Giving notice

For full government guidance on giving notice, please visit the giving notice page on the Gov.uk website.

What is giving notice?

Giving notice is a legal requirement before you can get married or form a civil partnership. 

You and your partner will both need to prove that you are 'free' to marry, or form a civil partnership. This can mean proving you are old enough, that you are not currently married (legally divorced or widowed), that you are not closely related, or that you have the right visas to marry if you are from outside the UK.

Your notice details will be displayed on a public notice board for 28 days. If either or both of you are subject to immigration control, the period could be extended to 70 days under certain circumstances. Please bear this in mind when making arrangements for your ceremony and notice appointment.

Without giving notice, you cannot legally marry or form a civil partnership, so it’s really important to get booked in.

Do I need to have my ceremony booked?

No, you do not need to have your ceremony booked to give notice. However, you need to be certain on where you would like to have your marriage or civil partnership.

Your notice is only valid for one venue. So if you decide to have your ceremony at a different venue, you will need to give notice again.

When to give notice

You will need to give notice at least 29 days before the date of your ceremony, and can give notice up to a year before the date. We recommend around 4 to 6 months before the date of your ceremony.

Where to give notice

Your notice appointment will need to take place at your local register office. You will need to have been living at this address for at least 8 consecutive days.

Find my local register office  

If one or both of you is from outside the UK, then you must give notice together at a register office in the district where at least one of you lives.

Cost

Giving notice costs £42 or £57 depending on your immigration status.

An additional charge may apply if you have a previous divorce that was granted in a country outside the United Kingdom. Please see 'Proof you are free legally to marry/ form a civil partnership.'

 What documents will I need to bring with me?

There are certain documents that you will need to bring with you to your notice appointment.

We are very restricted on what type of documents we can accept. So, if you are unsure of what to bring with you, please contact us before your appointment to discuss.

If you do not have the right documents with you when giving notice, you may need to rebook your appointment and pay the fee again. 

We have broken down into sections what documents can be accepted at the notice appointment. These documents come under three sections: 

• Proof of Identity
• Nationality and Age
• Proof of Residence
• Proof you are legally free to marry/ form a civil partnership

If one or both of you is from outside the UK, you may be asked to bring additional documents with you.

Proof of your Identity, Nationality and Age

• Valid passport or
• British Birth certificate (If you’re born after 1 January 1983, you will need to bring a parent’s birth certificate too)
• Evidence of a change of name

If you are an EU/EEA or Swiss National and have settled status, pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme or you are a foreign national with Indefinite Leave to Remain, you will also need to provide us with a share code at your appointment.

If you or your partner are neither British, nor do you hold a valid settlement status, you will be classed as a “foreign national”. If you do not have a Marriage, Civil Partnership or Fiancé Visa, your case will be referred to the Home Office for their consideration. Your fee will be £57 per person and the standard waiting period can be extended from 29 days to up to 70 days.

Proof of Residence

• Valid UK or Irish driving licence
• Gas, water or electricity bill from the last 3 months
• Bank or building society statement from the last month
• Council Tax bill from the last 12 months
• Mortgage statement from the last 12 months
• Current tenancy agreement
• Letter from your landlord (dated within the last 7 days) confirming you live there and including your landlord’s name, address and their signature. You will also need to provide suitable proof of address for them.

Proof you are legally free to marry/ form a civil partnership

• Decree Absolute
• Death Certificate
• Foreign Divorce Documents (including a translation)

If you are using documents with 2 different names, you will need to show something to link these documents together.

• For example: if you have a decree absolute in one name, and your passport or birth certificate is in another, we will need to see your previous marriage certificate to link those two names.

If your divorce, annulment or dissolution was grated outside of the UK, you will need to bring your original paperwork as well as an English translation. There will also be an additional fee of £55 or £83 depending on the origin of the divorce.

I live in the Wokingham Borough - How do I book?

You can book your notice appointment online by clicking the button below:

Book a notice appointment

Or you can make an appointment by phone on 0118 974 6000 (option 3, option 3)

Please note that we require payment the appointment at the time of booking. This payment is a booking fee, provided you attend your appointment this fee will be used to cover the cost of your appointment. The booking fee is non-refundable.

If you do not have the right documents with you when giving notice, you may need to rebook your appointment and pay the fee again. 

If you fail to attend your appointment, you will be required to re-book and pay the fee again.