How Much Does a Nikah Cost in Canada?

The main fixed cost: the marriage licence

If you want your nikah to also be a legal marriage, most provinces require a marriage licence before the ceremony. In Ontario the licence is issued by a municipal office, and each city sets its own total. Ontario's getting married page explains that the licence includes a $75 provincial fee, and municipalities add their own administrative fees on top.

Here is what the official city pages showed when we checked them in November 2026. A licence from any of these offices can be used anywhere in Ontario, so you can apply wherever is most convenient for you.

Ontario's Requirements Respecting Marriage in Ontario sheet says a licence expires three months after the date it is issued. Do not buy it too early, and do not leave it to the last week either, since many offices work by appointment.

• Toronto: $180 (HST does not apply), on the City's marriage licence page.
• Mississauga: $165, on the City's marriage licence page.
• Brampton: $175, on the City Clerk's marriage licence page.
• Hamilton: $178 (HST does not apply), on the City's apply for a marriage licence page.
• Kitchener: $180, paid in person at your appointment or walk-in visit.
• Markham: $200, paid online with the application.

Licence costs outside Ontario

Each province runs its own system, so the cost and the rules change if you marry elsewhere. These are the official figures we read in November 2026.

The Manitoba Vital Statistics page also notes that, for clergy, fees are determined by the religious group in question. That matches what we see across Canada: there is no government price for a religious officiant.

• Alberta (Calgary, Edmonton and the rest of the province): Alberta.ca lists a $40 government fee, and registry agents add their own service fee, which varies by office. The licence is valid for 3 months.
• British Columbia (including Vancouver): the B.C. government page says a licence costs $100, is nonrefundable, and the cost includes your first marriage certificate.
• Manitoba (including Winnipeg): Manitoba Vital Statistics lists the licence at $100. It must be bought at least 24 hours before the marriage and is valid for three months.
• Quebec (including Montreal): Quebec does not use a marriage licence. For a civil marriage, the Quebec government's tariff page lists $324 plus taxes at the courthouse or city hall, and $431 plus taxes outside the courthouse or city hall. For a religious celebrant, Quebec.ca says the celebrant will tell you the fees and how to pay.

Mosque fees, where they are published

Some mosques publish a fee for their marriage service, and many do not. We only mention a fee where the mosque states it on its own page, and these are amounts paid to the mosque, not a personal fee for an imam.

Masjid al-Farooq in Mississauga states on its nikah services page that the fee for a nikah is $500 and that all proceeds go to the masjid. The same page says the imam will only perform the nikah in the masjid, and that it cannot provide space for food service at this time.

Al Rashid Mosque in Edmonton lists marriage service fees of $250 for members and $500 for non-members, payable at the main office. Its page also says cash payments or gifts to the imam are not accepted.

Please do not assume another mosque charges the same, or anything at all. Policies differ by community, so ask the mosque office directly before you plan around a number.

Your marriage certificate

In Ontario, the paper you may receive on the day is a record of solemnization, which ServiceOntario says is not the same as a marriage certificate. Your officiant sends the signed licence to the province, and once the marriage is registered you can order the official certificate.

ServiceOntario's marriage certificate page lists $15 for a certificate by regular online service and $45 for premium online service. A certified copy of the marriage registration, which some immigration and foreign offices ask for, is $22 regular or $52 premium. Check which document you need before ordering, so you do not pay twice.

In British Columbia the first certificate is already included in the $100 licence. Manitoba Vital Statistics says it does not issue a certificate automatically, so you apply for one separately.

Optional extras

Everything beyond the licence and certificate is your choice. Some families keep it very small, with a quiet room, two witnesses and the paperwork. Others add some of the items below, and prices depend on your city and your vendors.

A good approach is to agree as families on what matters most, then spend only there.

• A hall or venue, if you are not using a mosque, a home or a backyard.
• Food, drinks and dessert for guests.
• Decor and flowers.
• A photographer or videographer.
• Clothing, henna, hair and makeup.
• A framed nikah certificate or keepsake document.
• Extra copies of your marriage certificate.

Asking your imam about arrangements

ImamConnect is a free matching service. Imams set their own arrangements, the family deals with the imam directly, and we do not set or publish any imam's fee. Practices vary a great deal, so there is no standard figure we can give you.

The kindest approach is to ask politely before the day. You might write: Is there anything we should know or prepare regarding travel or other arrangements? That lets the imam answer in his own way and avoids awkwardness at the ceremony. If your budget is tight, it is fine to say so gently.

If the nikah is at your home, mention the address and the time early, since travel across the city can take a while.

Mahr is separate from the wedding budget

The mahr is not a wedding cost. Most scholars describe it as a right of the bride, agreed between the couple, and it belongs to her. Please keep it out of the venue and food budget so it is never squeezed by other spending.

Questions about how much mahr to give, or how it should be paid, are best taken to a scholar or imam you trust. Our guide to mahr in Canada covers the practical side.