You must sign a legal statement to say you intend to get married or form a civil partnership. This is known as 'giving notice'.
When and where to give notice
You must give legal notice at least 29 days before the date of the ceremony and no more than one year in advance.
You and your partner must give notice in person to the council register office for the area in which you live. Find your local register office on GOV.UK to check which register office you should attend to give notice.
This will be the council that issues your council tax bill and collects your bins and recycling.
You must have lived there for the 7 clear days immediately prior to your appointment, not including the day you arrived or the day of your appointment. This might be in a different district to where your ceremony is taking place.
You might have to give notice at different register offices if one of you lives in a different district. You don't have to give notice on the same day.
From 1 July 2021 where one or both of you is subject to immigration control, notice of marriage or civil partnership will need to be given together in the registration district where either one or both parties lives.
You will be subject to immigration control if you are not:
- a British Citizen
- an Irish Citizen
- a person who has been granted EU Settlement Status (EUSS) either settled or pre-settled or has a pending application for that settled status submitted before 30 June 2021
You should give notice at least 29 days before your ceremony. You will need to bring to your appointment your EUSS share code. The EUSS code is how we check your status, if we don't have this your appointment cannot proceed and you will need to rebook.
If you do not have settled status, pre-settled status or a pending application submitted before the 30 June 2021, you should give notice at least 70 days before your ceremony and you will be referred to the Home Office.
You should give notice at least 70 days before your ceremony if you don't have:
- evidence of settled or permanent resident status, such as a biometric residence card
- a marriage visa
- exemption from immigration control
What to bring to the appointment
You must bring to the appointment proof of:
- name, date of birth and nationality
- address
If applicable you may also need to provide:
- evidence of ending of previous marriage/Civil Partnership
- evidence of immigration status - If not supplied a Home Office referral is required
Proof of name, date of birth and nationality
One of the following original documents (or groups of documents):
- Valid passport
- UK birth certificate (if born in the UK before 1 January 1983) plus one of the following:
- a utility bill dated no more than three months before notice
- a bank or building society statement or passbook dated no more than one month before notice
- a current council tax bill or mortgage statement
- a current residential tenancy agreement
- a valid driving licence
- Full UK birth certificate and mothers UK birth certificate (if born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983), plus one of the following:
- a utility bill dated no more than three months before notice
- a bank or building society statement or passbook dated no more than one month before notice
- a council tax bill or mortgage statement dated no more than one year before notice
- a current residential tenancy agreement
- a valid driving licence
- Certificate of registration/ naturalisation as a British citizen granted by the Secretary of State
- Valid biometric immigration document, eVisa
- Valid travel document issued in the United Kingdom at the discretion of the Secretary of State to persons who have been formally and, in the view of the Secretary of State, unreasonably, refused a passport by the authorities in their own countries and who have
- been granted limited leave to enter or remain or humanitarian protection on rejection of a claim for asylum or for recognition as a stateless person; or been granted indefinite leave to remain
- valid travel document issued pursuant to Article 28 of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees done at Geneva on 28 July 1951
- valid travel document issued pursuant to Article 28 of the Stateless Convention
If you've changed your name and the documents listed above aren't in your current name, you should also bring documentary evidence relating to the change.
Proof of address
One of the following:
- Utility bill dated no more than three months before notice
- Bank or building society statement or passbook dated no more than one month before notice
- Council tax bill dated no more than one year before notice
- Mortgage statement dated no more than one year before notice
- Current residential tenancy agreement
- Valid driving licence
- Letter from the owner or proprietor of the address which is the person’s place of residence. The letter must confirm the following:
- that the person giving notice has resided at the address for at least 7 days immediately prior to the date on which notice of marriage is given
- states that the person providing the letter is the owner or proprietor
- states the name, address and is signed by the person providing the letter
Proof of immigration status
Example documents:
- Share Code (gained from GOV.UK)
- Valid biometric immigration eVisa
- Valid travel document
- Valid Home Office endorsement in passport (including ILR/ILE/RoA/certificate of entitlement)
- Home Office status document
- Visa or entry clearance in passport
If you're entering the UK for the purpose of marriage or civil partnership you must check with the UKVI that you've the correct visa to do so. This would usually be a marriage or civil partnership visa. If you're providing evidence of immigration status you may need to provide a passport photo.
If you've been married or in a civil partnership before
One of the following original documents:
- Final Order
- Divorce decree absolute
- Divorce decree of nullity
- Civil partnership dissolution order
- Civil partnership nullity order
- Death certificate of spouse or civil partner
If you've changed your name
If the name on your documents isn't the same as on your identification, you must also bring evidence of your change of name. For example, a deed poll, statutory declaration of change of name or the marriage or civil partnership certificate.
Cost
You need to pay a fee to give notice:
- Relevant nationals - £42 per person
- For couples where one or both are foreign nationals (without specified immigration status) - £57 per person
Book an appointment
If you live within the Plymouth city boundary and are a British/Irish citizen you can book an appointment online. If you are not sure, find your local council.
Notice appointments are only available at the Register Office.
If you live within the Plymouth boundary and are an EEA citizen (with or without settled/pre settled status), Non EEA citizen or Swiss citizen email [email protected] with your name and contact number and we will contact you to make an appointment.
If you do not live in Plymouth contact your local Registration Service to arrange your notice of marriage/civil partnership appointment.