Getting Married Abroad

What documents will I need to provide?

The Consulate/Embassy for the country where you plan to marry will advise you of the document requirements.

You may be asked to provide a:-

• Certificate of No Impediment (CONI) if you are resident in Scotland

or

• To Whom It May Concern Letter confirming that you are free to marry if you are not resident in Scotland

Resident in Scotland - Certificate of No Impediment

• Contact the registration office for the district where you live and discuss how best to submit your marriage notice form (M10) (197 KB PDF)– this is the same form used for marriage in Scotland. The registrar will advise you of the fee payable and payment methods.

• Applications cannot normally be submitted to the registrar more than three months prior to the date of your marriage.

• Your marriage notice form should be supplied to the registrar along with your contact details, birth certificate or adoption certificate, proof of address, passport and if applicable proof of your divorce/dissolution or if your former spouse is deceased, a copy of their death certificate.

If there is no doubt about your freedom to marry the registrar will issue the CONI 29 days after submission of the marriage notice and fee payment. The CONI is valid for three months from the date of issue or if you plan to be married in England or Wales, for three months from the date your marriage notice and fee was received by the registrar.

Not Resident in Scotland – To Whom it May Concern Letter

National Records of Scotland (NRS), Combined Registration Services Team can provide a ‘To Whom It May Concern’ letter stating that a search of the marriage indexes in Scotland has been made and no traces of a marriage involving you has been found.

If you require such a letter, please email NRS, Combined Registration Services with the following information:-

• Your full name and postal address
• Your date and place of birth
• Your mother’s maiden name
• If you were born outside Scotland, the date you became resident in Scotland or your age if under 16
• If you have been previously married, name of previous spouse and date of divorce
• If you have been previously in a civil partnership, name of previous partner and date of dissolution
• If you have been widowed, spouse name and date of death
• If you are a surviving civil partner, partner name and date of death 
• If you have never been married or in a civil partnership a statement to that effect

Our Combined Registration Services team will respond to your request with details of the fees payable and methods for payment.

I want to register my foreign marriage in Scotland.  How do I do this?

Only marriages that occur in Scotland can be registered in Scotland.  However individuals with a Scottish connection who marry outside Scotland can apply for their marriage to be recorded in the Book of Scottish Connections.

Last updated February 2024