Giving notice of marriage

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Entering notice of marriage

If you wish to marry in a civil ceremony, it is a legal requirement that you enter notice of your intention to marry. Notice must be given at least 15 clear days before the marriage ceremony can take place. Before entering notice you should know which specific venue you wish to be married at. 

Brighton & Hove Register Office is a designated office for those who are subject to immigration control. If either of you are subject to immigration control you will need to enter notice together. Before you make an appointment to enter notice, please read the UK Border agency's website for guidance when marrying or registering a civil partnership in the U.K.

What do we need to do next?

Before marrying in a Register Office, an approved venue or a church that is not a Church of England legal preliminaries must be completed in the registration district where you both live. This is called entering a notice of marriage. The appointment will last approximately half an hour. To enter notice of marriage (15 clear days notice required), the fees are £35 each. This is payable at the time of booking, and if you decide to cancel or postpone your appointment you may be charged a cancellation fee. Further details can be found on our cancellation and refund page

Please note both parties are required to attend the office to give notice. The notice is valid for 12 months from the date of giving. A minimum residential qualification of at least 7 clear days is required.

If you live in Brighton and Hove please telephone us on (01273) 294421 to make an appointment to see one of the Superintendent Registrars. If you do not live in Brighton and Hove and are not subject to immigration control, we will be happy to tell you which Register Office you need to contact.

When you attend your appointment we will need to see:

• Current passports and birth certificates. If you are subject to immigration control we will need to see your marriage/fiance visa or your certificate of approval to marry.
• Proof of your address - such as a council tax bill, utilities bill or bank statement.
• Original documentary evidence showing how any previous marriages have ended
• If you divorced in England or Wales we will need to see a court stamped decree absolute
• If you divorced in a foreign country we will need to see the original documents issued by that country. If the documents are in a foreign language we will also need to see an English translation. Please note there may be a possibility that these documents will need to be cleared by the General Register Office before the marriage can take place.
• If either of you is widowed we will need to see a certified copy of your late partner's death certificate
• Original documentary evidence showing how names have been changed (if applicable)

 

Please note if you arrive for your appointment without the above documents then we may not be able to take your notice of marriage. Please also note that if you change your mind about the location of your marriage once notice has been entered, fresh notices will need to be given.
For further information please contact us on (01273) 294421

Request an appointment online

To make things easier for you we offer you the opportunity to request an appointment online.
Within 2 working days of receipt of the form, a Registrar from Brighton and Hove will contact you to confirm availability and to take a booking fee of £35 for each person.

Notice appointment request form can be found here.