Getting married in Scotland
Visit National Records of Scotland to find out what you need to do if you want to get married in Scotland.
Getting married abroad
Marriage laws and requirements vary by country. You must contact the local authorities in the country where you want to get married to find out what you need to do.
Use the 'Prove your eligibility to a foreign government' tool on GOV.UK to check who you need to contact and what documents you may need.
Find out more at Getting married or registering a civil partnership abroad on GOV.UK.
Certificate of no impediment
Some countries ask for a certificate of no impediment (CNI). This certificate confirms that you are free to get married.
You can only get a CNI if you are a British citizen. To get a CNI, you must book an appointment to give notice at your local register office.
Before you have your ceremony in Croydon
You must:
- decide where your ceremony will be held
- notify us at least 3 months in advance
If you plan to have a ceremony outside of Croydon, you must give notice in the register office in the Borough in which you live.
Types of ceremonies
If you are getting married, you can have either a:
- religious ceremony
- non-religious civil ceremony
If you are forming a civil partnership you can have a civil ceremony, but not a religious ceremony.
Civil ceremonies
You can have a civil ceremony at Croydon Register Office or in any approved venue.
Religious ceremonies
You can have a marriage ceremony at any religious building registered as a marriage venue. Your marriage must be registered immediately after the ceremony by an authorised person, such as a religious minister. If the venue does not have an authorised person you must book registrars to attend the ceremony and register the marriage.
Ceremony planning guidance
Read our guide to planning a ceremony.