Book your notice of marriage or civil partnership appointment

Giving notice of marriage or civil partnership

A notice of marriage or notice of civil partnership is a legal declaration that must be given individually by each of you in person.

A notice is venue-specific and valid for 12 months from the date the notice is given. Before booking an appointment you must have decided where and when you would like to get married or form your civil partnership and have made a provisional booking with the venue and local registration service.

If, after giving notice, you change the ceremony venue or the date is moved beyond 12 months from the date of your appointment, you must give a new notice and pay the fees again.

In order for your ceremony to go ahead, you must have valid notices in place at least 30 days before the date of your ceremony or 70 days if one or both of you are subject to immigration control.

You will need to give notice in your local registration district. If you and your partner live in different areas, you will each need to give notice in your own 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 booking fee is payable for each notice. This is non-refundable. Statutory fees are subject to increase at any time. Find out more about registration fees.

All registrations are conducted in English, so if either of you cannot speak or understand English well, you must provide an interpreter for your notice appointment to ensure the legal requirements are met.

When can you give notice

To give notice, you must have lived in that district for a minimum of seven complete days (immediately before you give your notice). If you are coming from abroad, the day of arrival does not count, and notice cannot be given until the ninth day. For example, if the arrival day is Tuesday, notice cannot be given until the following Wednesday.

The earliest date the notice of marriage can be given is 12 months before the ceremony. Normally, 28 clear days' notice is required. For example, if you give notice on 1 May the ceremony can take place on or after 30 May. If you are subject to immigration control, the Notice period may be extended to 70 days.

We advise that you book and attend your notice appointment at least three to four months prior to your ceremony, where possible, to ensure that the appropriate arrangements can be made.

Booking an appointment

You are not booking your marriage or civil partnership ceremony. This appointment is to complete the legal paperwork only.

You will need to give notice in your local registration district. If you and your partner live in different areas, you will each need to give notice in your own 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.

Your notices are valid for 12 months from the date the notice was given. If you change the venue of your ceremony, notice will need to be given again.

If you wish to book a notice appointment in Oxfordshire, there are registration offices in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Henley, Oxford and Witney. paperwork only. You are not booking a ceremony.

If you live outside Oxfordshire, contact the register office in your district to book an appointment.

Documentation

As with all legal events, you will be required to produce evidence of your full name, nationality, age and current address. Acceptable documents are listed below.

Proof of identity and nationality

British citizens born before 1 January 1983

• Current valid passport 

or

• British birth certificate, plus a document which shows your current name. If this is different from the name on your birth certificate, you must also provide evidence which links the two names e.g marriage/civil partnership certificate or change of name deed.

or

• Naturalisation certificate and photo ID

British citizens born on or after 1 January 1983

If you were born on or after 1 January 1983 you would not automatically acquire British Nationality, it is taken from your parents

• Current valid British passport, 

or

• Naturalisation certificate and photo ID 

or

• Full British birth certificate, which includes your parents' details, plus evidence of your parents’ British nationality, plus a document which shows your current name. If this is different from the name on your birth certificate, you must also provide evidence which links the two names e.g marriage/civil partnership certificate or change of name deed. Please see list of accepted documents below:

• If your parents were married at the time of your birth, evidence of your mother or father’s British nationality, e.g. their British passport or British birth certificate.
• If your parents were not married at the time of your birth, then only your mother's British birth certificate or British passport can be accepted.
• If your mother or father's British birth certificate or British passport shows a different name from that on your own full birth certificate, you will need to present evidence to show their change of name (e.g. marriage certificate or change of name deed).
• If both your parents were born on or after 1 January 1983, you will need to bring evidence of your grandparents’ nationality (passport or birth certificate). As this can be quite complex please complete our online enquiry form Contact the Registration Service | Oxfordshire County Council.
• If your parents were born outside the UK, then you must provide evidence of their British nationality at the time of your birth.

For further information, please refer to our Acceptable evidence document (pdf format, 98 KB)

Irish nationals

You must bring your valid Irish passport.

Nationals with EU Settled Status (EUSS)

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. You must bring your:

• valid passport
• 9-character alphanumeric 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. Please check all the documents required to give notice on gov.uk

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 your ceremony may be extended to 70 days. You will also be required to provide a passport-style photograph of you and your partner, and the booking fee for the notice will increase to £63 per person.

Foreign nationals

Foreign nationals are defined as people who are not British Citizens, Irish Citizens and who have not been granted EU Settled Status (EUSS) or have a pending application for EUSS submitted before 30 June 2021. If you or your partner are a foreign national, you must give 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 be required 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 may be extended to 70 days. You will also be required to provide a passport-style photograph for you and your partner.

Acceptable documents are listed below:-

• Current valid passport or
• Valid Home Office Travel Document

Proof of Settled Status

• Indefinite Leave to Remain/Enter or
• Marriage visa (this may be provided via a 9 digit share code obtained from https://www.gov.uk/evisa/view-evisa-get-share-code-prove-immigration-status; select the ‘other’ option)
• 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 you have changed your name

If either of you have changed your names, you will need to provide evidence of a change of name. All the names on your documents must match. If they do not, we must see how they link i.e. marriage/civil partnership certificate or change of name deed. You must also bring your marriage certificate if your divorce papers are in your married name but your passport is in your maiden or unmarried name. 

Proof of current address

• Council tax bill (dated within 12 months of giving Notice) – printed copy
• Household / Utility bill (dated within 3 months of giving Notice) e.g Gas/electric, water, landline telephone. Printed copy. Mobile phone bills are not acceptable. 
• Bank/building society statement (dated within one month of giving notice) printed or electronic copy. Credit card statements are not acceptable
• Current residential tenancy agreement (dated within one year of giving notice) printed copy
• Mortgage statement (dated within one year of giving notice) – printed copy
• Valid UK photo driving licence
• A letter signed and dated by the owner/occupier of the house who is able to confirm your residence over the previous seven days. This must have a wet signature, not an electronic one. 

If you have been married or in a civil partnership before

• If your last marriage or civil partnership was dissolved and your documentation was issued in the UK, you will need to bring your decree absolute of divorce or final order, This must be the original printed copy. If your divorce was completed digitally, please print your final document, ensuring it shows the postal and email address of the issuing court. 
• If your last marriage or civil partnership was dissolved and your documentation was issued outside the UK, you will need to bring a printed copy of your dissolution of marriage or civil partnership document, along with a certified English translation if applicable. The translation must include all parts of the document, including any official stamps or signatures and the full name and contact details of the translator, and be certified by them as a true and accurate translation. A fee will also apply.
• If your last marriage or civil partnership ended in the death of your partner, you will need to bring your partner’s original or certified copy of their death certificate showing your own name as their spouse/widow/widower/civil partner. If your name is not shown on the death certificate, then please also bring your original or certified copy of your marriage/civil partnership certificate. If either document is not in English then please provide a translation.

Gender recognition

In England and Wales, transgender people must obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) Apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate: Overview - GOV.UK to legally marry or form a civil partnership in their affirmed gender. Without a GRC, their legal gender remains as assigned at birth, and their marriage or civil partnership will be recognised accordingly. Currently, there is no legal recognition of non-binary genders in marriage or civil partnership contexts in England and Wales. For more information, read our gender recognition page.

Getting married in the Church of England or Wales

If you want to marry in the Church of England or Wales, you must arrange this with the vicar. If they are able to marry you, banns will be called in church, or a common licence issued. There would generally be no need for you to attend a register office unless one or both of you is a non-EEA national or an EEA/Swiss national without EU Settlement Status.  Find out more about getting married in a church

Who will attend the ceremony

Ceremony Officers

Two ceremony officers will attend a civil marriage ceremony and one will attend a civil partnership ceremony.

Interpreters

All registrations and ceremonies are held in English, so if either of you cannot speak or understand English well, you must provide an interpreter. Please discuss this with the registrar who takes your notice of marriage or civil partnership, to be sure the legal requirements are met.

Witnesses

You will need to provide two witnesses. They can be friends or relatives but should be over the age of 16 and able to speak and understand English well.