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Muslims allowed to hold marriage ceremony outside KUA office amid new normal
The Religious Affairs Ministry still limits the number of people attending marriage ceremonies to 10 or 30 people, depending on the venue, and requires that participants adhere to health protocol.
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Relatives of the bride and bridegroom wears face masks when attending a wedding ceremony at a mosque in Banda Aceh, Aceh on June 3. (AFP/CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN )
T
he Religious Affairs Ministry has allowed Muslims to hold wedding vow exchange ceremonies – a legal requirement to register the marriage – outside the local religious affairs offices (KUA) as the government eases COVID-19 restrictions.
The ministry had previously allowed such ceremonies to be held only at the KUA offices and with no more than 10 people attending.
The ministry issued a circular on marriage service guidelines during the COVID-19 outbreak on Wednesday.
“According to the circular, the bride and groom are allowed to hold the ceremony at their house, at the mosque or in meeting halls,” the ministry’s Muslim community guidance director general, Kamaruddin Amin, said in a statement on Friday.
Read also: From raincoats to video calls, COVID-19 adds unusual wrinkle to typical Indonesian weddings
He added that the number of people attending such ceremonies at a home or at a KUA office would remain limited to 10 people, while ceremonies held in mosques and meeting halls were limited to 20 percent of the room’s capacity, though not exceeding 30 people.
"We hope marriage services can still be conducted while preventing or minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission," he said, adding that marriage services would be conducted under strict health protocol.
Couples could submit their marriage applications online through the website simkah.kemenag.go.id, by phone call, email or in person at the local KUA office in their area.
