Frequently asked questions about giving notice of intention to marry

We recommend that you book the ceremony first, however, you can still give notice if you have decided on a venue but not confirmed a date for your ceremony. 

When you give notice you must state the venue in which your ceremony will take place and this cannot be changed afterwards. If you wish to change the venue or you have stated an incorrect venue, you will have to begin the process again and enter a new notice of intention.

By booking a ceremony before giving notice you have the assurance that you can secure your preferred date and time. 

No, the venue stated on your notice cannot be changed. If you change your venue after giving notice you will have to give a fresh notice, this time stating the name of the new venue.

It is mandatory to provide proof of current name, nationality and date of birth in the form of a passport. EEA nationals can provide a national ID card if they do have a passport. If you do not have either of these you should contact the Register Office for further information.

• If you have previously been married or in a civil partnership you will need to provide proof that that you are free to marry/form a civil partnership again by providing legal copies of your Divorce/Dissolution documents or a Death certificate for your previous spouse. If your Divorce/Dissolution was granted in another country there will be a Statutory Fee of up to £75 for this document to be processed. Please note that this statutory fee applies to each foreign Divorce/Dissolution document presented for our consideration.
• Any other documents a Register Office has requested you provide.
• If any of your documents are in a language other than English you will need to provide a translation.

• Valid UK photo Driving Licence
• A utility bill dated within the last 3 months
• A bank or building society statement dated within the last month
• Your most recent Council Tax bill
• A mortgage statement dated within the last 12 months
• Current residential tenancy agreement

If you are not able to provide any of the above proofs of address you should contact [email protected] for further details.

You may marry or form a civil partnership without a marriage visa however if you do not have the appropriate immigration status for marriage/civil partnership you will be referred to the Home Office. 

We advise that careful attention is paid to UK Visa and Immigration requirements detailed on the GOV.UK website.

The standard notice period is 29 days. This is the earliest that you would be able to marry or register your civil partnership. If you have been referred to the Home Office, they may extend the notice to 71 days. The Home Office will notify you directly if this is the case. 

The only exception to these statutory waiting periods is where one party is seriously ill, not expected to recover, and is unable to be moved to a place licensed for marriages or civil partnerships. In these circumstances you should contact this Register Office for further details.

Changes in your details are made immediately before your marriage or civil partnership ceremony. You do not need to inform us of minor changes to names, ages, occupations or address.

• If you are a British citizen, your partner is a foreign national and you are getting married abroad then you may sometimes be asked to provide a ‘Certificate of No Impediment’. The certificate is available 29 days after notice is given.

• We are not able to issue this certificate for all countries. Before you contact us, you must check the GOV.UK website for eligibility.

• These documents may only be issued to British citizens. If you are a foreign national living in England and Wales and need proof of freedom to marry, you must contact the General Register Office by calling 0300123 1837

• You should also check with the foreign authorities as to how long they regard these documents to be valid for.

We may only issue these documents for British citizens. If you are a foreign national living in England and Wales and need proof of freedom to marry, you can contact the General Register Office by calling 0300 123 1837 to request a ‘No Trace Letter’.

If you are planning a ceremony at a venue in England and Wales you will be required to do all of your legal paperwork in this country regardless of your nationality or country of domicile. 

The only documents you will need to provide from another country will be your passport and, if relevant, your divorce/dissolution documents or death certificate of a previous spouse.

No, if you have married according to the law of a foreign country it is not possible to register your marriage in the United Kingdom.

If your marriage was regarded as being legal in the country in which it took place, it will be recognised as a legal marriage in the UK. We recommend that you purchase multiple copies of your foreign marriage certificate and keep them somewhere safe, as it can sometimes be difficult to obtain copies in the future.

• There will be no change for EEA citizens who have settled or pre-settled status under the settlement scheme. If you are marrying or forming a civil partnership with someone who is British, or an EEA / Swiss citizen with settled or pre-settled status, then you must each give notice (separately if required) at the register office in which you reside. Notice must be given no later than 29 days before your marriage.
• EEA / Swiss citizens who do not have settled or pre-settled status, will be in scope of the referral scheme.
• They will be required to give notice together with their partner at a designated register office in the district where one or both of the parties reside.
• They may be subject to an extended notice period of 71 days if the Home Office decides to investigate.
• A person with settled or pre-settled status is required to share their status through the online EUSS status checker tool. You must request a six-digit code before your appointment from the view and prove your immigration status GOV.UK page.

• If you are a non-EEA citizen and you hold settled or pre-settled status and you are marrying or forming a civil partnership with a British or EEA / Swiss citizen with settled or pre-settled status, then you must give notice at the register office in which one of you resides. Notice must be given no later than 29 days before your marriage.
• If you are a non-EEA citizen and you hold settled or pre-settled status and you are marrying or forming a civil partnership with either an EEA / Swiss citizen without settled or pre-settled status, or a non-EEA citizen, you will be in scope of the referral scheme.
• A person with settled or pre-settled status is required to share their status through the online EUSS status checker tool. You must request a six-digit code before your appointment from the view and prove your immigration status GOV.UK page.

• Registration officials will be required to refer all marriage and civil partnership notices to the Home Office if one or both of the parties are EEA nationals without EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status granted or applied for before 30 June 2021 or non-EEA nationals who do not provide specified evidence that they have (a) settled status in the UK (Indefinite Leave to Enter or Remain), (b) an EU law right of permanent residence in the UK, (c) a marriage or civil partnership visa, or (d) exemption from immigration control (e.g. with the right of abode in the UK). 
• The Home Office may decide to extend the 29 day notice period to 71 days before authorities to marry or form a civil partnership can be issued where a sham marriage or civil partnership is suspected.
• If you are subject to the referral scheme, there will be an additional Home Office statutory referral fee of £24 on top of the £35 fee for each person to give their notice.