Marriages and civil partnerships

If you are a UK passport holder or EEA national with settled status and you intend to marry in a Church of England or Church of Wales, there is no need to involve our register office - speak directly with the vicar of the church.

Regulations for notices of marriage and civil partnership

UK/Irish nationals

If you are a UK or Irish passport holder, you must give your notice in the district where you live.

If you live in different districts, you will need to contact each district to make an appointment. You do not need to attend each other's appointments.

EEA nationals

EEA nationals who made an application under the EU Settlement Scheme for settled, or pre-settled status, or who are awaiting a Home Office decision, must give notice in their district of residence. The notice period is 28 days and the fee is £42. If an EEA national did not make an application under the EU Settlement Scheme on or before Wednesday 30 June 2021, or had their application rejected, they are treated the same as foreign nationals.

EEA or non-EEA nationals will be asked to provide a share code at the notice of marriage, which you can obtain from the 'view and prove your immigration status' service and is valid for 30 days.

Non-EEA nationals

If one or both of you are from outside the UK, who are subject to immigration controls, you must both attend the notice appointment together at a register office in the district where you both live. The notice period may be extended from 28 days to 70 days if requested by the Home Office. You will be required to present evidence of settled status, permanent residence or a marriage/civil partnership visa and the fee will be £42 per person. If it is not possible to provide this evidence, the fee will be £57 per person.

If one or both parties are EEA or non-EEA nationals, both must provide a passport-size photograph when attending the appointment.

If one or both parties are travelling from overseas, we will not book the notice of marriage or marriage ceremony until they have arrived in this country.

Residency status before giving notice

You both need to have lived in the area in which you wish to give notice for at least 7 full days before giving notice. This applies to everyone, including those travelling from overseas, for a marriage or civil partnership in England and Wales. 

Please note: If you are residing in a hotel within the borough of Hillingdon, please check the hotel is willing to confirm your residency with a letter before you book into the hotel.

Exceptions (providing neither party is subject to immigration control)

• If one party to the marriage is a resident in Scotland, they may give their notice in Scotland. The other person needs to be a resident in England or Wales.
• Officers, seamen or marines on one of her Majesty's ships at sea can give notice to the captain or another officer commanding the ship. The other party must be a resident of England or Wales.

Important

• Each notice for a marriage or a civil partnership held in the UK is valid for 1 year. 
• If you decide to change venue, new notices must be given. 
• You both must give notice in person - no one else can give notice on your behalf.
• If one or both of you are subject to immigration control, you will need to attend (together) your local register office, where one or both parties reside. 
• We can only take notice for a marriage or civil partnership abroad from British nationals. If you are a non-British national, you will need to contact your embassy for information.

Documents required

Every person wishing to marry or form a civil partnership in the UK has to provide proof of their name, age and nationality.

Check which documents you need to bring to your notice appointment

Please note:

• The registrar has the right to request further evidence to satisfy the requirements of your notice of intention to marry or form a civil partnership.
• To marry or form a civil partnership abroad, you should contact the relevant embassy, who will advise what documentation will be needed. Please do this before contacting our register office, as you may need to give notice to us.

Make an appointment to give notice of marriage or civil partnership

To give notice, you need to make an appointment at our Hillingdon Register Office .

At the appointment, you will be asked some simple questions about yourself and your partner. The superintendent registrar will also take information from you. This will then be displayed for 28 clear days in the Register Office, which the general public are allowed to see.

After the 28 clear days (or 70 clear days in some cases), your schedule document for marriage or civil partnership will be issued. 

Please note:

• A non-refundable deposit of £42 (or £57, depending on your immigration status) per person is payable at the time of booking. If you attend the appointment, the deposit will be used towards payment for the notice.
• If either or both of you cannot speak and understand English, you must provide an interpreter each.

Book an appointment to give notice of marriage (opens new window)

Book an appointment to give notice of a civil partnership (opens new window)

You can reschedule or cancel your appointment online.
Please note: You will need to enter the reference code from your email to amend your appointment.

Deposit and cancellations

If you need to cancel or make changes to your appointment, 2 full working days' notice must be given before a refund will be considered.

Please note: There will be no refund for non-attendance or if the appointment is abandoned by the registrar.