General Register Office (GRO)
Keeps the birth, adoption, marriage, civil partnership and death records for England and Wales and issues certificates from them.
Home » Certificates and civil registration (BDM) » Get married or form a civil partnership
Get married or form a civil partnership
You must give notice at a register office before a marriage or civil partnership. Non-British nationals may have extra requirements depending on their immigration status.
Official links
| Official source | Applies to |
|---|---|
| GOV.UK: marriages and civil partnerships www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships | England, Wales |
| GOV.UK: find a register office www.gov.uk/register-offices | England, Wales |
| National Records of Scotland: registration www.nrscotland.gov.uk/registration | Scotland |
| nidirect: marriage www.nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/births-deaths-baby-loss-marriages-and-civil-partnerships/marriage-and | Northern Ireland |
| GOV.UK: getting married abroad www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships-abroad | Whole UK |
Who handles it
Handled by your local council This procedure is done with the council where you live. Find your council »
General Register Office for Northern Ireland (GRONI)
Registers births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships and adoptions in Northern Ireland and issues certificates.
National Records of Scotland (NRS)
Keeps Scotland's birth, death, marriage and civil partnership records, runs the census and sells certificates through ScotlandsPeople.
Step by step
- Check you are eligible (18 or over, not already married or in a civil partnership, not closely related) and, if you are not British or Irish, whether you need a visa first.
- Choose the venue and type of ceremony before giving notice.
- Give notice at your local register office at least 29 days before the ceremony, after living in that district for at least 7 days. In England and Wales the rules here apply; Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own process.
- Hold the ceremony within 12 months of giving notice, with at least 2 witnesses.
What you need
- A valid passport or UK birth certificate (if born after 1 January 1983, also evidence of your parents' nationality).
- Proof of your home address, such as a recent utility bill, bank statement, Council Tax bill or tenancy agreement.
- Details of the final venue, and proof of any name change.
- If previously married: your decree absolute, final order or former partner's death certificate.
- If you are not British or Irish: a passport sized photo for each of you and proof of your immigration status (for example a share code).
Common mistakes
- Trying to give notice or marry while visiting on a Standard Visitor visa or an ETA: you need the right visa, such as a Marriage Visitor visa.
- Giving notice before choosing the venue: the notice must include the final venue.
- Leaving it too late: there must be at least 29 days between notice and ceremony, and the Home Office can extend this to 70 days if it investigates.