Depositing marriage and civil partnership documents in the UK

You are unable to register an overseas marriage/civil partnership in the UK. As a general rule, as long as your marriage/civil partnership is valid and legal in the country in which it took place, it is likely to be recognised in the UK. If you are in doubt as to the legality of your marriage/civil partnership, please consult a solicitor.

You can deposit your marriage/civil partnership certificate with the General Register Office (GRO) for safe-keeping. If you are in the UK, we can do this for you. If you live overseas you can apply for this service through your nearest British Embassy or Consulate.

If you were married in a Commonwealth country, you are unable to deposit your marriage certificate as current legislation does not cover this provision.

To deposit your documents:

• you must have been married in a foreign country, but not a Commonwealth country (see list below) or an overseas territory
• one of you must be British
• you can deposit a civil partnership document from any country in the world (i.e. foreign and Commonwealth countries and overseas territories)

Depositing your marriage or partnership documents is not a legal requirement.

You can deposit your documents at any time after the marriage or registration has taken place.

Applying to deposit your certificate

If you live in the UK you can apply through our office in London.

Deposit of Marriage certificate Form

Deposits of Foreign and Commonwealth Civil Partnership Documents Form

We can’t accept personal callers so all applications are dealt with by post.

Ensure you send us all the documents we ask for on the checklist of the form plus two copies of the application form.

You’ll need to send us your original documents with two photocopies so we recommend you send them by special delivery.

Please enclose a self-addressed, pre-paid special or recorded delivery envelope for the safe return of your passport.

We’ll send an acknowledgement letter and return your passport within 20 working days.

Your marriage/civil partnership certificate will then be sent to the British Consulate in the district where the marriage took place.

After certifying the certificate the Consulate will then forward it onto the General Register Office (GRO). The GRO will write to inform you that the documents have been deposited. Please note it can take 2-3 months for the certificate to reach the GRO from our Consulate.

Please note your original certificate will not be returned and once documents are deposited they cannot be released.

The GRO issues black and white certified copies of original certificates and their translation on GRO paper which are usually accepted in the same way as an original copy.

Marriages in Taiwan

We are unable to accept marriage certificates from Taiwan.

Marriages in Finland

If you were married in Finland, you will need to request a 'Vihkimisilmoitus' from the Finnish authorities (the local Maistraatti where the marriage is registered). This certificate is not automatically issued to couples, so you must make a specific request for it. Please speak to the people conducting your marriage ceremony for help obtaining it.

Marriage in Turkey

Please ensure you submit the international, Formul B marriage certificate.

Fees

The fee for this service is £35.00. This is subject to change.

Payment by Card

You can now make payments for our services by credit or debit card. When submitting your application, make sure you include a print out of the Barclaycard payment confirmation page which gives details of your payment reference and date and time of payment. Without this information we will be unable to process your application. Please see the full terms and conditions.

Card payments are only valid for applications being made in the UK. If you are applying directly to your local British Consulate overseas, you should not use this payment method. Please contact your local British Consulate for payment instructions.

If you cannot pay online, we can accept payment by postal order or bank draft, made payable to ‘The FCO’. We cannot accept personal cheques.

Commonwealth countries

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe