Notice of marriage and civil partnership

Notice of Marriage/Civil Partnership Appointments

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. 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. 

Before booking your notice appointment you will need to have chosen and booked where you wish your ceremony to take place.  If you have chosen a venue you should speak with them first to ensure it is available on the desired date before you contact us. 

The current fees for Notice of Marriage and Civil Partnership are:

Notice Booking (converts to a statutory fee) £35 or £47 depending on your immigration status
Notice Booking amendment (VAT payable) £29
Notice Booking non attendance (statutory fee) £35

Giving notice means declaring that you are both free to enter into marriage or civil partnership with each other. To do this you will be required to present certain documents at your appointment. (Please see below for details).

Booking your appointment  

You may give notice up to twelve months in advance of your ceremony, however it is suggested that 6 months in advance is sufficient.

You are required to make an appointment with your local Registration Office. If you are a resident of Buckinghamshire, you can book your notice of marriage or notice of civil partnership using the links below;

Notice of Marriage Appointments 

Notice of Civil Partnership Appointments

For information about data protection please view our privacy notice.

Documents you need to provide  

As with all legal events, you will be asked to produce evidence of your full name, nationality, age and proof of current address.

Proof of identity

Original or certified copies of documents are needed. Photocopies are not acceptable.

Proof of current address

Each partner will need to show one of the following documents in their current name:

• Utility bill - not older than three months
• Bank/Building Society statement - not older than one month (online statements showing address are acceptable but must be printed)
• Most recent Council Tax bill
• Valid UK driving licence with current name and address
• Current mortgage or tenancy agreement (not more than one year old)
• A letter signed by the proprietor who is able to confirm place and period of residence and proof that the person lives there

Marital status

If you have been married or have entered into a civil partnership before, you must show evidence that the relationship is legally over.

This is usually in the form of:

• A death certificate for your late spouse/partner. Marriage or civil partnership certificate may also be required to link your names.
• Printed decree absolute or dissolution with court stamp. English translation if applicable. If your divorce took place outside of England or Wales we will require a scanned copy of your divorce documents in advance of your appointment.  You will be required to bring the original copy to your appointment.

Residency in Buckinghamshire

To give notice, you and your partner must have lived in Buckinghamshire for seven full days immediately before you give notice. After giving notice, you must allow for at least 28 clear days before you can enter into marriage or civil partnership. This may be longer if you have foreign documentation. Depending upon your immigration status this waiting period may extend to 70 days.

If you live outside Buckinghamshire and would like details of your local office, you can find them online or via your local council. 

Marriage and Civil Partnerships Abroad

Certificate of No Impediment (CONI)

If you are a British national having a marriage or civil partnership abroad, you might need to have an appointment with the Registrars beforehand and provide certain documents, for example a certificate of no impediment (CONI).

Please check Getting married abroad - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Prior to your appointment with the Registrar, please check the whether the country you are getting married in requires a CONI. Not all countries do.

It is up to you to check that the country where you are marrying or having a civil partnership requires this or if another document, such as an affidavit from a solicitor, is needed.

If you find you don’t need a CONI after booking, please contact the Ceremonies Team on 01494 475092.

You will be getting married or entering into a civil partnership under the law of your chosen country. The CONI will be produced on the 29th day after your appointment. You need to check what date is needed on the CONI for it to be accepted by your chosen country. Some countries need the CONI dated within three months of the wedding, others require six months or more. The date shown on the CONI is the date of your appointment.

It is very important that you know exactly where you are getting married or entering into a civil partnership and what address is to be shown on the CONI. Your ceremony planner or contact in the country where you are having your marriage or civil partnership should be able to confirm the name and address where the ceremony is taking place.

You will be asked questions about yourself and your partner. It is important for you to know their details, such as their address in full including their postal code.

You could consult the embassy or consulate where you are marrying to check if your CONI needs to be legalised (an Apostille stamp). For more information see get your document legalised from Gov UK.

If you would like to ask us a question please fill in the form below: