Getting married or forming a civil partnership in the UK begins with giving notice at a register office at least 29 days before the ceremony, and most foreign nationals need the correct visa before they can do so. If you give notice without the correct immigration status, the register office must refer your case to the Home Office, and a marriage cannot proceed on a notice that does not comply. The right route depends on whether you intend to marry and then leave, or marry and settle in the UK. This post provides an overview of how to get married in the UK, including the notice rules and visa options.
How do you give notice to get married in the UK?
To get married or form a civil partnership in England or Wales, you must give notice at your local register office at least 29 days before the ceremony. Giving notice is a formal statement of your intention to marry or form a civil partnership. You must have lived in the registration district for at least seven days before you give notice, and you usually need to book an appointment.
Once your notice is accepted, it is displayed publicly at the register office, and you must hold your ceremony within 12 months. If you and your partner live in different registration districts, you each give notice separately in your own district. The notice rules for England and Wales are set out by GOV.UK in its marriages and civil partnerships guidance. Scotland and Northern Ireland operate separate procedures through their own registration authorities.
Do you need a visa to get married in the UK?
You need the right immigration status to give notice, get married, or form a civil partnership in the UK. You do not need a visa for this if you are a British or Irish citizen, hold Indefinite Leave to Remain, or have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. Most other foreign nationals need a visa that permits marriage before they can give notice.
If you are already in the UK on a visa granted for longer than six months, you may be able to give notice and marry without a separate marriage visa, although you may need to tell the Home Office once you have married. Where you do not hold a qualifying status, you will usually need to apply for one of the routes below before giving notice. Marrying in the UK does not by itself give you the right to stay; remaining with your partner requires a Spouse Visa or another family route.
What are the UK visa options for marriage or a civil partnership?
Several visa routes allow you to come to the UK to give notice, marry, or form a civil partnership. The route you choose depends on whether you intend to marry and then leave the UK, or marry and settle here with your partner.
The main options are:
- A Marriage Visitor Visa, for those who want to marry or form a civil partnership in the UK and then leave. It allows a stay of up to six months, does not permit work, and cannot be extended or switched into another route from within the UK.
- A Fiancé or Proposed Civil Partner Visa, for those who intend to marry and then settle in the UK. It allows entry to marry within six months, after which you apply to switch into the partner route.
- An Unmarried Partner Visa, for couples in a relationship akin to marriage who meet the cohabitation and relationship requirements.
- A Spouse or Civil Partner Visa, for those who are already married or in a civil partnership, or who marry on the fiancé route. This route is subject to the minimum income requirement of £29,000 per year.
The correct choice depends on your future plans, your partner’s status, and your circumstances. To discuss which route fits your situation with an experienced immigration adviser, contact our friendly team on 0208 757 5751 or use our Contact Form to get in touch.
What documents do you need to give notice?
To give notice, each partner must bring documents that prove their name, age, nationality, and current address. The register office checks these documents before it accepts your notice.
You may be asked to provide:
- A valid passport or birth certificate
- A UK or Irish driving licence or a certificate of naturalisation
- Proof of any name changes, such as a deed poll or previous marriage certificate
- Proof of address, such as a council tax bill, utility bill, bank statement, tenancy agreement, or mortgage statement
- Details of your chosen ceremony venue
Foreign nationals also bring their passport and evidence of their immigration status, and any document that is not in English or Welsh must be accompanied by a certified translation. Specific requirements can vary between register offices, so it is sensible to confirm what to bring when you book your appointment.
Notice periods and Home Office referral for UK marriages
After your notice is accepted, there is a waiting period before you can marry, and it applies to everyone regardless of nationality. The standard notice period runs for 28 to 29 days, during which the marriage cannot take place, and the ceremony must be held within 12 months of giving notice.
Under Part 4 of the Immigration Act 2014, a register office must refer a proposed marriage or civil partnership to the Home Office where one of the couple is not a relevant national and does not hold settled status or another exemption. Where the Home Office decides to investigate whether the marriage is genuine, the notice period can be extended from 28 days to 70 days, and the marriage cannot take place during that time. The referral scheme is set out in the Home Office marriage and civil partnership referral and investigation scheme guidance.
What can lead to a Home Office marriage investigation?
Not every referred marriage is investigated. The Home Office applies published risk factors to decide whether to investigate whether a proposed marriage or civil partnership is genuine.
The published grounds that may support an investigation include where a person:
- Has overstayed their permission to be in the UK
- Has entered the UK unlawfully
- Has been convicted of a criminal offence
- Has previously obtained, or sought to obtain, leave on the basis of deception
Where one or more of these factors applies, the couple may be invited to a marriage interview during the extended notice period. The presence of a risk factor does not mean a marriage is not genuine; it determines only whether the case may be looked at more closely.
What happens at a Home Office marriage interview?
At a marriage interview, you and your partner are asked questions to establish that your relationship is genuine. You may be interviewed separately, and the questions cover how you met and how your relationship has developed.
You may be asked about:
- The background to your relationship and how it has continued
- Your general background, family, and immigration history
- Your partner’s general background, family, and immigration history
- Your living arrangements
- The arrangements for the proposed marriage or civil partnership
- Your future plans as a couple
Refusing to answer questions or failing to attend can be treated as a failure to comply with the investigation, which can prevent the marriage from going ahead on that notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
You must give notice at your local register office at least 29 days before your ceremony. You must also have lived in the registration district for at least seven days before you give notice, and you must hold the ceremony within 12 months.
If you are not a British or Irish citizen, and do not hold Indefinite Leave to Remain or settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you will usually need a visa to give notice, marry, or form a civil partnership. The route depends on whether you plan to marry and leave, or marry and settle.
It costs £135 to apply for a Marriage Visitor Visa, as of June 2026. The visa allows a stay of up to six months, does not permit work, and cannot be extended or switched into another route from within the UK.
No. A Marriage Visitor Visa requires you to leave the UK at the end of your stay. To remain with your partner after marrying, you would need to apply for a Spouse or Civil Partner Visa, which is subject to the minimum income requirement.
Where the Home Office decides to investigate a proposed marriage, the notice period can be extended to 70 days. The marriage cannot take place during this extended period, and the couple may be invited to a marriage interview.
How Whytecroft Ford Can Help
Marrying in the UK as a foreign national means meeting two sets of rules at once: the register office notice procedure and the immigration requirements that decide whether you can give notice in the first place. Choosing the wrong route, or giving notice without the right status, can delay a wedding or lead to a Home Office referral, and the route that suits a couple planning to leave is different from the one that suits a couple planning to settle.
Whytecroft Ford advises couples on the full range of marriage and partner routes, including the Marriage Visitor Visa, the Fiancé and Proposed Civil Partner Visa, and the Spouse and Civil Partner Visa. For a first-time applicant weighing up how to marry in the UK and stay with their partner, the firm sets out which route fits the couple’s plans, what the notice process involves, and what evidence each application requires.
To discuss your plans with an experienced immigration adviser, contact our friendly team on 0208 757 5751 or use our Contact Form to get in touch.
Sources
- Marriages and civil partnerships in England and Wales: give notice (GOV.UK)
- Marriage Visitor visa (GOV.UK)
- Marriage and civil partnership referral and investigation scheme (GOV.UK)
Written and reviewed by Whytecroft Ford’s immigration team, authorised and regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority, registration number F201900075. All guidance is researched against primary sources, including the Immigration Rules and Home Office guidance at GOV.UK. Reviewed every six months, or sooner following a relevant rule change. Last reviewed: 8 June 2026.
