Giving notice of marriage

You have to give notice of intent for all marriages except for those taking place in the Church of England or Church of Wales when Banns will normally be read. A notice of intent needs to be given in person at least 28 days before the marriage ceremony date and up to one year in advance.

All proposed marriages involving a non-European Economic Area (EEA) national who does not provide specified evidence of settled or permanent resident status, a marriage visa, or exemption from immigration control will be referred to Home Office Immigration and the waiting period may be extended to 70 days.

Couples wishing to marry in the Church of England/Church in Wales where at least one of the couple are a non-EEA national will have to give notice at the Register Office.

Anyone wishing to give notice must be 18 years of age.

Hammersmith & Fulham residents

If both parties are British or Nationals of an European Economic Area (EEA) country living in Hammersmith and Fulham, you will need to give notice at Hammersmith and Fulham Register Office. You need to have been resident in the borough for seven clear days before being able to give notice.

If one or both parties are subject to immigration control then they will need to give notice together at any designated Register Office. Hammersmith and Fulham Register Office is a designated office. They will also need to have been resident for seven clear days in the borough in which they live.

Booking a notice appointment

Our appointment system runs from Monday to Friday from 9am to 4.30pm.

In order to book a notice appointment please email your request along with your ceremony booking confirmation email and or supporting evidence to registeroffice@lbhf.gov.uk. You must know the venue name where your legal ceremony will be held.

Residents outside Hammersmith and Fulham

If both parties are British or Nationals of an European Economic Area (EEA) country living outside the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham they will need to give notice at the register office in the district in which they live. They need to have been resident in that borough for seven clear days before being able to give notice.

If one or both parties are subject to immigration control then they will need to give notice together at any designated register office. Hammersmith and Fulham Register Office is a designated office.

Foreign nationals and the Home Office referral scheme

All non-EEA nationals without settled status, a marriage or civil partnership visa or evidence of immigration status will be referred to the Immigration Team at the Home Office for investigation.

Those within scope of the referral scheme will be charged a fee of £47 for their notice. This applies to both parties giving notice, even if one of the parties is a UK/EEA national as both parties will be in the referral scheme.
Those within scope may have their notice period extended from 28 days to 70 days

Documents required

Each person needs to provide original, hard copy documents. We don't accept photocopies or electronic statements on a mobile device.

Valid passport or travel document or European ID card.* If you were born in the UK before 1 January 1983 you can provide your full British birth certificate. If you were born in the UK after 1 January 1983, you need to provide your full UK birth certificate and your mother’s full UK birth certificate.
Proof of address: bank statement (no older than one month), utility bill (no older than three months), council tax (the most recent bill, no older than one year).
Previous marriage documents (if applicable); final divorce documents and translation (if not in English) or death certificate and translation (if not in English).
Change of name documents (if applicable).
Full name of the venue where the legal marriage will be taking place and the registration district it falls under. If you have been given a booking form please bring this with you.
£35 (per person) or £47 (per person if subject to the immigration referral scheme)- card payment only. This is a statutory fee and therefore is non-refundable.
£50 for consideration of foreign divorce or civil partnership dissolution document or £75 for consideration of a foreign divorce / civil partnership dissolution document that has to be referred to GRO.
A translator, if either party does not speak or understand English. The parties being married cannot translate for each other.
If your passport is being held by the Home Office, you must request that they send a certified copy to us in time for your appointment. No other certified copies will be accepted.
Application Registration Cards (ARC) are not acceptable proof and cannot be used to give notice of marriage or civil partnership.

* If either party does not hold a valid passport, travel document or European ID card please call us on 020 8753 2140 for advice.

Extra documents to bring if one of the parties is a foreign national

Biometric Residence Permit, marriage or civil partnership visa or other Immigration Status Document for the foreign national.
A passport photograph for each party unless both have settled status Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or Indefinite Leave to Enter (ILE).
If one/both of the parties do not live permanently in UK but are setting up residency for at least 7 days especially to give notice, they will need to provide proof of their permanent address as well as a letter from the UK contact confirming their period of residence in the UK.

Giving notice of intent to marry abroad

A notice of intent to marry may need to be given if you are getting married abroad. In all cases you should first contact the foreign authorities in the country where you intend to marry. If, after seeking advice, the foreign authority has requested that a certificate of no impediment is required, you need to call the Register Office on 020 8753 2140.

We will need to obtain information from you to establish if there is a provision under English law for the notice to be taken. The usual restrictions, residential qualifications and required documents will apply.

A notice of intent to marry abroad can only be taken for a British National or a British Subject.

The Certificate of No Impediment has no expiry date. Therefore it is very important to check with the relevant foreign authority on how long it is valid for.

Visit the getting married abroad page on GOV.UK to confirm whether a Certificate of No Impediment can be issued to you by your local register office.