Giving notice
Most couples must give notice before they can marry or form their civil partnership in England or Wales. Find out when and where to give notice and what you need to bring with you.
Legal reason for giving notice
Marriage and civil partnership law requires an in-person, face-to-face interview with a registrar to give notice, and so notice cannot be given by proxy, in writing, by video call, online or by any other method.
Your notice is publicly displayed in the register office for 28 days before the legal document which permits you to marry or form a civil partnership is issued. This is usually 29 days after the notice appointment.
Before you book your appointment
Before you book to give notice, you must decide:
- on the licenced venue you want to marry or form a civil partnership in because as the notice is only valid for one venue. See a list of the licenced venues in Islington and City of London.
- whether you want to have a marriage or a civil partnership because it is only valid for the type of ceremony you have chosen.
If you change your mind, you need to give notice again with the new details.
Visit GOV.UK for the Government's advice on the differences between a marriage and a civil partnership. There are different rules for religious marriages and civil partnerships. Please see our page on religious marriage for more information.
If having your ceremony abroad
You may also need to give notice here if you plan to marry or form a civil partnership abroad.
If you are having your ceremony in the UK and are not from here or Ireland
If you are visiting England to marry or form a civil partnership, but you are not usually resident here, please visit this page for more information.
If either you or your partner is not a British or Irish national there are different rules too; please see further down this page for information. EEA refers to countries of the European Economic Area (plus Switzerland for the purposes of giving notice of marriage or civil partnership).
When to give notice
For most marriages or civil partnerships you must give at least 29 full days' notice.
If either you or your partner is not a British or Irish national and doesn’t have Indefinite Leave to Remain, pre settled or settled status, or a marriage or civil partnership visa this may be extended to 71 days. This is because your case will be referred to the Home Office Referral Scheme under the Immigration Act 2014 and it requires more time. Couples subject to referral will be asked to pay an extra fee of £15 per person for Home Office consideration.
Where to give notice
You must give notice in the district where each of you live - even if this is not where you are holding your ceremony - if both of you have any of the following:
- British or Irish citizenship
- settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- an application to the EU Settlement Scheme that you made before 30 June 2021, which you’re waiting for a decision on.
You must book an appointment to visit our office at Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, N1 2UD if you live in:
- Islington
- the City of London - this means the Square Mile only, not the whole of London.
Use the buttons at the bottom of this page to book an appointment first. Do not visit without one.
If you live in different registration districts, you should give notice separately. You do not have to do this on the same day as each other.
If either of you or both of you are not in the above categories
You must give notice together in the district where at least one of you lives, even if this is not where you are holding your ceremony.
If your partner had already given notice separately before 1 July 2021, they will need to give notice again with you.
What you need to bring with you (all nationalities)
Documentation
These are different depending on your circumstances and are listed below.
You must both bring the following original documents to your notice appointment:
- the name and address of your marriage or civil partnership venue
- your current valid passport - if you don’t have a valid passport, you may be able to prove your identity and nationality with other documents.
- proof of address.
If you don't have a valid passport
- If you were born in the UK before 1 January 1983, you can use your full UK birth certificate to prove your nationality and a valid UK photo driving licence to prove your identity.
- If you were born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983, you will need to bring your full UK birth certificate along with evidence of your parent(s) nationality at birth to prove your nationality and a valid UK photo driving licence to prove your identity. Evidence of your parent(s) nationality could be their passport or their birth certificates. You can get copies of birth certificates from the Register Office where the person was born.
- If you were not born in the UK and do not hold a valid passport or Home Office travel document, you will need to obtain a passport or UK Travel Document before making an appointment.
