How to Get a Marriage Licence and Certificate in the UK
The notice is a crucial part of the process of attaining a marriage licence in the UK.
Giving notice itself is about making sure that you both are free and willing to get married to each other. It’s also to ensure that you are legally eligible for marriage and are not married to someone else.
The process can sound daunting as there’s documentation and the interview involved where they speak with you and your partner separately. However, if you have all the documentation right, and you are basically the same person as you say you are, it’s all going to be fine.
If you are planning to get married in the UK, this guide will help you understand the necessary documents, the steps involved, and how to make sure your marriage is legally recognized in the UK.
Please Note: The process of giving notice is slightly different for UK residents and people from outside the UK. Make sure to check with your local registry office to confirm if there are any extra steps for you. Full information will be on your local council’s website.
Process of Getting a Marriage Licence in the UK
- As the first step, you will have to contact your local registry office and tell them that you want to give notice of your intention to marry.
- You will be asked to provide some documents. The list of documents is mentioned below.
- The register office will interview you and your partner separately to verify your identity, relationship, and eligibility to marry.
- You’ll need to pay a fee to give notice.
- After giving notice, there is a mandatory waiting period.
- On the day of your wedding, you and your partner, along with at least two witnesses, will attend the ceremony at the register office or a licensed venue.
- Once the ceremony is complete, you will receive a marriage certificate as proof of your union.
Giving the Notice
You have to give notice of your intention to marry at your local register office or counsel which is the office in the district where you are living.
To make an appointment with the counsel you can either call them directly or book it via their website. Alternatively, you can also directly visit their office.
A few things to note:
- You must give the notice at least 28 days before your marriage. You also can’t book too much in advance; it has to be within a year. So, the notice of marriage can only be given between 28 days and 12 months from your marriage. I’d recommend doing it 2-3 months in advance, as appointments can fill up quickly.
- You should have lived in the same district as the registry office for at least seven days before giving the notice.
- After you have made the appointment with the superintendent of your registry office, you will be asked to come for the document submission and interview process. Make sure you reach there on time. Otherwise, your appointment will be cancelled and you’ll have to do it all over again.
- In case you and your partner are not living together for some reason, you have to give the notice separately in your respective registry offices. If your fiancé is not a British national, they will have to travel to the registry office on the day of the appointment on a fiancé visa.
Documents Required
They will ask for some basic documents like your birth certificate, passport, proof of address with your name – can be a utility letter, bank letter, etc. provisional or full licence driving or BRP card. They will ask for proof of a change of name if you have changed your name.
If you have been in a civil partnership or have been married before, you will have to bring documents of either your decree absolute or final order or if you have gone through a bereavement, you’ll need a death certificate of your partner. This ensures that you are free and legally able to marry again.
Make sure they are all originals as they won’t accept copies.
Here are the basic documents required:
- Birth certificates
- Passports
- Proof of address (e.g., utility bill, bank statement)
- Proof of change of name (if applicable)
- Divorce decree or death certificate of a previous spouse (if applicable)
