Documents Required for Marriage & Civil Partnership

When you contact Staffordshire Registration Services to make arrangements to give notice they will discuss with you what documents you will need to bring with you. The documents may include many of the following depending upon your personal circumstances. Please note that only originals of documents can be submitted when giving notice and that photocopies are not acceptable.

Evidence of your identity and nationality

When you give notice to get married you need to prove your identity and nationality. Passports and full birth certificates are the only documents that are suitable for this purpose.

If you were born before 1st January 1983 then you will need to provide either a UK passport or a standard birth certificate.  If you were born after 1st January 1983 you will need to produce either a UK passport or a standard birth certificate as well as your mother's UK passport or standard birth certificate.

Proof of residence

You will need to provide evidence of your current address. This can be in the form of a driving licence, medical card, recent utility bill, bank statement or payslip or other document bearing your address such as a benefit book or a rent book.

Change of name deed

If you have formally changed your name then a copy of the deed poll will also be required.

Divorce or annulment legal documentation

If you have been married or in a civil partnership before (either in this country or abroad)  and that marriage or civil partnership ended in divorce, dissolution or annulment then you will need to provide proof.

If the divorce or dissolution took place in England or Wales then you will need to provide the court stamped original of the decree absolute. Please note that the decree nisi is not sufficient to allow a divorced person to re-marry or enter into a civil partnership.

If the divorce took place in another country you will need to provide the original legal document issued in that country, along with an English translation if the document is in another language. Most foreign divorced have to be referred to the Registrar General for validation and clearance. If no documents were issued please get in touch with us using the contact details and we will provide you with guidance as to what can be accepted as evidence of the divorce.

If your marriage was annulled then the same procedures as for divorce apply. If the annulment was granted in the UK then you will have been supplied with a decree absolute of nullity and you will need to provide this as proof.

Death certificate of a former spouse or partner

If either of the people wishing to be married or to enter into a civil partnership is a widow or a widower then you will need to provide a certified copy of the death certificate for your former spouse or partner.

Consent

If either of you are under 18 you will likely have to provide proof that either your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) agree to the marriage. If your parents are divorced you may be asked to supply the Court Order that gives custody to one of them. Further information about this can be obtained by contacting Registration Services using the contact details.

Last Modified: 27/06/2007 13:50:23
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