Give notice of a marriage/civil partnership

Giving notice at Redbridge Town Hall

You can give notice to get married or form a civil partnership in England and Wales if you are:

18 or over
not already married or in a civil partnership

Before attending your appointment, please ensure your venue has confirmed your ceremony can take place on their premises. If after giving notice, you change the venue or are not able to have your ceremony within 12 months, you will need to give and pay for another notice.

When attending please make sure:

Only the notice giver should attend the appointment
Arrive five minutes before your appointment time. If you are too early you will be asked to wait outside. If you are late you will not be seen as all our appointments are being staggered so not to overcrowd our waiting area
If you are not able to give notice because you have not brought the correct documents or are not sure of your venue, you will need to rebook and pay for another notice appointment.

Please note any appointments booked may be cancelled or rescheduled due to potential short notice changes to Government guidelines.

Notice terms and conditions

Appointments can be re-scheduled up to 48 hours before your appointment time. After this, a new appointment and fee will be required.
Failure to attend a re-scheduled appointment will result in the loss of your fee, and a fresh appointment and new fee will be required.
Late attendance will result in your appointment not going ahead and the loss of your appointment fee.
It is your responsibility to bring the required original documents to your appointment. Failure to bring the correct documentation will result in your appointment not going ahead, and the loss of your appointment fee. A new appointment and fee will be required.
The marriage/civil partnership can only take place at the venue you name on the notice. If you change the venue you will have to give, and pay for, updated notices of marriage/civil partnership, so you need to have chosen your venue before you give notice

Giving notice

A notice of marriage or civil partnership is a legal document which must be given in person before a marriage or civil partnership can take place.

A notice must be given by each person a minimum of 28 days prior to the ceremony date. The notice is valid for 12 months.

To give notice of marriage or civil partnership at Redbridge Register Office please book an appointment.

The fee for completing a notice of marriage or civil partnership is £35 per person (or £47 per person if you are subject to immigration control).

Each person must attend the Register Office in the district in which they reside to give notice. If one or both parties are subject to immigration control*, then both must give notice together at a district where either one or both parties reside.

*Immigration laws changed on 1st July 2021 changing the process for giving notice and the documentation required. There are two types of nationality defined by the Immigration Service: a relevant national and a foreign national

A relevant national is a British Citizen, an Irish Citizen or a person who has been granted EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status (either settled or pre-settled or has a pending application for that status (submitted before 30th June 2021).

A foreign national is an EEA national without EUSS settled status, EUSS pre- settled or pending application to the EUSS OR any other person from any other country.

You need to give a minimum of 28 days notice of your marriage or civil partnership and must prove you have lived in the district for a minimum of seven full days before attending your appointment.

If you do not usually live in England or Wales you must reside here for 7 clear days before the date of notice. The date you arrive, and the date of your appointment do not count as part of the clear seven days.

The ceremony can only take place at the venue you name on your notice so please ensure you attend your notice appointment with the correct information. If after giving notice, you change the venue you will have to give, and pay for, an updated notice of marriage or civil partnership. Therefore, please ensure you have chosen a venue before you give notice and have the correct venue information with you.

Marriage in a church or other religious building

If you would like a religious marriage ceremony, you can get married in:

an Anglican church (Church of England or Church of Wales)
any other religious building registered for marriage.

You can only get married at a religious building if it is the usual place of worship for one or both partners or if the building is located in the same district, e.g. the same borough where one or both parties live. It is not normally necessary to give Notice of Marriage for a wedding in a Church of England Church, but please check with the church or the Church of England website for confirmation.

Couples subject to immigration do still need to give Notice of Marriage, for a Church of England or other wedding. Notice is required for marriages in a Catholic or non-conformist church, temple or mosque where a legally recognised ceremony will be taking place.

Same sex couples

Marriage

If you are a same sex couple, as the law stands you are unable to be married in an Anglican church.

You can get married in other religious buildings if:

the religious organisation allows same sex marriage to take place
the premises have been registered for the marriage of same sex couples.

Civil Partnership

It is possible for same sex couples to hold a civil partnership in a religious building that has been licensed by the local authority.

Relevant National - British and Irish Nationals and those with Settled or Pre-Settled Status

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. Please note this does not apply to the Church of England or Church of Wales.

If you are unsure where to give your notice, it is the register office in the local authority area to which you pay your Council Tax.

You need to give at least 29 days notice of your marriage or civil partnership and must prove you have lived in the district for a minimum of seven full days before attending your appointment.

You must also know the name of the ceremony venue when you give your notice.

