Marriage and civil partnership: your legal obligations :Cross Stitch – Government, citizens and rights
You need to ‘give notice’ and supply some personal information and documents to be married or form a civil partnership. There are also laws concerning immigration and your residency status.
You both must give notice in person – no one else can do it on your behalf
It is a legal requirement to give notice in advance of marriage or civil partnership. Your notice is publicly displayed for fifteen days, after which the authority for your marriage or civil partnership can be granted. Each notice is valid for one year, but if you decide to change venue, new notices must be given.
If you are getting married in the Church of England or Church in Wales, then you do not usually have to give notice of marriage.
If you are having a civil marriage or civil partnership, you both need to go to your local register office to give notice. If you plan holding your marriage or civil partnership in a different area, you should also contact the local register office for that area before you give notice, to ensure that officials will be available on the day.
You both must give notice in person – no one else can do it on your behalf.
If you are giving notice in Wales, you may give this in English, or in English and Welsh. If notice is to be given bilingually, both the couple giving notice and the officer must be able to understand the Welsh language. All local authorities in Wales have at least one Welsh speaking officer or deputy.
Before you give notice, you should make sure that you are able to satisfy the laws concerning residency and immigration control.
You both need to have lived in the area in which you wish to give notice for at least seven full days, immediately before giving notice.
For example, if you arrive on Tuesday 1 March, the seven day period starts the following day, Wednesday 2 March, and is complete on Tuesday 8 March. You can then give notice on Wednesday 9 March.
This applies to all including those travelling from overseas for a marriage or civil partnership in England and Wales. Exceptions to this are listed below, but only if neither party are subject to immigration control:
For marriages:
- British or Commonwealth citizens are able to give notice in the country they are living in, provided that that country has signed up to the ‘British Subjects Facilities Acts 1915 and 1916’. You can find out which countries are eligible below. The other party must be a resident of England or Wales
For marriage and civil partnerships:
- if one person is resident in England and Wales, then the other person may also give notice in Scotland
- officers, seamen or marines on one of Her Majesty’s ships at sea can give notice to the captain or other officer commanding the ship, provided the other person is resident in England and Wales
You will need to provide evidence of a divorce or dissolution if you have been married before or in a civil partnership
You have to provide the details listed below to give notice:
- full name
- age – the minimum legal age in England and Wales is 16 years of age, but written consent may be required under 18 years
- address
- nationality
- current status – for example single, divorced
- occupation
- intended venue for your marriage or civil partnership
You will be asked for documentary evidence to prove, for example, your name, nationality, age and address. Check the table below to see which documents you can use. Take these documents with you to your appointment to give notice.
Also, if you have been married before or in a civil partnership you’ll have to provide evidence of the divorce or dissolution of that relationship.
| Your nationality | Current passport | Expired passport |
| Current UK Drivers licence – with or without photo (if you were born in the UK after 1 January 2024 you may need further documentation to prove your nationality) | ||
| British birth certificate (if you were born in the UK after 1 January 2024 you may need further documentation to prove your nationality) | Non-British birth certificate | |
| Current national identity card or driving licence issued outside the UK (with photo), if this states nationality | Current national identity card or driving licence issued outside the UK (with photo), if this does not state nationality | |
| Home Office naturalisation certificate | Application Registration Card (ARC) | |
| Home Office travel document | ||
| UK Biometric residence permit (BRP) | Form IS96 (temporary immigration admission) | |
| UK Immigration status document (with photo on document) | UK Immigration status document (without photo on document) | |
| Your name | Current passport | Expired passport |
| Current UK drivers licence (with or without photo) | A birth certificate (British or non-British) | |
| Home Office naturalisation certificate | Application Registration Card (ARC) | |
| Home Office travel document | ||
| UK Biometric residence permit (BRP) | Form IS96 (temporary immigration admission) | |
| UK Immigration status document (with photo on document) | UK Immigration status document (without photo on document) | |
| Current national identity card or driving licence issued outside the UK (with photo) | ||
| Your age | Current passport | Expired passport |
| UK drivers licence (with or without photo) | ||
| British birth certificate | ||
| Non-British birth certificate | ||
| Home Office naturalisation certificate | Application Registration Card (ARC) | |
| Home Office travel document | ||
| UK Biometric residence permit (BRP) | Form IS96 (temporary immigration admission) | |
| UK Immigration status document (with photo on document) | UK Immigration status document (without photo on document) | |
| Current national identity card or driving licence issued outside the UK (with photo) | ||
| Proof of your address | UK Drivers licence (showing address) | |
| Bank statement dated within last 3 months | ||
| Council tax bill dated within last 3 months | ||
| Utility bill (e.g. gas, electric) dated within last 3 months | ||
| Letter signed by someone who is able to confirm your period of residence at address |
If you don’t have any of these documents, talk to the Superintendent Registrar of the district where you want to give notice. They will tell you if there’s any other evidence they can accept.