If you are planning to get married or form a civil partnership, you must give at least 28 days notice at a register office.
You can only give notice if you have lived in the registration area for at least 7 days. The process may be different for some religious ceremonies.
You may also need to give notice if you are planning to marry or form your civil partnership abroad. Ask the relevant embassy for advice, including any documentation you will need.
There are exceptional circumstances that may change the way you give a notice of intention. For example if either person is terminally ill, housebound or detained.
In most cases you will need to marry or form the civil partnership within 1 year.
Documents you will need
You and your partner will need to give the following information when giving notice:
- full name
- date of birth (you must be a over the age of 18)
- usual address
- nationality
- immigration status, if applicable
- current marital status
- occupation
- intended venue for your marriage or civil partnership
You will be asked to provide proof of nationality, address and marital status, including:
- valid current passport
- for proof of address a bank statement issued within the last month, or current council tax bill, or UK driving licence, or two utility bills from two separate suppliers issued within the last 3 months
- for non-British nationals, valid evidence of immigration status is required
- a passport quality photograph for both parties if either of you are not a UK national, EEA or Swiss national with settled status
- if previously married, Decree Absolute, now known as the Final Order, or death certificate of the former spouse (must include English translation). If you have a digital PDF copy of your UK divorce, we will need to see the accompanying email from the court. Foreign divorces will incur a fee of either £50 or £75 due at your appointment. Please have a card available for this payment as we are now cashless
A EU identity card is not accepted for the purposes of giving notice.
Your appointment
It is important that you arrive for your appointment on time.
You will not be able to enter the building before your appointment start time or if you are late.
Once you have given notice and the waiting period has expired (either 28 days or 70 days), we will issue 1 marriage schedule.
If a registrar from Ealing register office is officiating at your ceremony, then we will keep this document and bring it to your ceremony on the day of the wedding or civil partnership.
If you are getting married in a religious building in Ealing borough, we will post the schedule to you, as long as it is not a designated notice. You will not be able to get married without your schedule.
In an emergency, for example where the marriage is taking place in less than a week, it can be collected in person with a booked appointment. As lo long as it is not a designated notice. Either you or your partner can attend the appointment.
We will post your paperwork directly to your marriage venue. If you are a designated couple, for example one of you is:
- an EEA national without EUSS settled status
- a EUSS pre-settled
- pending an application to the EUSS
- any other person from outside the EU
You will need to email us to ask us to post the schedule to your religious venue. In an emergency where the marriage is taking place in less than 1 week, someone from the venue can book an appointment to collect the document in person.
Please note this only applies to people getting married in England or Wales (not abroad). Couples getting married abroad will still need the original blue authorities. You may also need to get these documents legalised in order to authenticate them.
Fees and cancellations
If you:
- are getting married in a civil venue in Ealing borough, you will need to have paid a deposit for a ceremony before your notice will be taken
- attend your appointment and have not paid a deposit or are not able to pay the deposit at the time you give notice, we will not be able to take your notice of marriage. You will need to book a new notice appointment and pay the fees again. Any changes are subject to 3 working days notice
There is a charge of £42 per person, or £54 per person if you are a non-European Economic Area (EEA) passport holder and do not have evidence of settled status in the UK, or a valid marriage or civil partnership visa. There is also a non-refundable admin fee of £6.50 per person.
You must pay a deposit when you book. The deposit will be used towards payment for the service. If you cancel or change your appointment you may be charged an additional fee. If you do not bring all of the required documents this will be considered a cancellation.
Foreign divorces will have to pay a fee of either £55 or £83 due at your appointment.
Book an appointment
Appointments are held Monday to Friday, from 10am to 3pm.
We will need at least 1 working day notice.
Due to high demand, there is a considerable wait time for appointments and ceremony dates. Please factor this in when booking your ceremony so that you will be able to give your notices within the statutory timeframe.
We would like to thank you in advance for your co-operation and patience. If your ceremony is taking place in less than 6 weeks, please email us at registrars@ealing.gov,uk with proof of your ceremony booking and we will be able to assist you. Please note, without confirmation of your ceremony booking, you will need to wait for the first available appointment showing on our booking system.
Book a marriage notice appointment
Book a civil partnership notice appointment
All ceremonies now take place at The Brentham Club, 38a Meadvale Road, Ealing, London W5 1NP.
We do not hold ceremonies at Ealing Town Hall anymore.
Foreign nationals
There are different rules if you or your partner are a foreign national from outside the European Economic Area or Switzerland. For more information go to GOV.UK