A conversion can take place for any existing same sex civil partnerships which were formed in England, Wales or overseas at a British consulate or by British Armed Forces personnel. The conversion can take place at any register office or other approved premises in England and Wales. Please note that the law does not allow for the conversion of opposite sex civil partnerships into marriages.
There is a statutory charge of £45 for the conversion.
The conversion comprises a signing of the declaration which converts the civil partnership into a marriage. If you would like, this can also be followed by a ceremony. The ceremony will be commemorative and not legally binding. The legal part of the conversion process is a signing of the declaration. Our conversion ceremony fees vary depending on the day of the week.
If you would like to have a ceremony at an approved premises, you will need to first come to the register office to provide your information to the superintendent registrar.
We run an appointment system from Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm. The easiest way to book an appointment is by emailing us at registeroffice@lbhf.gov.uk
We will check your documentary evidence and there is a statutory fee of £27 for providing information before the ceremony (if you choose to have one).
The signing of the declaration and the ceremony would then follow on another date and time, at the chosen approved premises. Our charges for coming to the approved premises depends on the day of the week. If you need us to come to a building registered for same-sex marriage, or according to the usage of Jews or Society of Friends, then we charge a statutory fee of £91.
We'll issue your marriage certificates after the conversion for a fee of £11 per certificate. This will be issued and posted to your chosen address up to 10 working days after your ceremony.
Documents required
We will need to provide evidence of your current names, dates of birth, home address and the date and place of the formation of the civil partnership.
Please bring:
- valid passports
- utility bill or bank statement (no older than three months), or council tax bill
- your civil partnership certificate.