Notice of Marriage and Civil Partnership
Law Commission review into marriage ceremonies in England and Wales
Updated July 2022
The government launched a Law Commission review into marriage ceremonies in England and Wales on 29 June 2019. The Law Commission’s consultation on its provisional proposals to reform the law governing how and where couples can get married closed on 4 January 2021. A final report with recommendations for Government was published on 19 July 2022. The Government will consider the recommendations and then bring forward any new legislation required in due course. At present there is NO CHANGE to the current marriage ceremonies in England and Wales and no further information available from the Registration Service.
Notice of Marriage/Civil Partnership Appointments
We are currently only offering Notice of Marriage or Civil Partnership Appointments for ceremonies that are due to take place within the next six months.
You will need to give notice of your marriage or civil partnership in your local registration district. If you and your partner live in different areas, you will each need to give notice in your own registration district. If you or your partner are subject to immigration control you must both give notice together in the district in which one or both of you live.
A nationally-set, non refundable fee is payable for each notice of marriage or civil partnership. This fee is non - refundable.
Giving notice means declaring that you are both free to enter into marriage or civil partnership with each other. To do this you will be required to present certain documents at your appointment.
Booking your appointment
You may give notice up to six months in advance of your ceremony. You are required to make an appointment with your local Registration Office.
Before you call us you will need to have chosen and booked where you wish your ceremony to take place. If you have chosen a venue you should speak with them first to ensure it is available on the desired date before you contact us. If you wish to have your ceremony in one of our Registration Offices then we will book this with you when you call.
If you are resident in Buckinghamshire please call 01494 475092 to book an appointment.
If you would like to ask us a question please fill in the form below:
For information about data protection please view our privacy notice.
Documents you need to provide
As with all legal events, you will be asked to produce evidence of your full name, nationality, age and proof of current address.
Proof of identity
Original or certified copies of documents are needed. Photocopies are not acceptable.
You will need to provide:
- a current valid passport or
- birth certificate and photo ID with evidence or current name or
- naturalisation certificate and photo ID
You will need to provide:
- a current valid British passport, or
- a naturalisation certificate and photo ID or
- a full birth certificate and photo ID with evidence of current name, together with evidence of your parents' nationality (passport or birth certificate). If both parents were born on or after 1 January 1983, you will need to bring evidence of your grandparents' nationality (passport or birth certificate)
You will need to provide your current valid Irish passport.
People who have been granted settled or pre-settled EU Settlement Status or have a pending application for EU settlement submitted before 30 June 2021.
- Current valid passport
- Your 9 character alpha-numeric share code to prove your EUSS.
The share code should be generated prior to the appointment on gov.uk and you will need details of the identity document you used when you applied for EUSS. This code is valid for 30 days. If you are unable to provide a valid share code during the appointment, or if it confirms that you do not have EUSS, you will be referred to the Home Office and the waiting period for you marriage or civil partnership will be extended to 70 days. You will also be required to provide a photograph for you and your partner and the fee for the notice will increase to £47 per person.
Important - please note that EEA ID cards can no longer be accepted as proof of identity, name, age or nationality.
Foreign nationals are defined as people who are not British Citizens, Irish Citizens and who have not been granted EU Settled Service (EUSS) or have pending application for EYSS submitted before 30 June 2021. If you or your partner are a foreign national, you must give your notice together in the registration district in which one or both of you live.
If you are a foreign national, in addition to proof of full name, age nationality and address you will also need to provide evidence of your settled status in England and Wales. If you are unable to provide this, you will be referred to the Home Office and the waiting period for your marriage or civil partnership may be extended to 70 days. You will also be required to provide a photograph for you and your partner.
Acceptable documents are listed below:-
- Current valid passport or
- Valid Home Office Travel Documents
Proof of Settled Status:-
- Indefinite Leave to Remain/Enter or
- Marriage visa
Note: If you do not have or cannot provide evidence of settled status in England and Wales then contact us.
For detailed information, visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
If one or both of you are under the age of 18 years, or have changed your names, you will need to provide us with one or both of the following documents:
- evidence of change of name (by Deed Poll / Statutory Declaration)
- parental consents, if under 18 years of age and not previously married or in a civil partnership
Proof of current address
Each partner will need to show one of the following documents in their current name:
- Utility bill - not older than three months
- Bank/Building Society statement - not older than one month (online statements showing address are acceptable but must be printed)
- Most recent Council Tax bill
- Valid UK driving licence with current name and address
- Current mortgage or tenancy agreement (not more than one year old)
- A letter signed by the proprietor who is able to confirm place and period of residence and proof that the person lives there
Marital status
If you have been married or have entered into a civil partnership before, you must show evidence that the relationship is legally over.
This is usually in the form of:
- A death certificate for your late spouse/partner. Marriage or civil partnership certificate may also be required to link your names.
- Printed decree absolute or dissolution with court stamp. English translation if applicable. If your divorce took place outside of England or Wales we will require a scanned copy of your divorce documents in advance of your appointment. You will be required to bring the original copy to your appointment.
Residency in Buckinghamshire
To give notice, you and your partner must have lived in Buckinghamshire for seven full days immediately before you give notice. After giving notice, you must allow for at least 28 clear days before you can enter into marriage or civil partnership. This may be longer if you have foreign documentation. Depending upon your immigration status this waiting period may extend to 70 days.
If you live outside Buckinghamshire and would like details of your local office, you can find them online or via your local council.
Fees
In Buckinghamshire, a booking fee will be charged for your notice appointment. This will convert to the notice fee when you attend your appointment.
Please note that an amendment fee is payable when a Notice of Marriage or Civil Partnership is cancelled or changed with less than 7 days notice.
You can view our fees here
Marriage and Civil Partnerships Abroad
Certificate of No Impediment (CONI)
If you are a British national having a marriage or civil partnership abroad, you might need to have an appointment with the Registrars beforehand and provide certain documents, for example a certificate of no impediment (CONI).
Please check Getting married abroad - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Prior to your appointment with the Registrar, please check the whether the country you are getting married in requires a CONI. Not all countries do.
It is up to you to check that the country where you are marrying or having a civil partnership requires this or if another document, such as an affidavit from a solicitor, is needed.
If you find you don’t need a CONI after booking, please contact the Ceremonies Team on 01494 475092.
You will be getting married or entering into a civil partnership under the law of your chosen country. The CONI will be produced on the 29th day after your appointment. You need to check what date is needed on the CONI for it to be accepted by your chosen country. Some countries need the CONI dated within three months of the wedding, others require six months or more. The date shown on the CONI is the date of your appointment.
It is very important that you know exactly where you are getting married or entering into a civil partnership and what address is to be shown on the CONI. Your ceremony planner or contact in the country where you are having your marriage or civil partnership should be able to confirm the name and address where the ceremony is taking place.
You will be asked questions about yourself and your partner. It is important for you to know their details, such as their address in full including their postal code.
You could consult the embassy or consulate where you are marrying to check if your CONI needs to be legalised (an Apostille stamp). For more information see https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised