A Notice of Marriage or Civil Partnership is a legal declaration of your intention to marry or form a civil partnership. Both partners must give notice at their local Register Office at least 28 days before the ceremony (but no earlier than one year in advance) to ensure the marriage or civil partnership can be legally registered.

Once you have selected your ceremony venue, you should also make a provisional booking for registrars’ attendance at the ceremony itself. If your ceremony is at the Register Office, City Suite or City Archives (The Oak Room or the Rococo Room), we can also arrange the room hire for you.

For other Wolverhampton venues, you will need to organise room hire directly with the venue before booking registrars’ attendance.

After your provisional booking, both partners must arrange an appointment to give notice of intention to marry or form a civil partnership.

Both partners are legally required to give notice of their intention to marry or form a civil partnership.

The earliest you can give notice is 12 months before your legal ceremony date, and notice must be given at least 30 days before the marriage or civil partnership. This waiting period may be extended to 70 days if either partner is subject to Home Office immigration restriction. We recommend giving notice around six months before your ceremony.

Each partner must have lived in England or Wales for nine (9) days immediately before giving notice, and the notice must be given in the district in which each partner resides. It does not matter if either partner moves address after notice has been given. If either or both partners are subject to immigration control, they must give notice together in the same district, which may be the district where either partner resides.

You must book an appointment to give notice. Many Register Offices are booked several weeks ahead for couples to give Notice, so bear this and the relevant waiting period in mind when choosing a ceremony date.

Required documents for your Notices

When you attend your Notice appointment, you must bring original documents to confirm your name, age, nationality, address, immigration status, and—if relevant—any previous name changes or evidence that any previous marriage or civil partnership has ended.

Photocopies, digital copies, or screenshots are not acceptable. If you do not bring the correct documents, your notice cannot be taken, and you will have to rearrange your appointment.

1. Proof of Name, Age, and Nationality

You must bring at least one of the following original documents:

  • Valid passport
    • If you do not have a valid passport and were born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983, you must bring:
  • Your full birth certificate showing your parent(s)’ names, and
  • The passport or birth certificate of the parent from whom you derive your nationality (this is your mother, or either natural parent if your parents were married at the time of your birth).
  • If your parent’s name differs from the name on your birth certificate, you must also bring evidence of their name change.
  • Full birth certificate
  • Certificate of naturalisation
  • Valid Travel Document

Additional requirements for non-UK nationals

  • Proof of your immigration status via a share code from the UK Visas and Immigration Services.
  • Both parties giving Notice may also be required to submit a passport-sized photograph.

2. Proof of Address

You must provide one of the following documents showing your current address:

  • Valid UK driving licence
  • Gas, water, or electricity bill dated within the last 3 months
  • Bank or building society statement dated within the last 1 month (not a credit card statement)
  • Council Tax bill dated within the last 12 months
  • Mortgage statement dated within the last 12 months
  • Current tenancy agreement
  • Letter from the property owner confirming your residence, including their name, address, signature, and dated within the last 7 days

Only the documents listed above can be accepted as proof of address. We cannot accept any other documents not on this list.

3. If you have been married or in a civil partnership before

You must provide either one of the following:

  • Decree absolute / final order of divorce / annulment
    • If you have had the divorce outside the British Isles, additional non-refundable fees (payable at the notice appointment) will apply for the divorce document to be verified
  • Death certificate of your former spouse or civil partner

4. Additional Requirements for ‘Non-Relevant Nationals’

A non-relevant national is anyone who is not:

  • a British citizen
  • an Irish citizen
  • a person with settled, pre-settled, or pending status under the EU Settlement Scheme

If this applies to you, you must also bring:

  • Proof of your current immigration status, for example:
    • Your UK visa or UK E-visa
    • Your immigration share code
  • One passport-style photograph for each person, even if only one partner is a non-relevant national
  • Certified translations of any documents that are not in English

If you or your partner is a non-relevant national without a visa or are unable to make the appropriate immigration statement, the immigration authorities at the Home Office will be notified.

5. Interpreter Requirements

If you do not speak and understand English, you must bring an interpreter to your appointment. This must be a third person. Your partner cannot be your interpreter. If you are unable to arrange an interpreter, the council can provide one free of charge. Please inform us in advance if you require this service.

Book an appointment to give marriage notice

Book an appointment to give civil partnership notice

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