Foreign National - Non-UK nationals giving notice

If one or both of you is from outside the UK, you and your partner must give notice together, unless you both have one of the following:

British or Irish citizenship
Settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
An application to the EU Settlement Scheme that you made before 30 June 2021, which you are waiting for a decision on

You must give your notice together at a Register Office in the district where at least one of you lives.

Where one or both partners are subject to immigration control, Register Offices are required by law to inform the Home Office of the couple's intention to marry or form a civil partnership.

The Home Office will review each couple's case and have powers to extend the Notice period from 28 days to 70 days. It will be the Home Office who decide whether or not the wedding or civil partnership can proceed.

Couples who have a valid Marriage/Civil Partnership Visa, Indefinite Leave to Remain or Right of Abode in the UK will not be referred to the Home Office.

At your appointment

The Superintendent Registrar or a deputy will ask you and your partner (if both giving notice in this district) a series of questions about each other to establish details of both parties and where and when the wedding or civil partnership is to take place.

Each partner will be interviewed separately.

What you need to know at your appointment

You will need to know:

The venue for your ceremony (note that venues cannot be changed once Notice has been given)
It is useful but not essential to know when you would like your ceremony
The name of the town and country (if abroad) where the ceremony will take place
The correct spelling of names for you and your partner
You and your partner's full addresses and postcodes
Each other's job titles
Whether you are having a marriage or civil partnership
Both of your parent's details - mother and father's full names and if applicable, occupations

What you need to bring to your appointment

Every person, regardless of nationality, wishing to give a notice must bring the following original documents with them to their appointment. Photocopies or electronic copies are not acceptable.

If you fail to produce the required documents your notice will not be taken and you will be required to rebook and pay again.

Evidence of name, date of birth, and nationality

You must bring one of the following documents:

Valid passport*

British Citizens only:

If you were born before 1 January 1983: a UK birth certificate, and also:
Evidence to show current use of the name on the birth certificate (one of the documents listed under proof of residence)

If your current name is different from the name on your birth certificate , evidence of how your name has been changed e.g marriage certificate(s), change of name deed, statutory declaration of change of name
If you were born on or after 1 January 1983: Full UK birth certificate showing your parent's details, and also:
Your mother’s UK birth certificate*

If your parents were married at the time of your birth or since you may bring your father’s UK birth certificate and marriage certificate

Evidence to show current use of the name on your birth certificate (one of the documents listed under proof of residence)

If your current name is different from the name on your birth certificate , evidence of how your name has been changed e.g marriage certificate(s), change of name deed, statutory declaration of change of name

*If your parent was born after 1 January 1983, you will also need one of your grandparent’s birth certificates.
Certificate of registration/naturalisation as a British citizen
Valid biometric immigration document
Valid Home Office travel document

EUSS settled status or pre settled status:

If you hold EUSS Settled status or Pre-Settled Status or have a pending application for either, then you must bring with you the 6-digit ‘share code’ which allows us to view your status on the Home Office website. Without this, your appointment will not go ahead, and you may still be charged your full appointment fee. You will need to obtain this code from GOV.UK no more than 30 days prior to your appointment. See the Government website for further information on how to prove your immigration status.

If you have a pending application for EU settlement status that was submitted before 30 June 2021 you will need to bring your Certificate of Application (CoA)/ digital CoA to your appointment.

*If your passport is being held by the Home Office, you must request that they send a certified copy to us in time for your appointment. No other certified copies will be accepted.

ARC Cards (Application Registration Card) are not acceptable proof and cannot be used to give notice of marriage or civil partnership.

Proof of residence

This must show your current address, where you have lived for seven full days immediately before attending your notice appointment.

You must bring one of the following documents in your name:

Utility bill (not self-printed) (dated within 3 months) This can be a water, gas or electric bill
Bank or Building Society statement or passbook (not self-printed) (dated within 1 month) Credit card statements are not acceptable
Most recent council tax bill (not self-printed)(dated within 1 year)
Mortgage statement (not self-printed)(dated within 1 year)
Valid UK driving licence showing your current name and address

If you do not have any of the above documents, please contact the Register Office before attending your appointment.

If at your appointment you fail to produce the required documents your notice will not be taken and you will be required to rebook and pay again.

