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Giving notice of marriage or civil partnership

By law you must give notice of a marriage or civil partnership. This is a formal declaration of your intention to enter into civil partnership or marriage. You are both required to give notice and there is a standard fee for this. 

If you live in Manchester, you must give notice to us at the Manchester Registration Service. If either or both of you live in another district, then you must give your notice(s) at your local register office(s) unless advised otherwise for example, if either of you is a non-European Economic Area National - see information for non-EEA Nationals

Prior to giving notice you must have lived in the district where you are giving notice for a minimum of 7 full days. 

Your marriage or civil partnership can only be formed at the venue you name on the formal notice, so you need to have chosen your venue before you give notice. If you change the venue you will have to give, and pay for, fresh notices.  

Marriages and Civil Partnership are available for both same sex and opposite sex couples. It is not currently possible to convert a marriage to a civil partnership. Read about the differences between a marriage and a civil partnership

Find out more about the ceremonies and venues available in Manchester

Make an appointment to give notice 

If you live within the Manchester registration district you can now make an appointment online.  

Timings are important: you cannot give notice of a civil partnership or marriage more than a year before the date of the ceremony, and a marriage or civil partnership cannot be formed until a minimum of 28 full days after you have given the notice. 

Couples wanting to marry in the Church of England or Church in Wales, where one or both are non-EEA national(s), must give their notice of marriage at their local Register Office. 

You do not need an account log-on. You will be booking your appointment as a guest on the system.

Book an appointment to give notice

If you arrive for a notice appointment and do not have the required documentation, or do not meet the residency requirements, then the notice appointment will not be able to go ahead. A further appointment will need to be made, and the fees will need to be paid again. If you are in any doubt please contact the Register Office at: registeroffice@manchester.gov.uk  If you would like to speak to a member of staff, please include a daytime telephone number in your email.

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