It is a legal requirement to give notice of your intention to register a civil partnership and, once given, your notices are publicised by the registration authority for a period of fifteen days.
A civil partnership notice states for each person:
- name and surname
- date of birth
- condition (marital or civil partnership status)
- occupation
- nationality
- place of formation
After giving notice, normally you must then wait fifteen clear days before the civil partnership can be registered – for example, if notice is given on 5 December, the registration can take place on or after 21 December. Once given, your notice is valid for 12 months.
Please note: the minimum legal age for registering a civil partnership in England and Wales is 16 years of age but written consent may be required for anyone under 18.
Are you subject to immigration controls?
If you are you will have to give notice of your intention
to register a civil partnership at a designated office but will not be able to
do so unless:
- you have an entry clearance granted expressly for the purpose of registering a civil partnership in the UK
Entry clearance is the granting of permission to enter the UK by an Entry Clearance Officer in the British Embassy/High Commission in the person’s country. It will usually be shown as a visa in the person’s passport or travel document.
- Or you have the written permission of the Home Secretary to register a civil partnership in the UK – this will take the form of a certificate of approval, which can be obtained from the Immigration and Nationality Department.
This will usually be issued where the person has been granted leave to enter or remain for over six months from the date on which they entered the UK and that leave is still in force. The certificate of approval will have to be surrendered to the authorised person when notice is given.
- Or you fall within a class of persons specified by the Home Secretary
This will be someone with settled status in the UK or former spouses whose marriage has been annulled.
These restrictions do not apply to foreign nationals who have been given the right of abode in the UK or who are exempt from immigration controls because of their employment.
Authorised persons have a statutory duty to report any civil partnership they suspect has been registered for the sole purpose of evading statutory immigration controls.
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