What counts as proof of address
| Type | Date |
|---|---|
| Water, gas or electricity bill | Within the last three months |
| Bank statement | Within the last month. The bank statements must be the original statements posted to your home, or online statements you have printed. If you are bringing online statements, please bring the debit or credit card for that account, or log in to your online banking app on your phone to confirm the account details. |
| Council tax bill | Within the last year |
| Mortgage | Within the last year |
| Driving license | Valid and in date |
| Tenancy agreement |
Tenancy period must cover the date notice is given. |
| Letter from your landlord | Within the last seven days. The letter must confirm you live there and include your landlord’s name, address and their signature. |
Other original documents you may need
If you have divorced or dissolved a civil partnership
This is your final divorce or dissolution document.
- If it is not in English, you must bring a translation by a named third person (not you or your partner) but doesn't have to be an official translation from a translation service or embassy.
- If you have been married or had a civil partnership more than once, we only need to see the divorce or dissolution documents from your last marriage or civil partnership.
See the table below for the additional costs for consideration of divorce or civil partnership dissolution documents. These fees are set by the Government and they must be paid even though they do not guarantee a successful application.
| Place of divorce |
Fee | Exceptions and notes |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), Channel Islands and the Isle of Man |
No additional fee | None |
| Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, Canada, Fiji, Irish Republic, Jamaica, Kenya, New Zealand, South Africa (excluding Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei and Venda), Tanzania, Zimbabwe. |
£55 per divorce that needs consideration |
|
| All USA (excluding Nevada and Guam), Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Romania, Russia and Sweden. |
£55 per divorce that needs consideration |
|
| All other countries, territories or circumstances |
£83 per divorce that needs consideration |
|
If you are widowed or a surviving civil partner
- Spouse or civil partner's death certificate, with a translation by a named third person (not you or your partner) if not in English. This does not have to be an official translation from a translation service or embassy.
- Marriage or civil partnership certificate, with a translation by a named third person (not you or your partner) if not in English. This does not have to be an official translation from a translation service or embassy.
If you have changed a name
Please provide proof of name change.
If you or your partner don’t speak English well
- You must bring someone who can translate and speak English for the non-English speakers.
- Partners cannot speak English for each other.
- If you do not bring an interpreter when one is needed, we cannot take your notice and you will have to book and pay for a new appointment.
What you must also bring if either you or your partner is not a British or Irish national
These are documents you must bring as well as the main set of documents detailed earlier.
- If you have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, we will ask you for evidence of your status. Before your appointment, please request the six-digit code from the view and prove your immigration status page on GOV.UK.
- If you have an application to the EU Settlement Scheme that you made before 30 June 2021 that you’re waiting for a decision on, please provide the letter from the Home Office confirming you have made this application.
- If you are any other immigration status, you will be asked to show evidence of your immigration status such as your visa or biometric card.
- If either you or your partner is not a British or Irish national and doesn’t have Indefinite Leave to Remain, pre-settled or settled status, a pending application for pre-settled or settled status made before 30 June 2021, or a marriage or civil partnership visa, you will need to bring one passport-sized photo for each of you.
You must bring translated (English) versions of any documents you are required to bring if the originals are not in English.
What happens after the notice appointment
- The legal document that allows you to marry or form a civil partnership is usually issued 29 days after the notice appointment.
- All marriage and civil partnership documents will be automatically issued by the office who will be conducting your ceremony.
- You will not be contacted about the notice after the appointment unless there is a problem with your notice.
- If you are getting married or forming a civil partnership in a religious building, please ask the registrar how your document will be delivered to the ceremony venue, as arrangements can vary.
Book and pay to give notice in Islington
Make sure you read this page carefully before you book to ensure you are booking in the right office and bringing the right documents.
Fee per person:
- Weekdays (Monday to Friday): £42
- Saturdays: £55 - Saturday appointments are not always available.
This payment is non-refundable in the event of cancellation, lateness or arriving with missing documents.
- You can amend your appointment date up to 48 hours before if needed. Within 48 hours, you will need to book and pay for another one instead.
- If you need to make any additional payment at your appointment, please note that you can only pay credit or debit card. We do not accept contactless, Apple Pay, American Express, bank transfer, cash or cheques.