Marriage - arrangement and ceremony
If you wish to get married in a register office, at other premises approved for marriage, or a church other than the Church of England, both you and your partner will need to give notice of marriage to the superintendent registrar in the district where you live.The notice is valid for one year from the date you give notice.
Giving notice
You must give notice to the superintendent registrar of the district in which you have resided for at least seven nights and 15 days must pass after the notice is given before the marriage can take place.
If the bride and groom live in different districts, notice must be given in each district within seven days of each other.
The formalities
- You will be asked for your name, address, age, marital status and occupation
- You will need to produce evidence of identity such as your passport and proof of residence in Croydon (e.g. utility bill). Checks are made to confirm this information
- If you are under 18 you will need to produce evidence of consent from a parent or guardian.
What to do if you have been married before
- If you have been married previously, you will need to supply evidence that the marriage has ended, such as a Decree Absolute, which must have an original court stamp if you have been divorced
- If your spouse has died, you must provide the death certificate
- All the information you provide must be in English.
New rules for marrying in the UK
Part of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act 2004 came into force in February 2005. Persons under immigration control who wish to give notice of marriage since then have to:
- have entry clearance granted expressly for the purpose of marriage in the UK
- have the written permission of the Secretary of State to marry in the UK, in the form of a certificate of approval from the Home Office's Immigration and Nationality Department
- fall within a class of persons specified by the Secretary of State. This will be someone with settled status in the UK (such as indefinite leave to remain).
Since February 2005 all persons under immigration control who are marrying after civil preliminaries (giving notice) must give their notice to marry at a designated register office. They must be accompanied by the person they wish to marry who must also give notice at the same time.
If you do not have a 'certificate of entitlement to Right of Abode', and you and/or your partner are subject to immigration control, i.e. not a citizen of one of the following countries, you may be affected by the new law:
- Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic
- Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France
- Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland
- Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein
- Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands
- Norway, Poland, Portugal
- Romania
- Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
For further information regarding immigration status, please call the Home Office on 0870 606 7766 or the visit The Home Office website.
Fees
The fee for giving notice is £30.00 per person.
You can now use this link to book your appointment to give notice of marriage online.
