The Civil Partnership Act 2004 came into operation on 5 December 2005 and enables a same-sex couple to register as civil partners of each other.

A civil partnership can be registered in England and Wales in a register office or in approved premises. In order to register a civil partnership you must first give notice.

 

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:

 

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.
 

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:

 

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.

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.

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.
 

You both need to go to the registration authority, where you have a seven-day residential qualification, to give notice of your intention to register a civil partnership. If you plan to register your partnership in a different area, you should also contact the registration authority in which the registration is due to take place. This is because you will need to ensure that the civil partnership registrar will be available to attend the registration on that day.

You both must give notice in person. No one else can do it on your behalf.

If you or the other person with whom you wish to register a civil partnership are subject to immigration control, you will only be able to give your notices at a specially designated office. You must attend the designated office together. There are 76 designated offices in England and Wales. Click here for a list.

 

You can give notice to form a civil partnership in England and Wales as long as you have both lived in a registration authority for at least seven days immediately before giving notice of your intention to register the civil partnership.

This applies to all couples, including those travelling from overseas to register a civil partnership in England and Wales.

As long as one person is resident in England and Wales, then the other person may also give notice in Scotland of their intention to register a civil partnership in England and Wales, providing neither party is subject to immigration control.
 

You will need to show the authorised person documentary evidence of your name, age and nationality – ideally in the form of your passport. You will also be asked to provide evidence of your address.

If you have been married before or party to a previous civil partnership, you will also need to produce documents that confirm that you are now free to register a civil partnership.

These could include:

 

And, if you are subject to immigration control, you will also need to produce documentary evidence to the authorised person to confirm that you satisfy the eligibility requirements for giving notice to form a civil partnership in England and Wales.

 

 

Please note: you will be required to bring originals of all documentation, as photocopies are not accepted. Depending on your individual circumstances, other documents may be required – your local registration authority will be able to advise you.

A civil partnership can be registered at a register office or at an approved venue that has been approved for the registration of civil partnerships. Approved Premises include stately homes and other prestigious buildings, hotels and restaurants.

In order to register a civil partnership you must first give notice, part of this process is to provide the details of where you intend to register your civil partnership.
 

You will receive your civil partnership certificate after your partnership is recorded in the register.

There are two types of certificate:

 

If at any stage, you require another copy, apply to the registration authority where you registered your partnership. You will need to provide sufficient details of both civil partners to identify the record. If you wish to apply for a certificate with addresses you must also provide the addresses of both civil partners as recorded at the time the partnership was registered.