Giving Notice

If you and your partner are both 'relevant nationals' or have a Marriage or Fiancé Visa

Relevant Nationals for the purpose of marriage/civil partnership in the UK are British, Irish, or EU citizens with European Union Settled Status (EUSS)

• Notices must be given at a Register Office in the district where each of you live. If you live in different districts, you need to give notice separately in your local districts. 
• Notices must be given at least 28 days before your ceremony.
• A statutory waiting period of 28 days must pass before you are able to marry or form a civil partnership.
• The statutory notice fee payable is £42 per person.

If you live in East Sussex (excluding Brighton&Hove), you can give notice at any of our offices in Crowborough, Eastbourne, Hastings, or Lewes. 

If you live outside East Sussex, you can find your local register office here.

To book your notice appointment at an East Sussex Register Office, call us on 0345 60 80 198

If either you or your partner are 'foreign nationals’ who do not have a Marriage or Fiancé Visa

• You must attend your local register office together to give notice. If you live in separate districts you can choose which district to give notice in.
• Notices must be given at least 70 days before your ceremony.
• A statutory waiting period of 70 days must pass before you are able to marry or form a civil partnership.
• The statutory notice fee payable is £57 per person (unless you have evidence of your visa for the purpose of marriage/civil partnership in England).

If you live in East Sussex (excluding Brighton&Hove), you can give notice at any of our offices in Crowborough, Eastbourne, Hastings, or Lewes. 

If you live outside East Sussex, you can find your local register office here.

To book your notice appointment at an East Sussex Register Office, call us on 0345 60 80 198

If you and/or your partner live outside England and Wales

• A residency requirement must be met before notice can be given. 
• You must have resided at one address for at least the 7 consecutive days before your notice appointment (this works out as 9 days. The day of arrival into the county and day of your notice appointment do not count towards the 7 days). You are free to leave the country once notice has been given. 
• Notice must be given at the register office local to where you are staying. 

If you are residing in East Sussex (excluding Brighton&Hove), you can give notice at any one of our offices in Crowborough, Eastbourne, Hastings, or Lewes. 

If you are staying outside East Sussex, you can find the local register office here.

To book your notice appointment at an East Sussex Register Office, call us on 0345 60 80 198

Religious Ceremonies 

If you are getting married in an Anglican church, the religious preliminaries will be followed. This involves the reading of the Banns. You will need to speak to the vicar to organise this. There is usually no involvement from the Register Office. However, if you and/or your partner are foreign nationals subject to immigration control you will be required to give notice at your local Register Office, as per the civil preliminaries above. 

If you are marrying in any other church or religious building notices will need to be given at your local register office, as per the civil preliminaries above. 

After your ceremony the marriage document should be returned to the church's local Register Office.  You will need to order marriage certificates from the Register Office in the same district as the church.

Ceremonies Abroad

For information about what you need to do if you are holding your ceremony abroad click here.