Marital status

A Decree Absolute/Final Order if you were divorced in this country (if your divorce was granted in England or Wales and you have been issued with an electronic version/digital version of the decree absolute, there is still a requirement for a paper version to be presented of this and the covering email at your appointment, not the digital image on a mobile phone or tablet etc.) or an original final divorce document with translation if the divorce took place abroad
A death certificate for your late husband or wife if you are widowed (If you are not named on the death certificate you must also bring the marriage/CP certificate)

A statutory fee is payable for the consideration of all foreign divorces. Where certain criteria are met some foreign divorces can be reviewed and approved locally for a fee of £50. The majority will be referred to the General Register Office for consideration and the fee of £75 will apply. Please be advised that this fee is non-refundable in the event that your foreign divorce is turned down.

We advise that you do not make any ceremony arrangements until your foreign divorce has been approved.

If your name on the Decree Absolute/Final Order/dissolution document or death certificate is different to your current name you must bring evidence showing a link between the two names e.g. marriage certificate(s), change of name deed, statutory declaration of change of name

For any document not in English, you must provide a full translation of all wording, stamps and signatures. The translation can be made by anyone other than you and your partner. The translator must add their name and address and certify it is a true and accurate translation

Use of other names

A deed poll, change of name deed, or documents which demonstrate the use of the other name

Photographs

Passport quality photographs for each of you if one or both of you are subject to immigration control and do not have Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK

Translator

A third party translator if either of you cannot speak English you are required to bring a translator - you cannot translate for each other

Home Office Referral

Evidence of your immigration status if you are subject to immigration control - you will be automatically referred to the Home Office unless you have Indefinite Leave to Remain/Enter, a Marriage Visa, or proof of exemption

Please read the important information below before booking an appointment. We will tell you which documents to bring with you in a confirmation email.

Book an appointment

We reserve the right to cancel your appointment if you arrive more than 5 minutes after the time your appointment is due to commence. Failure to bring the correct documentation may result in the Registration Officer being unable to undertake the relevant legal requirements and you will need to re-book and repay for a subsequent appointment

Interpreters

If either of you does not speak English you must bring an independent interpreter when you give notice, and again when you have your ceremony. The interpreter must bring identification and sign documents to confirm they have helped you.

If you require a British Sign Language interpreter please advise us so that we can make the relevant arrangements.

Civil Partnerships for opposite sex couples

We are now taking bookings for Civil Partnerships for opposite sex couples and notice can be booked through 'Book an appointment'.

The Civil Partnerships (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019, which extended eligibility for forming civil partnerships to opposite sex couples, were approved in Parliament on 5 November 2019. The regulations came into force on 2 December 2019.

A Civil Partnership does not require a ceremony therefore you can choose to sign the schedule in front of two qualified witnesses by booking a statutory ceremony appointment (subject to availability). If you wish to combine the signing with a full ceremony then you will need to book a venue and registrars ahead of booking an appointment to give your legal notice of intention.

Ceremonies outside of England and Wales

Getting married abroad

If you are planning on getting married abroad there are some things you need to do to make sure your marriage or civil partnership is legal.

Please note we cannot assist couples getting married in a Commonwealth country.

(The option to file paperwork under the Marriage of British Subjects (Facilities) Acts 1915 and 1916 has now been removed, please contact the relevant High Commissions and the people doing your ceremony for further advice)

One of your first steps must be to refer to Getting Married Abroad for information on what to do if planning a marriage or civil partnership overseas.

Please use this page only as a guide and seek advice from the country and local area that you will be getting married or forming a civil partnership in.

Find a list of Embassies and High Commissions in the UK on the government website.

Certificate of No Impediment

If you need to provide a Certificate of No Impediment (legal document showing that you are free to marry or register a civil partnership) you can normally do this through your local Register Office.

You can apply for a Certificate of No Impediment in Redbridge if:

you are a British subject
you live in Redbridge
your proposed spouse or civil partner is a foreign national
the marriage or civil partnership ceremony will be in a foreign country
you have lived in Redbridge for at least the full seven days before the day of your notice appointment

or:

you are two resident British subjects (some residence restrictions apply)
the marriage or civil partnership ceremony will be in a foreign country.

You will need to confirm with the foreign country's authorities before the appointment:

how the place that you getting married should be listed e.g. just the town or city’s name, or the exact building where the ceremony will take place
how long before the ceremony the certificate needs to be issued. This varies by country from a few months to a year.

It usually takes 29 days from the notice appointment to issue the certificate.

Apply for a Certificate of No Impediment

Book an appointment by emailing register.office@redbridge.gov.uk your:

full name
telephone number
country where you are getting married

(you will not be able to book this appointment online)

We will call you Monday to Friday between 9 – 4pm to book an appointment and take a card payment of £35 per person

If you need to get your document legalised

The local authority abroad may also request that you get your document legalised. This means getting the UK government to confirm that a UK public official’s signature, seal or stamp on the document is genuine. You can do this through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Legalisation Office.

