Give notice of marriage

You must give notice at least 29 days before your ceremony date. You can even give notice up to 12 months before the ceremony.

For individuals subject to immigration control, the notice period may be extended to 71 days by the Home Office. Your registrar will explain if this applies to you. 

Before giving notice, you must both have established residency at an address in England or Wales for at least 7 consecutive days immediately prior to giving notice (not including the first day you start living at the address or the day you give notice). You then need to attend your notice appointment in that local register office. If one of you is still abroad, or hasn’t established residency for that seven day period, neither of you can give notice. 

If you are travelling from abroad to establish residency so that you can attend your notice appointment, or if you are unsure as to what this means, or what documents you will need to provide, please contact us in advance to check that you will be able to fulfil these requirements.

You must have decided on the venue where the signing or ceremony will take place before you give notice. Although booking of the venue is not required for notice, it is strongly recommended. 

Changes to the way notice is given

As of 1 July 2021, there are some changes to the way a notice of marriage is given. 

You and your partner are ‘relevant nationals’ 

A relevant national is someone who has: 

  • British or Irish citizenship. 
  • settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme - you will need to prove your status. 
  • an application to the EU Settlement Scheme that you made before 30 June 2021, which you’re waiting for a decision on - you will need to prove your status. 

If you are both relevant nationals, you must give notice in the district where each of you live, even if this is not where you are holding your ceremony. 

If you live in different registration districts to each other, you should each give notice in your own registration district. You only need to attend your own appointment. Appointments do not have to be held on the same date or time.

You and your partner are not ‘relevant nationals’

If either or both of you are not relevant nationals, you must give notice together in the district where at least one of you lives, even if this is not where you are holding your ceremony.

Please book an appointment at our office if at least one of you lives in Lambeth.

If one of you has already given notice separately before 1 July 2021, you will both need to give notice again together if your ceremony is to take place after 1 July 2021. 

Appointment times

We offer appointments to give notice Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 4.00pm.

The office is closed on the first Wednesday afternoon of each month, closing at midday.

When attending your appointment, please follow our Covid-19 guidance for visitors to council buildings.

Cost for this service

There is a statutory fee for giving notice of civil partnership, which is £35 per person or £47 per person if one or both of you are subject to immigration control. 

This is payable when you book or on the day that the notice is given

We only accept card payments.