What is notice of marriage?
A notice of marriage is a signed legal statement that is displayed on the register office notice board for 28 days.
It includes the names, age, marital status, address, occupation, and nationality of the people intending to marry or form a civil partnership. It also states the intended venue for the ceremony.
After 28 days, the marriage authorities or civil partnership schedule can be issued. These are only valid for use in the venue stated.
If you change your venue after giving notice, you will need to give fresh notices stating the new venue.
Notices are valid for one year and cost £35 each (£70 per wedding/civil partnership).
By law you must give a notice of marriage, which is a formal declaration of your intention to marry. Each person is legally responsible for giving his/her notice of marriage, in person, to the Superintendent Registrar of the district in which they have resided, for at least 7 days, prior to giving notice.
It is not possible for one party to give both notices. The law provides for marriage to take place in any district and on any day of the week.
Fees
The standard fee is £35 and can only be paid by debit or credit card when you attend to give your notice. we cannot take cash
Documents needed to give notice of marriage
The following information relates to marriages or civil partnerships in England and Wales providing both parties:
- are over the age of 18
- are British or Irish nationals
- usually reside in England or Wales
- have European Union settled status, pre-settled status, or have a pending EUSS application submitted before 1 June 2021, and can provide a relevant Share Code from the Home Office.
If either party is a national from a country outside of the EU, you will need to read the additional information for non-EU nationals.
At your appointment you will need to provide evidence of your name, age, nationality, marital status and address. The most accepted documents are:
- Name, age, and nationality - current passport. If you do not have a current passport and were born on or before 31 December 1982, you will need to provide your birth certificate. If you were born on or after 1st January 1983 you will need to provide evidence of your parents' nationalities also.
- Marital status (this is required when you have been previously married or formed a legally recognised civil partnership either in this country or abroad) - You will need to provide a Decree Absolute of Divorce or death certificate of former husband/wife/civil partner. A Decree Nisi of Divorce is not acceptable. Digital copies, photocopies or faxes are not acceptable. If the document is in another language, we will need a translation into English.
- Address - any of the following are acceptable (paper copies only, online documents are not acceptable):
- Utility bill dated no more than three months before the date on which notice is given.
- Bank or building society statement or passbook dated no more than one month before the date on which notice is given.
- Council Tax bill or mortgage statement dated no more than one year before the date on which notice is given.
- Current residential tenancy agreement.
- Valid UK driving licence in the name of the person giving notice (full or provisional If all documents are originals as photocopies will not be accepted).
If you cannot provide any of the above documents, please contact us for advice.
Important information for non-EU Nationals
If either party to the marriage or civil partnership is a national of an EU country and does not have settled or pre-settled status (or a pending application), or national of a non-EU country you may be subject to immigration control.
This means you must give your notices together at the Register Office covering the district in which you have both lived for the preceding eight days. If you both live in different registration districts you must give your notices together at either Register Office.
Please note registrars cannot give immigration advice.
What you need to provide
Proof of immigration status
In addition to the documents, you need to provide when giving notice, you must provide evidence of your immigration status:
- Marriage or civil partnership visa.
- Proof of settled, pre-settled or pending EUSS status.
If you do not have the correct proof your marriage must be referred to the Home Office, who may decide to extend your notice period for 70 days if they wish to investigate further. The marriage or civil partnership cannot take place until approval is granted by the Home Office.
If you wish to marry or form your civil partnership in Bury, we can't confirm a date for the ceremony until we receive Home Office approval.
Photographs
Both parties will also need to provide a colour photograph at the time of giving notice unless proof of settled status is provided. Each photograph must be a UK passport style and size and meet the following criteria:
- It should clearly show your face with a neutral expression.
- You must not be wearing any head covering (other than for religious or medical reasons).
- You must be photographed alone with no other person or object in shot.
- It should be unmarked, unaltered and without tears or creases.
- It must be a recent photo and show a current likeness.
Cost
The cost of giving notice if you are subject to immigration control is £47 for each party (£94 per couple).
If you have a divorce document that was granted outside of the British Isles a further fee of £50 will be payable. If the divorce requires authority of the Registrar General, the fee will be £75. The additional fees are payable at the time of your appointment, and we will be unable to proceed until the fee is paid and your marriage cannot take place. All documents must be accompanied by a written translation into English.
For further advice please visit Gov.uk - Marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales.
Getting married abroad
If you are a British national and wish to get married or form a civil partnership abroad, you may be asked to provide documents from the UK. Use the advice guide Gov.uk - Getting married abroad to find out which documents you need.
If you need a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) you must give notice at your local Register Office and produce all relevant documents.
If you need to give your notice at Bury Register Office, please call us to arrange an appointment.
We will need to know:
- exactly where you wish to be married and the correct spelling
- how long before your ceremony you must give your notices
- the length of time the CNI will be valid for in your chosen country
Please note that different countries will impose different validity periods and may require you to give notice within a specific time frame.
Alternatively, you may wish to have your legal ceremony here and have a celebratory ceremony abroad.
Make an appointment to give notice
Bury Register office operates a strict appointment system, you must not attend the register office without booking an appointment as you may not be seen.
Once you have all the relevant documentation, book an appointment online.