To marry in Scotland, whether it be a civil or religious ceremony, both parties have to submit marriage notice forms to the Registrar of the District in which the marriage is taking place. These forms inform the registrar of the couple's intention to marry.
Any two persons, regardless of where they live, may marry in Scotland provided that:
they are capable of understanding the nature of a marriage ceremony
they are consenting to marriage
they are not related to each other in a way which would prevent them legally marrying one another - please contact your local Registration office for further information
they are unmarried - any person who has previously been married must produce documentary evidence that death, divorce or annulment has ended the previous marriage
the marriage would be regarded as valid in any foreign country to which either party belongs
both parties are at least 16 years of age on the day of their marriage
A list of the Registration Offices can be found on the page via the following link:
No, the name that should be entered on your Marriage Notice is that of your natural father. Permission to enter your stepfather's name can only be obtained from the General Register Office. If you wish to seek this permission you should make written application to the Marriage Section, setting down the reasons for your request.
Within relationships by consanguinity, that is blood relationships, it is legal to marry your cousin. This is the case with both half-blood and full blood relationships.
You are welcome to personalise your marriage ceremony by adding a few words, having a member of your party read a piece of poetry or prose or having music at appropriate times during the ceremony. However, if you do want to personalise your marriage ceremony, the registrar will have to vet it first.
There is no legal requirement for a bride to use her husband's surname. A bride must sign the marriage schedule using the surname she uses and has given on her marriage notice form. Thereafter, it is up to her whether she wishes to continue to use that surname or take her husband's.
Bathgate Registration office is open on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month to conduct Civil Ceremonies only. All other Registration offices are closed during the weekend.
Each of you must complete and submit a marriage notice, along with the required documents and a fee, to the registrar for the district in which the marriage is to take place. The notices must be submitted early enough to enable the registrar to be satisfied that you are free to marry one another, normally about four weeks before the marriage; but if either of you has been married or in a registered civil partnership before, the notices should be with the registrar six weeks beforehand. The minimum period is 15 days before the date of the proposed marriage but, if you leave things as late as this, you could be faced with the need to postpone your special day.
If you live in Scotland and you want to be married abroad, you may be required to present a 'Certificate of No Impediment' to the civil authorities in the country where you wish to be married. This declares that you are free to marry according to Scottish Law. You may only obtain this document from your local registrar. You must complete the appropriate forms at least 14 clear days beforehand and no sooner than 3 months before the date of your marriage. NB: please note that travel agents are prone to advise you according to English procedure and this may involve paying substantial amounts of money for inappropriate documents.
No, we cannot provide a copy of the marriage list. However, as the list is on public display it is possible to take a photograph of the one that includes your names and marriage date.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 requires that local authorities make provision in their services to provide access to facilities and services to those persons with a disability. This means that the local registration authority or the religious celebrant, where a religious marriage is intended, should meet any reasonable costs of providing sign language interpreters.
Where a person marries outwith the United Kingdom, under a law which permits polygamy, the marriage will be regarded as valid under Scots Law if neither party to the marriage was already married. Accordingly, where evidence has been produced that such persons have already been married in a country where the marriage was considered potentially polygamous, those persons need not apply to have their marriage solemnised in Scotland. However, where two persons have gone through a marriage ceremony with each other outside the United Kingdom but are unable to prove that they are validly married under Scots law, they may be permitted to have a civil marriage as if they had not already gone through a marriage ceremony with each other.
The first duty that you have is to ensure that the Registrar / Minister / whoever you wish to perform the ceremony is free to marry you on the date and at the time you have decided upon. If you are planning a religious ceremony, you should go and see the minister or clergyman before completing the notice of marriage. Around 2 months before your marriage, you should then obtain 2 Marriage Notice Forms from your local registrar. These should be completed and returned to the registrar for the district where the marriage is to take place. You will be required to show the registrar both birth certificates and proof of termination of any previous marriage (divorce or death certificates). A foreign national may also be required to produce further documents and the registrar will explain this in detail. The minimum period to lodge the Forms prior to a marriage, is 14 clear days but ideally you should return these forms around 6 weeks before the date of your marriage. You should also arrange for two people aged 16 or over to be present on the day of your marriage in order to witness the ceremony
Giving false information is a serious offence. Any person who knowingly gives false information in a material particular to a registrar is liable: a) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both; b) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding Level 3 on the standard scale or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or to both.
When giving or sending the marriage notice forms to the registrar, each of you must supply the following: your birth certificate; evidence of your nationality - normally a passport; if you have been married or in a registered civil partnership before and the marriage or civil partnership has been dissolved or annulled, a decree of divorce or dissolution or annulment or a certified copy decree; if you are a widow or widower or a surviving civil partner, the death certificate of your former spouse or civil partner; if you and the person you are marrying are related in certain ways, various death certificates are required; if you live abroad, a certificate of no impediment issued by the competent authority to the effect that you are free to marry. If any of these documents is in a language other than English, a certified translation in English must also be provided. If you are a foreign national you will have to seek advice from the Home Office on other documents that are required.
After your marriage has been registered, the registrar will give you a certificate of the marriage entry in the Register. Copies of this can be obtained for a fee of small fee.
When satisfied that there is no legal impediment to the marriage, the registrar will prepare a Marriage Schedule from the information you have given him. The Schedule is a most important document - no marriage can proceed without it.
You can be married in either of the following two ways in Scotland: a religious marriage, whether Christian or non-Christian, which may take place anywhere, may be solemnised only by a minister, clergyman, pastor, priest or other person entitled to do so under the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977; or a civil marriage, which may take place in a registration office or at an approved place, may be solemnised only by a registrar or an assistant registrar who has been authorised by the Registrar General for that purpose.
The Council provides civil marriage venues at selected Registrar's offices. However, the marriage (Scotland) Act 2002 now allows couples to be married by a registrar in a place of their own choosing, subject to certain criteria. The place in question must not compromise the solemnity and dignity of civil marriage or have a recent or continuing connection with any religion or religious practice. In addition, any application must meet with safety requirements, etc. Couples may be married almost wherever they choose. Many hotels etc. have applied for period licences to allow civil marriages to be conducted and couples may also apply for a temporary licence for a marriage at the place of their choice.
The General Register Office of Scotland (www.gro-scotland.gov.uk) has information on all Scottish registration offices. You can also check in the phone book, the Yellow Pages (look under Registration Offices or Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages) or the doctor/hospital can tell you.
You can get Marriage Notice Forms from any registration office in Scotland or, alternatively, download the forms from the General Register Office for Scotland's website http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/.
The surname that you sign on the marriage schedule must be the one you are currently using. This will be the surname you provided to the registrar on your marriage notice form.
Any two people, regardless of where they live, may marry in Scotland provided that they are: both at least 16 years of age on the day of their marriage; not related to one another in a way which would prevent their marrying; each unmarried or not already registered as a civil partner (any person who has already been married or registered as a civil partner must produce documentary evidence that the previous marriage or civil partnership has been ended by death, divorce, annulment or dissolution); not of the same sex; capable of understanding the nature of a marriage ceremony and of consenting to marriage; able to have the marriage regarded as valid in any foreign country to which either party belongs.
The ink used for registers must be of a quality to ensure a clear and permanent record. Ballpoint pen ink can fade in time and can also be erased. Using the pen provided by the registrar ensures security and longevity of your signature.
