How to Reschedule or Cancel Your ROM Appointment

Plans shift. A venue falls through, a date clashes, a witness drops out, or the two of you decide to wait. After you have submitted your civil marriage application on the Our Marriage Journey (OMJ) portal, almost everything can still be changed — but there is no “cancel” button, and the fee you have paid is not refundable. Here is exactly what you can move, how late you can do it, what it costs, and what happens if you simply walk away.

This covers civil marriages registered with the Registry of Marriages (ROM). Muslim couples register through the Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM), which uses different fees and deadlines — see the note near the end and our ROMM marriage guide. For the forward process from scratch, start with the complete ROM registration guide.

There are two “appointments” to keep straight

The word “appointment” trips couples up because there are two separate bookings in a civil marriage, and they have different rules:

• The Verification of Documents and Declaration (V/D) appointment — the meeting (in person or by video link) where an ROM officer checks your documents and you make your declaration. Eligible couples skip this and declare online.
• The solemnisation — the ceremony slot on the day you actually marry, after ROM has issued your marriage licence.

You can reschedule either, and you change both from the same place: log in to OMJ and look under the change-details service. What differs is the deadline and whether a fee applies.

Changing your verification and declaration appointment

If you need a different V/D date, ROM’s own instruction is to log in and change it yourself: “Login >> Login for civil marriage >> Other operations >> Change solemnisation or appointment details.” V/D appointments run Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.

Avoid simply turning up on a different day hoping to be seen. ROM warns that if you walk in without an appointment, you “may have to wait for more than 1 hour during the peak period,” and priority goes to couples who do have appointments. Rebooking online is faster than queuing.

Changing your solemnisation details

This is the change most couples need. Through the Change solemnisation details e-Service you can amend:

• the solemnisation date (your new date must fall between 22 days and 6 months after you first submitted the application);
• the time or venue;
• your witnesses; and
• your solemniser.

The 22-day floor exists because the statutory 21-day notice still has to be served from your submission date, and the 6-month ceiling is the application’s validity window. You cannot use a change to stretch the wedding beyond that six months — past it, the application expires and you start again.

The fee: S$25 per change (civil)

For a civil marriage, the change-of-solemnisation fee is S$25 per application, payable by credit or debit card. It is the same S$25 whether you are moving the date, swapping a witness or changing the venue — the fee is per change transaction, not per field, so batch your edits where you can. A rejected solemniser booking is the one thing that is not charged: “if your solemnisation booking is rejected, please make another booking. You will not be charged for this.”

What you can change and by when. Source: Registry of Marriages, as of November 2026.

Deadlines: how late you can change

How late you can change depends on where you are solemnising:

• At a Registry site (onsite): changes can be made up to the day of solemnisation, before the ceremony — but a change of date is subject to a slot being free, and you should approach the officer at least 20 minutes before your ceremony if you have not already done it. The overview guide also frames the self-service route as open “any time till 3 days before your solemnisation date.”
• At an external venue or by video link (offsite): use the e-Service up to 5 days before your V/D appointment; at the appointment the officer can help; after it, call ROM at 6338 7808.
• On the day: if something changes at the last minute, work with your solemniser on contingencies, note the change, and proceed as long as the conditions for solemnisation are met. You then settle the paperwork with ROM afterwards.

If a witness cannot make it

A no-show witness is common and fixable. Before the day, update the witness’s details through the Change solemnisation details e-Service (the S$25 fee applies to a change of witness details too). On the day, find a replacement who is at least 21 years old from among your guests and tell your solemniser before the ceremony so they can assist. After the ceremony, contact ROM on the next working day — email [email protected] or call 6338 7808 — to update the record. For who qualifies and what witnesses do, see our guide on witnesses for your ROM.

Cancelling: the application simply expires

There is no form that “cancels” a civil marriage application. ROM’s position is straightforward: “if the couple does not proceed with the solemnisation, the marriage application will automatically expire at the end of 6 months from the date of submission. A fresh application may be submitted after the earlier application has expired.” In practice, calling it off means doing nothing and letting the clock run out, then applying again later if you wish.

Refunds: there are none

If you decide not to marry, you do not get your money back. ROM states plainly: “there is no refund for marriage application submitted to the Registry of Marriages (ROM).” The S$42 (or S$380 for two foreigners) application fee and any S$25 change fees are gone once paid, so avoid submitting — and paying — until your date and venue are reasonably firm. For how the filing window fits the rest of your planning, see our wedding timeline planner.

If your application expires

An expired (or cancelled) application cannot be revived. “For a marriage to be valid, the marriage application needs to be valid at the point of solemnisation” — so if yours has lapsed, you “please submit a new marriage application online.” That means a new fee and a fresh 21-day notice period, so if you are only pausing, note your expiry date and re-file in good time.

Refund of an accidental overpayment

One narrow refund does exist. If a website technical glitch charged you twice, write to ROM through the feedback form with your name, NRIC or passport number, the transaction date and time, the reference number, the amount paid and the merchant reference code; ROM will match the records and refund the excess. This is for genuine double-charges only — not a change of mind.

After solemnisation you cannot “cancel”

Once you are solemnised, you are married, and handing back the certificate does nothing. ROM is explicit: “a marriage cannot be cancelled after the solemnisation. Only a Court of competent jurisdiction can dissolve a marriage. You should consult a lawyer on this matter.” Changes to the record after the fact (say, a misspelt detail) are still made through ROM’s feedback form for the S$25 fee; ending the marriage itself is a legal matter for the courts. For what the day itself involves, see what happens at your solemnisation appointment.

ROMM is different

If you are marrying under Muslim law, the Registry of Muslim Marriages uses its own rules: the change-of-solemnisation fee is S$15 (non-refundable), an offsite change must be made at least 8 days before the solemnisation (onsite, up to the actual day), and a new date must fall 22 to 150 days after submission. To cancel a ROMM application you go in person to ROMM or email [email protected] for a cancellation form. The details are on the ROMM change page and in our ROMM marriage guide.

Civil and Muslim marriage change rules compared. Source: Registry of Marriages and Registry of Muslim Marriages, as of November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change my witnesses without a fee? No. A change of witness details is a change to your solemnisation details, so the S$25 fee applies, the same as moving the date or venue.

We paid but called off the wedding — can we get the S$42 back? No. ROM does not refund the application fee for a change of mind. The application just expires six months after submission.

How late can I change the date? Online, up to 3 days before an at-ROM ceremony and 5 days before your appointment for an offsite or video-link one; on the day itself you can still ask the officer or solemniser, subject to the conditions being met and (for a date change) a slot being free.

Do I have to tell my solemniser separately? Yes. The system emails your solemniser about changes, but ROM advises you to contact them directly to confirm, especially for a date, time or venue change.

Our application expired. Do we keep our place in the queue? No. You submit a fresh application and serve a new 21-day notice; nothing carries over.

Where to go next

• The full ROM registration process
• What happens at your solemnisation appointment
• Choosing and briefing your witnesses
• Where you can solemnise