Giving Notice is a legal requirement that anyone wishing to marry or form a civil partnership in England and Wales must complete prior to their ceremony taking place.
You must Give Notice at a Register Office in the district where you live. You will need to provide certain documents proving your name, age, nationality and that you are free to marry or form a civil partnership.
You do not both need to live in the same district or live in the district where your ceremony will be taking place, but each of you must Give Notice in the district where you live.
East Sussex has four Register Offices located in Crowborough, Eastbourne, Hastings and Lewes. If you live outside East Sussex you can find your local register office here.
A statutory Notice fee of £35 per person is payable when booking your appointment.
You must decide where your marriage or civil partnership ceremony will be taking place before you can Give Notice. Notices are venue specific and changing your venue after Giving Notice will result in you having to Give Notice again; incurring additional charges.
Notices must be given at least 28 days before your ceremony, but cannot be given more than 12 months in advance. Where possible we advise you Give Notice around 6 months before your ceremony. Your marriage/civil partnership ceremony must take place at your specified venue within 12 months of Giving Notice.
Once you have Given Notice a statutory waiting period of 28* full days must pass before you are able to marry or form a civil partnership.
*This statutory waiting period may be extended if you and/or your partner are a non-EEA or Swiss national.
If you and/or your partner live outside England and WalesAnyone wanting to marry or form a civil partnership in England and Wales must meet a residency requirement. A residency within England or Wales must be established before notice can be given. You must have resided at one address for at least 7 consecutive days prior to Giving Notice (this works out as 9 days asthe day of arrival and notice do not count). You are free to leave the country once notice has been given. |
If one or both of you are non-EEA citizensIf you and/or your partner are a non-EEA nationals or subject to immigration control then you will need to Give Notice at a Designated Register Office. This may not be your local Register Office and the statutory waiting period may be extended from 28 days to 70 days. For further information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships/foreign-national |
| To book your notice appointment at an East Sussex Register Office call us on 0345 60 80 198 |
Privacy NoticeTo arrange a ceremony you will need to share some personal information with us. Refer to our Privacy Notice for details about how and why we use your data. |
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