You CAN’T register an overseas marriage or civil partnership in the UK but you can deposit your marriage documents with the General Register Office (GRO). We can do this for you.

To deposit your documents:

• you must have been married in a foreign country, but not a commonwealth country (see list below)
• one of you must be British

Depositing your marriage documents isn’t a legal requirement.

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

Benefits of depositing your documents

• you can obtain certified copies of your documents without having to apply to the authorities in the country where you married.
• your marriage documents will become an official record.

Applying to deposit your certificate

If you live overseas you can apply for this service through your nearest British embassy or consulate.

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

Deposit of Marriage certificate Form  (PDF, 10 KB)

Deposits of Foreign and Commonwealth Civil Partnership Documents Form  (PDF, 10KB)

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.

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 their safe return.

We’ll send an acknowledgement letter and return your documents within 20 or just after working days. 

Your marriage 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: your original certificate will not be returned and once documents are deposited they can’t be released.

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

Fees

The fee for this service is £34. This is subject to change.

You can pay by postal order or bankers draft, made payable to ‘The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’. 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