Before you can get married in England or Wales, it's a legal requirement to give notice before your ceremony. The earliest date that notice can be given is 12 months before the marriage.
Marriage law requires an in-person, face-to-face interview with a registrar to give notice, and so notice cannot be given in writing, by video call, online or by any other method.
Before you book your appointment
Before you book to give notice, you must decide on the licenced venue you want to marry or form a civil partnership in because as the notice is only valid for one venue. See a list of the licenced venues in Hammersmith & Fulham.
You must also decide whether you want to have a marriage or civil partnership because it is only valid for the type of ceremony you have chosen. Visit GOV.UK for the Government's advice on the differences between a marriage and a civil partnership.
When to give notice
If you are both British or EEA/Swiss citizens with settled or pre-settled status, then you must give notice (separately if required) at the register office in which you each reside. Notice must be given no later than 29 days before your marriage.
If either you or your partner is not a British or Irish national and doesn't have Indefinite Leave to Remain, pre settled or settled status, or a marriage or civil partnership visa this may be extended to 71 days. This is because your case will be referred to the Home Office Referral Scheme under the Immigration Act 2014 and it requires extra time. The notice fee for those couples subject to referral will be £57 per person instead of £42.
You can only give notice at a register office if you have lived in the registration district for at least the past seven days and know the name of the ceremony venue when you give your notice. Anyone wishing to give notice must be 18 years of age by the time the legal paperwork is issued.
Where to give notice
You must give notice in the district where each of you live - even if this is not where you are holding your ceremony, if both of you have any of the following:
- British or Irish citizenship
- settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
If you live in different registration districts, you should give notice separately.
If one or both of you is a non-EEA citizen, or an EEA/Swiss citizen without settled or pre-settled status, then you both must give notice together at a register office in the district where one or both of you reside(s). You should complete your notice at least 71 days before your ceremony.
What documents do I need?
When you attend your appointment to give notice of intention, you must each bring the following documents with you:
- your valid, original passport
- your immigration status document (if applicable)
- a recent passport sized photograph each, if either of you is subject to immigration control
- proof of address in one of the following formats: a bank statement dated within the last month; a utility bill dated within the last three months; a council tax statement dated within the last year
- if either of you has been married or in a civil partnership before, proof of how this ended e.g. your decree absolute of divorce or dissolution (or foreign equivalent); or death certificate of your former spouse and your last marriage/civil partnership certificate. Please note that there is a statutory fee of £83 for clearance of foreign divorces or dissolutions
- a person with settled or pre-settled status is required to share their status through the online EUSS status checker tool. You must request a six-digit code before your appointment from the view and prove your immigration status GOV.UK page.
All documents must be originals. Any documents not in English must be accompanied by a third-party translation into English on which the translator certifies that it is a true and accurate translation of the original document seen by them.
Each person who does not speak English must attend the appointment with an interpreter.
If one or both of you live abroad
You will need to come to England or Wales for at least eight days to give notice of intention to marry or enter into civil partnership. Your marriage or civil partnership can take place 29 days after you give notice. This may be extended to 71 days if either of do not have the correct immigration status.
You must bring to your appointment all the required documents as stated above in the 'What documents do I need' section.
We understand however that if you are residing in England or Wales for at least eight days to give your notice of intention, it may be difficult for you to obtain the usual proof of address. In these circumstances only, we are able to accept alternative evidence as proof of address.
This should be an official letter signed by the occupier of the property where you are residing, confirming that you have lived at the property for at least the eight days immediately prior to your appointment to give notice of intention. They should include the address of the property as well as their name and contact details, ensuring that the letter is dated immediately prior before the appointment.
The occupier can be the friend or family member whose property you are residing in or, if you are staying in a hotel, the hotel manager/administrator. If this is not possible then a provisional bill from the hotel should be obtained containing your names and dates of stay. In both cases, please also bring proof of your date of arrival such as a stamp in your passport or flight confirmation to support the contents of the letter.
Getting married abroad
If you are planning on getting married abroad, you'll need to find out the rules in the country where you are getting married. Use the GOV.UK website to check this or contact the other country's consulate or embassy for advice about the documents you'll need.
If the guidance confirms you can apply for a Certificate of No Impediment, you will usually need to apply to do this through your local register office.
You can apply for a Certificate of No Impediment in Hammersmith & Fulham if:
- you are a British subject
- you live in Hammersmith & Fulham
- you have lived in Hammersmith & Fulham for at least the full seven days before the day of your notice appointment.
Booking an appointment
You must pay a booking fee when you schedule your appointment. The payment is non-refundable in the event of cancellation (48 hours' notice required), lateness or arriving with missing documents. You can amend your appointment up to 48 hours in advance if needed.
To book an appointment to give notice or a certificate of no impediment: