A notice of marriage/civil partnership is a formal legal step you must complete before you can get married or enter a civil partnership.
It is a written declaration given to your local register office stating that:
- You intend to get married (or form a civil partnership)
- You are legally free to do so (e.g. not already married)
- You meet the legal requirements (age, residency, nationality, immigration status).
You must have a marriage or civil partnership ceremony booked before you attend your appointment at your local register office to give your notice.
All notice of marriage/civil partnership appointments are bookable online.
Marriage in a Church of England/Church of Wales
If you are getting married in a Church of England or Church of Wales you will not give your notice of marriage at your local register office, instead you will have your banns read in the church where you will marry. You will need to contact your vicar for more information on this. However, if you are subject to immigration control and wish to marry in a Church of England or Church of Wales you will need to give your notice of marriage in your local register office.
Who can give notice of marriage/civil partnership
To give notice of your intention to marry or form a civil partnership in England and Wales, both parties must be:
- Over the age of 18
- 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 1st June 2021 and can provide a relevant Share Code from the Home Office (you will need to bring the Share Code to the notice of marriage appointment).
If either party is a national from a country outside of the EU, you will need to refer to the guidance for non-EU nationals.
Where can you give your notice of marriage/civil partnership
You should give your notices in the registration district where you live (or have lived for the previous 8 days).
If you live in Wigan or Leigh (meaning the property where you live pays council tax to Wigan Council), there are two register offices that you can attend at the following locations:
If you live outside Wigan and Leigh registration district, you must give your notice of marriage/civil partnership in your local registration office in the district where you live.
When should we give notice of marriage/civil partnership
You must give notice of your marriage or civil partnership no later than 28 days before your ceremony. However, it is not advisable to leave this to the last minute, as notices can be given up to 12 months in advance.
Please be aware that our booking system will not allow you to book a notice of marriage/civil partnership appointment if your ceremony date is less than 36 days away. We therefore strongly recommend allowing sufficient time to arrange your appointment and advise that you give notice within 8 months of your ceremony, but no later than 8 weeks beforehand.
Your marriage/civil partnership cannot go ahead unless a notice of marriage has been completed, but you must have your ceremony booked before you give your notice.
How much will it cost
When you book your appointment to give notice of marriage/civil partnership you must pay the fee of £46.50 per person.
If you are subject to immigration control, then you must pay the fee of £63 per person when you make your appointment to give notice of marriage/civil partnership.
What information do I need to bring to my appointment when I give notice
At your appointment you will need to provide evidence of your name, age, nationality, marital status, address, and immigration status (where applicable). If the correct documents are not presented at your appointment, we are unable to take your notice - you will need to book another appointment.
- See our full list of accepted documents to find out what you need to bring
- Only original documents are accepted in relation to name, age, nationality and marital status, we cannot accept photocopies or digital copies
- To provide proof of address a digital version of a statement/bill is acceptable. This can be viewed by the registrar on your device during your appointment. A printed version is also still acceptable.
Booking an appointment
Before making an appointment with us, please be aware that:
- You should already have your ceremony booked with your venue. You cannot make your appointment to give notice of marriage or civil partnership unless your venue and registrar have confirmed your ceremony
- You do not need to attend the appointment together, but you must both give your own individual notice of marriage/civil partnership in the registration district where you live. You can book an appointment for one or both of you to attend
- If you're getting married in another district you must have your ceremony booked with your venue before you make your appointment to give notice of marriage /civil partnership.
What happens next
Once you have attended your notice of marriage/civil partnership appointment at Wigan or Leigh Register Office, your notice will be displayed digitally for 28 clear days in the public reception area at Wigan Register Office.
28 days after your notice of marriage or civil partnership appointment, your marriage or civil partnership schedule will be issued. You will then be legally free to marry or form a civil partnership.
If you are subject to immigration control:
If either person giving notice is subject to immigration control, you must allow up to 70 days for the Home Office to consider your application.
- The standard notice period of 28 days may be extended to 70 days
- The Home Office may carry out checks to confirm your relationship is genuine
- You cannot proceed with the ceremony until this period has ended and approval has been given
- A marriage or civil partnership schedule will only be issued once the process is complete.
Non EU Nationals:
If either party to the marriage/civil partnership is a national of an EU country and does not have settled or pre-settled status (or a pending application), or is a 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 one of you has lived for at least 8 days prior to your appointment. If you both live in different registration districts you can give your notices together at either register office, it is your choice which office you attend.
If you are a national of an EU country and do not have settled or pre-settled status, or you are a national of a non-EU country, in addition to providing evidence to prove your name, age, nationality, address and marital status, the registrar will also need to see evidence of your immigration status. This can be through an E-Visa and a share code.
You can obtain a share code (external link) which is valid for 90 days and you must bring your share code to the notice appointment.
Please note registrars cannot give immigration advice.
Once the marriage/civil partnership schedule is issued it is valid for 12 months; however, it is only valid for the ceremony venue stated on the schedule. If you change your ceremony venue after giving notice, you will be required to give notice again and repeat the process.
The registrar will bring your marriage schedule with them on the day of your ceremony.
Abuse of immigration laws
We are working with the UK Border Agency to identify marriages and civil partnerships which seek to abuse UK immigration laws.
Anybody found to be arranging, facilitating or entering into a marriage or civil partnership solely to gain permission to stay in the UK risks arrest or prosecution.
Foreign nationals may also face deportation and be barred from re-entering the UK for up to 14 years.
Getting a passport in your new name
You can change your name on your passport before you get married by completing the form below and getting this signed by a registrar.
If you are getting married in Wigan and Leigh you can complete part 2 of the PD2 form, once this is completed please email ceremonies to make an appointment for part 1 of the PD2 form to be completed and signed by a registrar.
There is a £20 fee for this, payable by card only when you attend the register office with the completed PD2 application form.