It is a legal requirement to give notice in advance of marriage or civil partnership. Your notice is publicly displayed for 15 days, after which the authority for your marriage or civil partnership can be granted. Each notice is valid for one year, but if you decide to change venue, new notices must be given.

If you are getting married in the Church of England or Church in Wales, then you do not usually have to give notice of marriage.

If you are having a civil marriage or civil partnership, you both need to go to your local register office to give notice. If you live in different districts, notice must be given in each district.  You both must give notice in person - no one else can do it on your behalf.

If you plan holding your marriage or civil partnership in a different area, you should also contact the local register office for that area before you give notice, to ensure that officials will be available on the day.

Formal notice of marriage can be given up to twelve months before your wedding date.  

Your residency status before giving notice

You both need to have lived in the area in which you wish to give notice for at least seven full days, immediately before giving notice.

This applies to all including those travelling from overseas for a marriage or civil partnership in England and Wales. Exceptions to this are listed below, but only if neither party are subject to immigration control:

For marriages:

• British or Commonwealth citizens are able to give notice in the country they are living in, provided that country has signed up to the 'British Subjects Facilities Acts 1915 and 1916'. You can find out which countries are eligible below. The other party must be a resident of England or Wales

For marriage and civil partnerships:

• if one person is resident in England and Wales, then the other person may also give notice in Scotland 
  
• officers, seamen or marines on one of Her Majesty's ships at sea can give notice to the captain or other officer commanding the ship, provided the other person is resident in England and Wales   

Urgent application for a marriage/civil partnership licence

For urgent application for a Registrar General's Licence to be issued for a marriage or civil partnership to be performed at short notice, please contact your local Register Office during opening hours.

Out of hours

In the event that you are unable to make contact please phone the General Register Office on 01704 569824 and they will be able to advise you further.