Notice of marriage or civil partnership
Giving notice means making a legal declaration that you are both free to marry or be civil partnered to each other.
Both you and your partner need to give notice to marry or enter a civil partnership.
What you need to bring to your appointment
There are specific documents the registrar will need to see at your appointment. If these documents are not available, you will not be able to give your notice.
You will need to bring proof of nationality such as a valid passport.
If no passport is available, then you could bring any of the following:
- Home Office Naturalisation certificate
- Home Office travel document
- Biometric Residence Permit
- British birth certificates (only)
- if you were born before 1 January 1983, your full or short birth certificate
- if you were born after 1 January 1983, your full birth certificate which includes your parents' details plus either parent's birth certificate (short or long), if your parents were married at the time of your birth
- if your parents were unmarried at the time of your birth, then only your mother's birth certificate needs to be seen
- if your parents were born outside the UK then you must provide evidence of your British nationality at the time of your birth.
You will need proof of address. This can be:
- a bank statement (dated within 1 month)
- utility bill (dated within 3 months)
- your most recent Council Tax bill or driving licence showing your name and address
Previous marriages or Civil Partnerships
If your previous marriage or civil partnership ended because your spouse or civil partner died, please bring an original death certificate.
If either party has been married or in a civil partnership before, that ended through divorce or dissolution, you should bring either:
- your original decree absolute
- final order or civil partnership dissolution
- final order to the notice appointment
The documents should be translated into English if necessary.
If the divorce or civil partnership dissolution was obtained outside the British Isles there will be a consideration fee of up to £83 to determine the validity of the documentation. Please note that consideration does not guarantee that the document will be accepted.
Printouts of electronic copies issued by the court will be accepted as long as there is an original court stamp, and the document is a valid decree absolute/final order or civil partnership dissolution/final order.
Any name changes
If either party has previously been known by any other name, proof will be required. This will be in the form of a change of name deed.
Please note that you need to demonstrate a clear link between all of the names on the documents. For example, a marriage certificate or change of name deed if you have returned to your maiden name.
Proof of Settled Status
Foreign nationals who have settled status or pre-settled status will need to provide their share code at the registration appointment. This is due to immigration changes that came into effect on 1 July 2021.
You can view and prove your immigration status.
This enables you to give notice as a relevant national.
If you do not have settled or pre-settled status, then you will need to give your notice at a designated office, listed below.
If you, your partner, or both, are a non-UK or non-settled status citizen and wish to get married in England or Wales you will need to give your notice(s) at a designated office.
In Northamptonshire the designated offices are in:
- Northampton for West Northamptonshire
- Kettering for North Northamptonshire
The appointment must be no less than 29 days before the marriage ceremony. This may be extended by the Home Office to up to 70 days if either party is subject to immigration control. We recommend that you do not book your marriage or civil partnership any earlier than 70 days to allow for any investigation that may be required.
There are specific documents the registrar will need to see at your appointment. If these documents are not available, you will not be able to give your notice.
You will need to bring:
- proof of nationality - a valid passport
- recent passport-sized photograph of each party to the marriage
If no passport is available then you could bring any of the following:
- Home Office Naturalisation certificate
- Home Office travel document
- Biometric Residence Permit
- British birth certificates (only)
- if you were born prior to 1 January 1983, your full or short birth certificate
- if you were born after 1 January 1983, your full birth certificate which includes your parents' details plus either parent's birth certificate (short or long), if your parents were married at time of your birth
- if your parents were unmarried at the time of your birth, then only your mother's birth certificate needs to be seen
- if your parents were born outside the UK then you must provide evidence of your British nationality at the time of your birth
You will need proof of address. This can be:
- a bank statement (dated within 1 month)
- utility bill (dated within 3 months
- your most recent Council Tax bill or driving licence showing your name and address
Previous marriages
If your previous marriage or civil partnership ended because your spouse or civil partner died, please bring an original death certificate.
If either party has been married or in a civil partnership before, that ended through divorce or dissolution, you should bring either:
- your original decree absolute
- final order or civil partnership dissolution
- final order to the notice appointment
The documents should be translated into English if necessary.
If the divorce or civil partnership dissolution was obtained outside the British Isles there will be a consideration fee of up to £83 to determine the validity of the documentation. Please note that consideration does not guarantee that the document will be accepted.
Electronic copies issued by the court will be accepted as long as there is an original court stamp, and the document is a valid decree absolute/final order or civil partnership dissolution/final order.
Any name changes
If either party has been previously known by any other name, proof will be required. This will be in the form of a change of name deed.
Please note that you need to demonstrate a clear link between all of the names on the documents. For example, a marriage certificate or change of name deed if you have returned to your maiden name.
Translation
You must provide a translator if either of you cannot speak or understand English. You cannot translate for each other.
Deadline to give notices of marriage or civil partnership
Notice of marriage or civil partnership legally needs to be given at the designated office no less than 29 days before the ceremony and may be longer for people subject to immigration control.
We would recommend that notices of marriage or civil partnership should be given a minimum of 8 weeks before the ceremony.
You must have lived in the local authority registration service district where you are giving your notice for 9 days or more.
How to give notices of marriage or civil partnership
Both parties need to give their notices to the Registration Service where they live. Unless you are subject to immigration control, in which case you will need to attend to give notice together.
You need to book an appointment at a registration office to give notices.
If your marriage or civil partnership is booked within West Northamptonshire and you live in the same registration district where you are getting married or forming a civil partnership, then you should book your notice appointment through your online account.
If your marriage or civil partnership is booked in a different registration district, you will need to approach your local registration service for an appointment.
Cost
There is a minimum fee of £42 each to give notices depending on when you want to book your appointment. Appointments are available on a Saturday subject to an additional fee. Please see our fees page for further information.
There is also an additional fee if you are subject to immigration control the registrar will advise you at your appointment if this is applicable to you.
Church marriages
If you are marrying in a Church of England and Wales and are either a British citizen, Irish citizen or a person who holds either EUSS settled status or pre-settled status you do not need the Registration Service to give notice as banns will be called.
Banns refers to a notice given in a Parish Church where an intended marriage is announced to the public on three successive Sundays. Please refer to the Vicar of the church to arrange this.
If one or both parties to the marriage is a foreign national and does not have EUSS settled or pre-settled status, please email us at [email protected] to book a notice appointment.
Please remember that notices need to be displayed publicly for a 28 or 70-clear-day period after notice has been given before you can legally marry, so plan well ahead.
If you plan to marry in another place of worship within the West Northamptonshire registration district, please email us at [email protected] to make a notice appointment.
If it is outside of the West Northamptonshire registration district this must be the usual place of worship of either you or your partner. If this is the case, please email us to book your appointment.
If you are marrying in a non-Anglican church, a marriage may take place in a registered building situated in a district in which neither party lives if it is the usual place of worship for one or both parties.
Although there may be a registered building of the same denomination as the building proposed for the marriage, within the district(s) of residence, the parties have the right to be married in their usual place of worship.
The registrar does not need to see evidence that the building is the usual place of worship of either party but will question the parties giving notice and be satisfied of the truth of the statement.
If you are marrying in an Anglican church and it is not your usual place of worship, you will require a signed letter from the church to confirm they are happy to marry you.
If you are subject to immigration control and you are marrying in an Anglican church, you will need to have a signed letter from the church to confirm that if you were not subject to immigration control, you would be allowed to marry with banns.
Last updated 26 July 2024