of the documents listed below to prove your civil status.

In addition, if you intend to form your civil union at the courthouse, you and your intended spouse must each complete the relevant section of the form Civil Union – General Information (SJ-833A) (PDF 337 Kb) and give it to the clerk at your interview.

Judgments or civil status documents from outside Québec

The officiant will accept, as proof, a court judgment or a document produced outside Québec. However, if the document is in a language other than French or English, the officiant will also require:

• an official translation produced by a member of the Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec;
• a sworn statement by the translator that the translation is accurate.

If the officiant has doubts about the validity or date of effect of a judgment, he or she will ask you to file a court application for the recognition of a foreign judgment.

The officiant must submit a notice of civil union to the registrar of civil status by completing the form Application for publication of for a dispensation from publication of a notice of marriage or civil union available on the website of the registrar of civil status.

The officiant must ensure that the notice of publication is posted on the website 20 days before the date of the civil union.

However, in some cases, the registrar of civil status may grant a dispensation from publication.