A sticky piece of red tape which prevents Aussie same-sex couples from marrying in countries where gay marriage is legal will be removed next week, Federal Attorney-General Nicola Roxon has announced.

Just as the Labor Conference promised following its Annual Conference last month, ‘Certificates of No Impediment’, which are issued by the Australian government and engaged couples use to prove they are not already married, will now be able to be issued to same-sex couples too.

“This important change will allow same-sex couples to take part in overseas marriage ceremonies, and be considered married according to the laws of that country,” Roxon says.

Until now, Australian same-sex couples have been denied access to CNIs due to the Commonwealth Government’s opposition to marriage equality. That policy began under the Howard Government after it amended the Marriage Act to ban the recognition of same-sex marriages in 2004.

But now, following Labor’s platform change to support same-sex marriage, the restriction of CNIs to opposite-sex couples will at last be lifted on Wednesday February 1.

Fancy a romantic wedding getaway? Canada, Argentina, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, South Africa and six US states including New York are among the jurisdictions which now allow same-sex couples to marry – and each have experienced a spike of tourism from couples in neighbouring centres visiting to exchange vows.

Australian Marriage Equality (AME) has campaigned for the removal of the CNI ban for several years, lobbying consistently for its removal, securing a recommendation against the ban from a 2009 Senate inquiry, highlighting cases where the ban has impacted adversely on ordinary Australians, and threatening legal action if the ban was not removed.