If you are planning to marry in the Church of England or Church in Wales you must carry out the legal formalities by banns or common licence (please check with your church). However, where one or both of you are non-EEA or EEA nationals without EUSS status you will be required to give your notice of marriage together at a register office in a district of England or Wales where one or both of you has lived for the nine days immediately before the day the appointment takes place.
If you wish to marry in any other denomination of faith one or both of you must live in the district where the place of worship is located.
- if you are both British, Irish or an EEA citizen with EUSS granted or applied for before 30 June 2021, you must give your notice in the district where you have lived for the nine days immediately before your appointment
- if one or both of you are non-EEA or EEA nationals without EUSS status then you must book a double appointment in the district where one of you has lived for the nine days immediately before the appointment takes place
If you do not live in the district where the place of worship is located, you will need to confirm that this is the usual place of worship for one or both of you along with the documents needed to give notice.
In the first instance, you should check with the church or place of worship you wish to marry in to:
- check it's available for the date you are considering
- confirm what's required
- check if a registrar needs to be booked to attend the ceremony and register the marriage