Give notice of marriage

Overview

Giving notice of marriage means you are declaring that you are both free to marry each other and fulfil other requirements prescribed by law.

You may do this up to one year before the day of your wedding.

When to register

The minimum waiting time between giving notice of intended marriage and getting married is 28 clear days.

Both parties to the marriage must also have lived in their respective districts for at least 7 days before notice of marriage is given. Each person must attend, in person, at the Register Office for the district in which they live to give their notice of marriage.

For example, when both notices of marriage are given on 1 June, the marriage may take place on 30 June of the same year, until 1 June the following year.

Appointments

To give Notice of Marriage, appointments are Monday to Friday, 9am to 2.30pm.

Pre-booking is required, call 0191 424 6350.

Giving evidence of name, date of birth, nationality, address

You will be asked by the Superintendent Registrar to produce documents which confirm the use and spelling of your names and also confirm your current address, nationality and date of birth.

If you have been previously married either in this country or abroad, you will need to produce documents to confirm that you are now free to marry.

Any documents produced from abroad must be originals and any foreign documents should be accompanied by an English translation. You should be aware that photocopies will not be accepted.

If you are under 18 years of age you may need to have consent from your parents or guardians. For further enquiries please contact South Tyneside Register Office on 0191 424 6350.

If you have a current passport

These documents are needed to confirm your current use of name, date of birth and nationality:

Current British Passport or
Current EEA Passport or
Valid National Identity Card Issued by an EEA State or Switzerland

These documents are needed to confirm your place of residence (current address):

Utility bill dated within the last 3 months or
Bank/building society Statement dated within the last month or
Council Tax Bill dated no more than one year before the date of Notice of Marriage or
Mortgage statement dated no more than one year before the date of Notice of Marriage or
A current tenancy agreement or
Valid driving licence

Documents need to show your full name including middle names (initials are not acceptable).

If you have changed your name:

Evidence must be provided (eg change of name deed or Statutory Declaration), if you are unsure ask registration staff for advice.
If you have divorced and reverted back to your maiden surname, you must bring evidence of name change eg Statutory Declaration, Deed Poll or Marriage Certificate.

These documents are needed for evidence of marital condition:

Decree Absolute - If divorced in a foreign country, the document must be translated (a fee is payable for consideration of a foreign divorce document) or
Death Certificate of Late Husband/Wife and Marriage certificate if Death was prior to 2005

Please ask staff for information of current fees.

If you do NOT have a current passport

These documents are needed to confirm your date of birth and nationality:

Birth certificate - if you were born after 1 January 1983 you will need:
- your FULL birth certificate and
- your mother's birth certificate (if your parents were married at the time of your birth your father's birth certificate is acceptable, however you will also need their marriage certificate)

These documents are needed to confirm your current name and address:

A utility bill dated within the last 3 months or
Bank/building society Statement dated within the last month or
Council Tax Bill dated no more than one year before the date of Notice of Marriage or
Mortgage statement dated no more than one year before the date of Notice of Marriage or
A current tenancy agreement or
Valid driving licence

Documents must show your full name (initials are not acceptable) and place of residence (current address).