Webpages in the Marriage and civil partnerships section
Give notice of a marriage or a civil partnership
Once you've booked your venue and the registrars, you need to make an appointment to 'give notice'. Giving Notice is a legal requirement where you will confirm your identity and freedom to marry/form a civil partnership.
Important information
What documents do I need to bring to my appointment?
If you bring incorrect or outdated documents with you then you will be unable to give notice and will have to rebook your appointment.
Find out what documents to bring to your notice appointment
When do I give notice and how do I book an appointment?
You must give notice in person and by appointment only. You must give notice no more than 12 months ahead of your ceremony date. We recommend giving notice around six to nine months before your ceremony date.
If you do not give notice in enough time, then the ceremony cannot go ahead. Notice must be given 28 clear days before the date of the ceremony. If one or both of you are not a British or Irish citizen or do not have EU settled or pre-settled status, then the 28 day notice period may be extended up to 70 clear days.
If you live in Norfolk, you can book your notice appointment online. Please note that, with the exception of Norwich registration office at County Hall, registration offices open their diaries a month or two in advance so please book your notice online, and closer to the time of the appointment.
Book an appointment to give notice
If your divorce was finalised outside of the British Isles, your divorce documents may need to be sent to the General Register Office (GRO) after your notice appointment. It can take the GRO over six weeks to consider the validity of the divorce. Visit Documents to bring when giving notice to find out if this will affect you.
Where can I give notice?
If both you and your partner:
- Are British/Irish nationals
- Have EU Settlement Scheme settled or pre-settled status. (or a pending application for this submitted before 30th June 2021)
- Are on active duty in England or Wales with visiting Military Forces
- Have Right of Abode.
You must give notice in the registration district where you live.
If you live in Norfolk you can give notice at one of our registration offices.
If you live in England or Wales but outside of Norfolk, you'll need to contact your local registration office as the appointment must take place in the registration district that you live in. Visit registration offices on the gov.uk website (opens new window) to find your local register office.
If one, or both of you are not in any of the four categories listed above then you must give notice together in a registration district where either one of you resides. You cannot attend a registration office in Norfolk if neither of you live in Norfolk.
If you don't usually live in England or Wales you must reside here for 7 clear days before the date of notice. The date you arrive, and the date of your appointment do not count as part of the clear 7 days. For example - you arrive in Norfolk on a Sunday, your 7 clear days is the full week from Monday - Sunday, the earliest you can give notice is therefore on the following Monday.
If you are still unsure of where you and your partner must give notice, contact us on our Giving notice enquiry form for advice.
Our ceremony date and/or venue has changed, do we need to give notice again?
If your ceremony has been rescheduled or postponed and your notice has now expired (Notice is valid for 12 months from the date given), then you will need to give notice again and the fee for giving notice will be charged.
Notice is venue specific, if you change the venue of the ceremony after giving notice, you will need to give notice and pay the fee again.
How much will giving notice cost?
In most circumstances the fee for notice will be £46.50 per person. If you are subject to immigration control the fee may be £63.
There is a non-refundable fee at notice of £55 or £83 for checking foreign divorce documentation. A foreign divorce is one which took place outside of the British Isles. In some cases foreign divorce documents will need to be sent, after your notice appointment, to the General Register Office (GRO). It can take the GRO more than six weeks to consider the validity of the divorce. Visit Documents to bring when giving notice to find out if this will affect you.
Marriages or civil partnerships abroad
If you're getting married or entering into a civil partnership in Scotland or Northern Ireland Contact us for help.
If you're getting married or entering into a civil partnership outside the UK, visit the gov.uk website for help.
There is no requirement for the couple to register a legal marriage or civil partnership ceremony that took place abroad with the registration service upon their return to Norfolk.
If you need a 'certificate of no impediment' (CNI) and you live in Norfolk, we'll be able to help. Contact [email protected] with your phone number, when/where your ceremony will be held and if it is a marriage or civil partnership.
Terms and conditions
If you change the venue of the ceremony after giving notice, you will need to give notice and pay the fee again. It is your responsibility to ensure that you bring all the correct documentation required to give notice.
If you can't make your appointment please Contact us to re-schedule. Please do this as soon as you can in order to free up the appointment for someone else.
Webpages related to giving notice
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Following your notice appointment, we'd be grateful if you could spare 2-3 minutes to complete our short survey.
