Couples who form a civil partnership have a legal status of 'civil partner'.

The difference between marriage and civil partnership

Who's eligible to form a civil partnership

 

Give notice

Before you can register your civil partnership, you must both give your legal notice of intention.

Giving notice - what you need to know
You must give notice at least 29 days before you form a civil partnership.

Documents you'll need to give notice
You'll need proof of ID, address, marital status, and any name changes

 

   

Find a register office near you

You'll need to give notice of your Civil Partnership in your local registration district. You must have lived in that district for a minimum of seven days immediately before the day you give your notice.

If you and your partner live in different areas, you will both need to give notice in your own district (unless one or both of you is subject to immigration control).

Notice can be given up to 12 months before your civil partnership and no less than 28 days before.

Notices cost £35 each, or £47 if one or both parties are subject to the Home Office referral and investigation scheme. If one or both parties are subject to the Home Office referral and investigation scheme the waiting period can be extended to 70 days by the Home Office to allow time for any investigations.

 

Booking your civil partnership

To register your civil partnership, you can attend any Register Office to sign the civil partnership document. Alternatively, you may choose to have a ceremony to celebrate your civil partnership.  

Once you have decided which Register Office you would like to attend and have a date in mind please contact us on 0300 123 4045 and we’ll send you a provisional booking letter for your civil partnership and advise you when you must give notice of civil partnership (your legal notice of intention).

 

Registering your civil partnership

To register your civil partnership, you will be required to sign the civil partnership document.  You don't need to say anything but if you choose to you can repeat a short declaration or have a very simple statutory ceremony. If you chose to have a simple statutory ceremony, you may have two guests only, to act as your witnesses. The witnesses can be family or friends, and they must be able to understand English.

 

Choosing a civil partnership ceremony

If you choose to have a ceremony to celebrate your civil partnership, we will be happy to arrange this for you.  We can offer guidance and go through the options for your ceremony, which can include vows, exchange rings or gifts music and readings.

Your ceremony can be at any Register Office or Approved venue. There is also the opportunity to have your ceremony in the evening or to have the ceremony at an un-licensed venue, and for these options you would need to have a legal registration of your civil partnership at one of the Register Offices prior to the ceremony.

Once you have decided on your venue and date , please contact us on 0300 123 4045 and we’ll send you a provisional booking letter for your ceremony and advise you when you must give notice of civil partnership (your legal notice of intention).

All our ceremony information can be found in our Celebrations brochure.

 

Costs of civil partnership registration and ceremonies

If you wish to attend a Register Office to sign the civil partnership document without a ceremony the fee is £46.00

Certificates cost £11.00 each and can be ordered online and sent to you by post once the signing has taken place.

Fees from 1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024
 Day Register Office Approved Venue

Monday - Friday

 £404

 £436

 Monday – Friday (for ceremonies at 16.30)

 £533

 £436

 Saturday

 £533

 £591

 Sunday/Bank Holiday

 £582

 £641


Anytime Ceremony
 Day Cost

 Monday – Friday                           

 £591

 Saturday

 £721

 Sunday and Bank Holiday

 £790

  •  Anytime ceremonies can take place between 6pm and 9am.
Anywhere Ceremony
 DayCost (Net)VAT Cost

 Monday - Friday

£408.33

£81.67

 £490

 Saturday

£590

£118

 £708

 Sunday and Bank Holidays

£641.67

£128.33

 £770

  • For an Anywhere Ceremony you must be legally civil partners or have arrangements to have a legal civil partnership before the date proposed for the Anywhere Ceremony.

 

Converting a same-sex civil partnership to a marriage

A fee of £45 will be charged for a conversion. Certificates can be issued after the conversion for a fee of £11 per copy.

You both need to go to any register office in Hertfordshire and give evidence of your identity and address as well as a certified copy of your civil partnership certificate.

If you want to have a ceremony to celebrate your new marital status, we can offer a Bespoke Conversion Ceremony. It can be held at any Hertfordshire register office or licensed venue in Hertfordshire. Call us on 0300 123 4045 for further details.

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