Community directory

Marriage for those people subject to Immigration Control

If you are planning to get married or form a civil partnership in the UK and you are subject to immigration control while in the UK you must follow new rules.

You are not subject to immigration control if you are a British Citizen, a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or you have a certificate of entitlement giving you right of abode in the UK in your passport.

If you wish to be married in the UK and you are currently overseas

You should apply for a marriage visitor visa or entry clearance if you only want to visit the UK to get married and do not plan to stay for more than six months.

You should apply for a fiancee or fiance visa or entry clearance if you are planning to travel to marry with someone already in the UK and you plan to stay in the country.

These rules apply even if you are a national of a country where there is normally no need for a visa to enter the UK.

Apply for a visa or entry clearance at a British Embassy, Consulate or High Commission in your country of origin or in the country where you are normally resident.

When you arrive in the UK you and the person you are marrying must give notice to marry at a Designated Register Office. In Hertfordshire the designated Register Office is in Hemel Hempstead (Dacorum). The address is:
Dacorum Register Office,The Bury, Queensway, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP1 1HR
The telephone number is 01442 228533.

If you wish to be married in the UK and you are already in the country.

If you do not have settled status in the UK you will need to apply for a certificate of approval from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate of the Home Office.

To qualify for a certificate of approval you must normally have been granted leave to enter or leave to remain for more than six months and three months of that leave must still remain.

If you do not qualify for a certificate of approval you will need to return to your country of origin or country where you are normally resident and apply for a visa there.

Giving notice to marry

If you are subject to immigration control you, and the person you are planning to marry you will need to give notice to marry at a designated Register Office.

Both of you must have at least seven days residence in a registration district before you can give your notices. However you do not need to live within the Dacorum Registration District. You are free to choose a designated Register Office in a different county if you wish, but whichever office you choose both of you must attend together.

You will need to know where you wish to get married but you should only make a provisional booking until you have given your notice and confirmed that the Registrars are available.
Also, you will need to take with you evidence of your names, addresses, ages, nationalities and, if either of you has been married before, your marital status (for example your divorce papers or death certificate)

You must surrender your certificate of approval to the Registrar when you give your notice.

In England and Wales a notice to marry is valid for one year from the date on which it was given.

Arranging the Ceremony

After you have given notice to marry you have to wait 15 full days before your ceremony can take place. It can be held at any Register Office or approved premises in England and Wales.

If you plan to marry at a Church or religious building registered for marriage it must be located in the Registration District where you or the person you plan to marry live. A free brochure "Hertfordshire Celebrations" contains lots of useful information on the facilities offered by the Hertfordshire Register Offices and Approved Venues. To receive a copy please either telephone 01707 288450 or email registrars.admin@hertscc.gov.uk

Church of England (Anglican) Weddings

The new rules do not apply to marriages at an Anglican Church after marriage banns or ecclesiastical licence. However there is a requirement either that your name must be on the electoral roll of the parish or that the church must be your normal place of worship.

Arrangements for marriage at an Anglican Church should be made with the local clergy.

Further Information…

…about Certificates of approval
Immigration and Nationality Directorate, Lunar House, 40 Wellesley Road, Croydon, CR9 2BY General Enquiries (T) 0870 606 7766

…about Visas
UK Visas, London, SW1A 2AH General Enquiries (T) 020 7008 8438