Bali

Bali is the most western island of the Lesser Sundas and the most visited in the Indonesian archipelago. The tropical island of Bali conjures up the mystical east; whether you are looking for a quiet relaxing time on Bali’s excellent beaches, with their dramatic coastline and plenty of local bars, restaurants and excellent handicraft shopping. Alternatively, explore the interior of this lush tropical island with the green rice terraces and beautiful temples. Bali offers so much more than just wonderful beaches; it is an island steeped in history and tradition as well as breathtaking scenery. Highlights include the Kintamani volcano, but also the energetic colour of local dances, festivals and handicraft markets, plus traditional villages and temples are a way of life.

Weather

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
T	88	88	88	88	88	87	87	87	89	90	90	88
S	8	10	10	10	9	9	9	10	11	10	10	10
R	8	11	8	5	4	2	1	0	0	1	2	6

Key to symbols used:
T - Average daily maximum temperatures
S - Average daily sunshine hours
R - Average monthly rainfall (if higher than 0.5”)

Flight time: 16.5 hours
GMT + or -: + 8
Visa: Not required

Documents and Legal requirements
Residency: The minimum residency requirement is technically a minimum of 10 days, however if wedding organisers such as Bali Weddings International submit marriage licence applications on your behalf this requirement is waived.
Proof of ID: You will be required to produce your original birth certificates and a 10-year passport. Your passport must have six months validity remaining from the date of arrival in Bali.
Photographs: Five passport size photographs of the bride and groom to be , the groom should be on the bride's right hand side. These should be head and shoulders only with you looking straight ahead. Make these as good as possible as they will be attached to your wedding certificate.
Proof of Status: It is necessary for you to plan an itinerary with a stopover in Jakarta to go to the British Embassy (see Further Information for address) to sign an affidavit swearing that you are free to marry and to apply for a Certificate of No Impediment, which will be issued in a form acceptable to the Indonesian authorities. These documents cannot be obtained in the UK or by post prior to travel.
Divorced: Your Decree Absolute with court stamp must be produced. Divorced Catholics cannot marry in Bali.
Widowed: The Death Certificate of your deceased spouse and previous Marriage Certificate is required. Widowed Catholics cannot marry in Bali.
Age limit: You must both be 18 or over to marry in Bali. Under this age you must obtain written parental consent.
Catholic: You must obtain a letter of Freedom to Marry from your Priest, together with a Letter of Delegation addressed to the Catholic Church in Bali stating that your parish has no objections to your marriage service being performed in Bali also a Pre-Nuptial Enquiry completed by you and your priest. For mixed Catholic and non-Catholic couples wishing to marry in the Catholic Church, a Letter of Dispensation for Disparity of Religion is required. This can take up to 6 weeks to obtain and requires that you take a number of ‘instructions’ before it will be issued.
Name change: If your name has been changed by Deed Poll legal proof stamped and signed by a solicitor is required. This also applies if a divorced woman has reverted back to her maiden name.
Adopted: If you are adopted the adoption certificate must be produced.
Religion: It is preferred that you are both of the same religion and must be one of the following - Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist.
It is important for you to know that the law in Indonesia requires that all marriages be officiated by both the registrar and a religious minister. A representative of your beliefs must perform the religious ceremony.

Ceremonies
In Indonesia it is not possible to have a civil-only wedding. All couples wanting legal marriages must first be married by a religious representative. Only after the religious ceremony has taken place will the Civil Office register and legalise the marriage.
There are a few restrictions in terms of location for ceremonies. It is not possible to be married in a Balinese/Hindu Temple and beach weddings are not recommended unless you are marrying on a private beach as they are generally very busy and you are likely to be offered a massage or T-shirt during the service, which can rather detract from the romance of the moment. Consequently most wedding take place either in a church or in the grounds of your hotel.

Obtaining your marriage licence
It is necessary for you to plan an itinerary with a stopover in Jakarta to go to the British Embassy to sign an Affidavit swearing that you are free to marry and to apply for a Certificate of No Impediment (see Further Information for address). Originals of the necessary documents must be presented at the time of application.

Other information
It is not possible to register a foreign marriage with the British authorities, nor the British Consulate General in Jakarta. However, it is possible to apply through the Consulate to deposit a record of your marriage with the General records Office in the UK. This is not obligatory, as the British authorities will recognise marriage certificates issued by the Civil Registrar, but serves the purpose of having a permanent record. The current fee for this service is £20.

Further information

Indonesian Tourist Promotion Office 24-hour brochure and information line: 0891-600180 (calls 60p per min.) Website: www.tourismindonesia.com	Indonesian Embassy 38 Grosvenor Square London W1X 9AD Tel: 020-7499 7661 Fax: 020-7491 4993
Bali Weddings International Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai 77 Sanur Bali Indonesia Tel:00-62 361 287516 Fax: 00-62 361 286262 Email: baliwed@bali-paradise.com Website: www.baliweddingsint.com or www.bali-paradise.com/baliwedding/	British Consulate – General Deutsche Bank Building 19th Floor Jl. Imam Bonjol 80, Jakarta 10310 Tel: 00-62 21 390 7484 – 87 Fax: 00-62 21 316 0858 Hours: 8.00am-11.30 am Mon to Fri 2.30pm-4pm Mon to Thurs

Always check with local authorities as this information may be subject to change.