How do I give notice of marriage?

Key deadlines

You must give notice at least 29 days before your ceremony. You must then hold the ceremony within 12 months of giving notice.

What giving notice means

Before you marry or form a civil partnership in England or Wales, you must give notice at your local register office. You can only do this in a registration district where you have lived for the past 7 days.

Who can marry

You can marry or form a civil partnership in England or Wales if you are:

• 18 or over
• not already married or in a civil partnership
• not closely related

What you need

Every person giving notice needs:

• details of the final venue for your ceremony
• a valid passport or a UK birth certificate
• proof of home address
• proof of any change of name, such as a deed poll

Proof of address can be one of:

• a valid UK or Irish driving licence
• a gas, water or electricity bill from the last 3 months
• a bank or building society statement from the last month
• a Council Tax bill or mortgage statement from the last 12 months
• your current tenancy agreement
• a letter from your landlord, dated within the last 7 days

If you were born after 1 January 1983: you may need proof of your parents' nationality, such as their birth certificates.

If you were married or in a civil partnership before: bring a decree absolute or final order, or your former partner's death certificate. If your divorce happened outside the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, it must be checked first. This costs £55 at a local register office or £83 through the General Register Office.

Steps to give notice

1. Check you have lived in your registration district for at least 7 days.
2. Contact your local register office to arrange to give notice.
3. Gather the documents above.
4. Give notice at the register office. If you live in different districts, each of you gives notice at your own office. You do not have to do it on the same day.
5. Hold your ceremony at least 29 days later and within 12 months.

If one of you is from outside the UK or Ireland

You must give notice together, at a register office in the district where at least one of you lives. This does not apply if you are both British or Irish, or have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (or applied on or before 30 June 2021).

You will also need:

• a passport-sized photo of each of you
• proof of your immigration status, such as a share code or visa
• English translations of any documents not in English

You may need a visa to come to the UK to give notice and marry. If you give notice without the right visa, the Home Office will be told. If the Home Office has questions about your relationship, you may have to wait up to 70 days before you can marry.

Ceremony fees

A ceremony at a register office costs £62. With a registrar at a registered religious building it costs £114.50. Other approved venues set their own prices.

If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland

These rules are for England and Wales. In Scotland, you each fill in a notice form (M10 for a marriage, CP10 for a civil partnership) and send it with your documents to the registrar. Your notice must reach the registrar at least 29 days before the wedding. Northern Ireland has its own process, so check nidirect.

Related guides

• Do I need a visa to get married in the UK?
• What is a civil partnership?
• How do I get a copy of my marriage certificate?
• How do I change the name on my passport?
• Does getting married change my tax?

Where this comes from

• Marriages and civil partnerships: give notice (GOV.UK)
• Documents you'll need to give notice (GOV.UK)
• If you're from outside the UK or Ireland (GOV.UK)
• Plan your ceremony (GOV.UK)
• Getting married in Scotland (mygov.scot)
• Fees, forms and documents for marriage in Scotland (National Records of Scotland)