Getting married in Scotland and Ireland

Marriage in Scotland

Marriage law in Scotland is different to England and Wales. If you intend to marry in Scotland notice may be given directly to the district’s Superintendent Registrar, in person or by post.

For further information contact the National Records of Scotland.

Marriage in Ireland

There is no provision in English law to take a notice for a marriage in Northern Ireland or the Irish Republic. All legal preliminaries must be completed directly with the local authorities.

For further information contact the General Register Office for Northern Ireland or the General Register Office for the Irish Republic.

Cost to give notice for marriage and civil partnership

The fee to give your notice of marriage or civil partnership is £35 per person or £47 per person if subject to immigration control, view more information for fees for foreign nationals. The fee will need to be paid at the time of booking the appointment by debit or credit card.

If you change the venue of your ceremony after you have given your notice of marriage you will need to give notice again.

Appointments can be rescheduled provided you give 48 hours or more notice by calling the Register Office.

Cost to consider clearance of a foreign divorce

Consideration by a Superintendent Registrar of a divorce/civil partnership dissolution obtained outside of the British Isles (From 1 November 2017)	£50
Consideration by a Registrar General of divorce/civil partnership dissolution obtained outside of the British Isles (From 1 November 2017)	£75

Documents and evidence

Each person must give notice in person and must provide documentary evidence at the appointment.

To give notice you must have evidence of name, date of birth and nationality as well as evidence of place of residence.

Evidence produced at the notice appointment must all be original documents.

All information you provide to the Registrar's service is done so in the strictest of confidence, you can find full details on our privacy notice.

Marital status (if previously married or in a civil partnership only)

What you need to bring if you have been married or in a civil partnership before.

Proof that any former marriage or civil partnership has ended including:

your decree absolute or final order of divorce or dissolution bearing the Court’s original stamp. If your divorce document records your previous married surname but you have now reverted to maiden name and wish to re-marry using only the maiden or other surname, please also bring a linking document such as the previous marriage certificate
a death certificate of your former partner. Any widows, widowers or surviving civil partners that are not mentioned on the death certificate as the partner of their previous spouse must also bring their former marriage or civil partnership certificate
if any document was issued in a foreign language then a complete translation into English must be produced together with the original document. Any translation produced must be certified and dated by the translator
some foreign divorce documents will need to be referred to the General Register Office for clearance This sometimes causes delays, the marriage will not take place until clearance has been received

If you want to get married outside of the UK the rules and information are different.

Conversion of civil partnership to marriage

There are two ways to convert a civil partnership into a marriage:

a simple administrative process called a ‘standard conversion’. There is no ceremony and no facility to invite guests. The conversion will be registered and a certificate of conversion issued. The fee is £45 for the conversion plus £11 for each certificate.
a two stage process where the checking of documents at the Register Office is followed by a celebratory ceremony at any of the borough's approved premises (which includes the Library Suite and Council Chamber in the Town Hall). The venue must be stated when checking of the documents is done at the Register Office. The couple are offered a choice of promises to make to each other and the conversion is completed in front of their invited guests. The fee is £27 for the checking of the documents at the Register Office plus the approved premise fee for the registrar's attendance. This does not include room hire fee charged by the approved premise venue.

Proof of name and date of birth	Valid passport or UK, Channel Island or Isle of Man driving licence
Proof of address	Please bring ONE of the following for each person: utility bill for services received at the property, e.g. gas, electric, water, - must be dated within three months of the conversion appointment bank or building society statement or passbook - must be dated within one month of the conversion appointment council tax bill - must be dated within one year of the conversion appointment mortgage statement - must be dated within one year of the conversion appointment current residential tenancy agreement
Proof of civil partnership	Original civil partnership certificate
Name change	If one or both of you have changed your name since your civil partnership, you much provide Deed Poll documents. If your name has been changed but not by Deed Poll, you must provide evidence of your former or other names e.g. name change documents or other evidence of a former name.

For both procedures, the couple will need to attend the Register Office with the required original documents, as listed above, as well as their civil partnership certificate

You will not be able to book a conversion appointment online. Please call us on 020 8708 7123.

You are able to convert your civil partnership to marriage but only if you registered it in England and Wales or overseas in a consulate or armed forces base (where the civil partnership was registered according to the laws of England and Wales).

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