Ghana Launches Marrify App to Let Users Verify Partner’s Marital Status Before Marriage

Ghana Launches Marrify App to Let Users Verify Partner's Marital Status Before Marriage

Ghana Launches Marrify App to Let Users Verify Partner’s Marital Status Before Marriage

Ghana has taken a significant step towards curbing deception in marriage with the launch of Marrify, a digital platform designed to help prospective couples verify their partner’s marital status before tying the knot. The app was officially unveiled in Accra on August 28, 2026, in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) and Marry Right Ghana Limited, an agency specialising in family law. The application operates as a searchable digital registry designed to bring transparency to marriage administration. It pulls legal data from several official sources, including the Registrar-General’s Department, courts, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, and the Ghana Gazette. The platform covers records for ordinance, customary and Islamic marriages, as well as divorce records based on court rulings and judgments.

A core feature of the platform is the ability to conduct a formal check on a prospective spouse’s marital history. Users can search the platform using details including names, spouse names, towns, certificate numbers, and Gazette numbers. This helps prevent the emotional, financial and legal complications that can arise when someone enters a relationship without knowing their partner is already married. The platform cautions that records are still being uploaded and a search returning “no result” should not automatically be interpreted as proof that a person has never been married. Individuals and institutions can also submit marriage and divorce records, together with supporting documents, for verification and inclusion on the platform.

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Marrify’s scope extends beyond individual background checks. Members of the public can also use the platform to verify whether marriage venues are duly licensed, churches are registered to conduct marriages, and pastors and imams hold the appropriate licences to legally officiate marriages. This feature closes loopholes in how marriages are solemnised across the country.

Speaking at the launch, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, commended the initiative for promoting transparency, accountability, and public confidence in marriage administration. She emphasised that marriage extends beyond a legal union, highlighting its social, cultural and economic significance for individuals, children, families and communities. “You would not have to take a person’s word for it, even in the most trusted relationship. You can verify with this app,” she stated. Lartey further noted that the platform could help prevent individuals from entering unions based on incomplete or false information, which can contribute to disputes, fraud and emotional harm. She also described the launch as an important step towards encouraging responsible relationships and strengthening family structures, while contributing to efforts aimed at preventing gender-based violence.

The launch of Marrify addresses a significant challenge in Ghana’s marriage landscape. According to the 2021 Population and Housing Census, 80.8% of married persons in Ghana had not registered their marriages. The data showed that proportions of unregistered marriages range from 59.9% in the Greater Accra Region to a staggering 97.1% in the Northern Region. Dennis Adei Dwomoh, founder of the Marrify App and the Marriage Governance Conference, also raised concerns about marriage data management, stating that marriage and divorce records can have consequences decades later, including for inheritance, property settlements and widowhood rights. The platform brings together historical records dating as far back as 1886.

The Marrify initiative is intended to give prospective couples another way to verify a partner’s marital status before making a legal commitment. The ministry has committed to supporting innovations that strengthen the integrity of marriage administration in Ghana.