Frequently asked questions

Can I give notice of marriage if my partner doesn't live in England or Wales?  
Where can I get married?  
Where can I arrange for a civil marriage?  
Can I get married at home?  
Can I get married abroad?  
I am already married outside the UK. Do I need to register here?  
I have married in the UK by religious or custom marriage outside of the Marriage Act 1949 - what should I do?  

Can I give notice of marriage if my partner doesn't live in England or Wales?
If your fiancé lives in Scotland or Northern Ireland and you wish to be married in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, you can give notice of marriage while the other party lives in the country where the marriage will take place.

If you and your fiancé are both British subjects (citizens of the United Kingdom and its dependencies or citizens of a Commonwealth country) and one of you lives in the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, or one of a number of smaller Commonwealth countries, you may be able to give notice of marriage while the other party is resident in one of these countries. This is only possible if the marriage takes place in England, Wales or the country where the other party is resident.

If your fiancé lives in the Irish Republic or the larger Commonwealth countries (eg Australia, Canada) or in a non-Commonwealth country, you must wait until they arrive in England/Wales and fulfil the minimum seven-day residential qualification before giving notice of marriage.

The Asylum and Immigration Act 2004 once implemented will require foreign nationals who are living abroad but who want to marry in the UK to obtain specific entry clearance for this purpose. This will take the form of a marriage visit visa. The visa should be obtained from their nearest British Embassy or Consulate. They will need to show this visa to the registrar when giving notice of marriage. The marriage ceremony cannot take place without these preliminaries.

Where can I get married?
You can be married in:

Where can I arrange for a civil marriage?
Civil weddings can take place in hotels, stately homes and other historic buildings if the venue has been licensed by the local authority. A full list of approved premises in England and Wales can be obtained from the General Register Office for a £5 fee. Tel: (0151) 471 4817.

The following are approved premises in the London Borough of Ealing:

You can marry in any approved premises in any district in England and Wales. Notice of marriage still has to be given in the district where you live. State marriage fees do not apply to marriages at approved premises because the local authority sets the fees. The fees set by the borough of Ealing are £350 on Saturdays and £450 on Sundays. Note: a marriage in approved premises can only be by a civil marriage ceremony.

Can I get married at home?
Marriage in a private home is possible only in certain circumstances:

People of the Jewish faith can get married in a private house.

A person who is housebound can marry in their own home or in a hospital. A doctor must be prepared to sign a statement, in prescribed form, that the person is not able to be moved to a place normally registered for at least three months. This statement form, Form 40, can be obtained from your local register office and must be signed no more than 14 days before giving the notice. Notice of marriage must be given in the district/s of residence of both parties. In the case of the housebound person the notice will have to be taken at home. This will incur an additional statutory fee on top of the usual notice fee. The marriage can take place a minimum of 15 days from the date of giving the later notice. The marriage must take place within three months of giving the first notice.

A person who is terminally ill is able to marry in a house or hospital. In these circumstances a doctor must sign a letter confirming that he/she is in medical attendance on the person and the person is terminally ill and not expected to recover. The letter must also state that the person cannot be moved to a place where marriages could normally take place and can fully understand the importance of the marriage ceremony. The marriage can take place once the Registrar General has issued the licence for the marriage. This process can be almost immediate and is often on the same day that the arrangements are made. The marriage must take place within one month of giving the notice. Only one notice is given under these circumstances and it is always given in the district in which the marriage is to take place.

A marriage can take place in a prison or other place of confinement so long as the authorities agree. This agreement must be in the form of a statement, in the prescribed form that must be signed by the Governor not more than 21 days before giving the notice of marriage. The confined person must give a notice to the local registrar. The registrar will be required to visit the place of confinement in order to take the notice and this visit will attract an additional statutory fee. The other party to the marriage will also have to give a notice to the registrar of the district in which they live. The marriage, which can be civil or religious, can take place 15 clear days after the giving of the later notice. The marriage must take place within 3 months of giving the first notice.

Can I get married abroad?
Notice of marriage can be given in the district/s where a couple live if the marriage is taking place in another country. However, this facility exists only in certain circumstances.

Please note:for the purposes of marriage law, a British subject is a British or Commonwealth citizen. "Foreign" means a non-British, non-Commonwealth country or dependency

If a British subject is getting married to a foreign national in a foreign country notice can be given under the provisions of the Marriage with Foreigners Act. The British subject must give notice of marriage in the district, in England or Wales, in which he/she has lived for three weeks before giving the notice. Only one notice of marriage is given and the certificate of no impediment can be issued 21 clear days after the notice. To give the notice you must know the full names, age, marital status, occupation and address of your intended, as well as the name of the town or locality and the foreign country where the marriage will take place. Please remember, the certificate of no impediment may:

All of these possibilities are things you will need to confirm and act on accordingly otherwise your marriage may not be allowed to proceed, or if proceeded with, may not be recognised by foreign/UK authorities.

In circumstances where two British subjects are getting married in a foreign country and both live in England and Wales notice of marriage must be given by both parties in the district/s in which they have lived for the seven days before giving the notice. The informal certificates of no impediment can be issued 15 clear days from the date on which the notices were given. Please remember, the certificate of no impediment may:

All of these possibilities are things you will need to confirm and act on accordingly otherwise your marriage may to be allowed to proceed, or if proceeded with, may not be recognised by foreign/UK authorities.

There is a facility for giving notice of marriage in circumstances where two British subjects are getting married in a limited number of British Commonwealth countries in which one of them resides. Please contact the Registrar on (020) 8825 5602 for further information and to make an appointment.


I am already married outside of the United Kingdom. Do I need to register here?
Marriages contracted abroad do not need to be registered in the UK. If you are legally married abroad, that marriage is also valid here, just as a marriage contracted here is valid abroad.

If you are a British citizen and have married abroad in a non-Commonwealth country, you may wish to register your marriage with the British Consulate in whose area of interest you were married. This is not a legal requirement, but is advantageous as a record of the marriage is then kept by the Registrar General for England and Wales and subsequent copies of the marriage can be obtained through him. You will need to telephone the British Consulate concerned to find out their procedures.

It is possible – but not advisable - for a couple married outside the UK to be married again to each other under English law. Please seek legal advice first as it may have implications on legitimacy and inheritance issues.

I have married in the UK by religious or custom marriage outside of the Marriage Act 1949 - what should I do?
If you were married in England or Wales outside the provisions of the Marriage Act 1949 (ie you did not give legal notice to the superintendent registrar before the marriage), your marriage will not be recognised under English Law, in which case the marriage is ignored and you should revert to your marriage status prior to this irregular marriage. However, if you believe that the irregular marriage is valid under English law, you should seek legal advice before deciding to be married again to each other under the auspices of the Marriage Act 1949 as it may have an effect on legitimacy and inheritance issues.