National Records of Scotland

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I Want to Get Married in Scotland. How Do I Go About It?

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I Want to Get Married in Scotland. How Do I Go About It?

The attached Registration Privacy Notice (150KB PDF) tells you what happens to personal information when a life event is registered.

You will need to book a place, date and time for your ceremony.  You should be aware that whether you intend to have a civil marriage ceremony solemnised by a registrar or a religious/belief ceremony solemnised by an approved celebrant, you must, by law, submit marriage notice forms with the associated documents and pay the statutory fee to the registrar in whose district you intend to be married.

If you want a civil rather than a religious or belief marriage, the registrar will be able to help you choose a day and a time.

For guidance on who can marry you, including advice for friends or family members acting as a celebrant or private/independent celebrants, go to Who can be a celebrant for marriage/civil partnership in Scotland?.

Helpful Information

How do we submit our marriage notice forms?

Contact the registration office (61 KB PDF) located in the district where you intend to be married.

The registration office will discuss how best to submit your marriage notice forms and the accompanying documents.

Some offices may accept emailed copies of the forms but the originals MUST be received prior to the ceremony.

What is the timescale for the submission of marriage notices?

Please check timescales with your local registration office, to avoid having to postpone your marriage ceremony. The registrar must be in receipt of your completed marriage notices no later than 29 days before the intended marriage but it is advisable to give 10 – 12 weeks’ notice, to allow time to check your notices and accompanying documents and ensure that there is no impediment to the proposed marriage.

Form Completion

All forms should be accompanied with your postal address, email address and daytime telephone number.

There are a variety of forms that will require completion depending on your individual circumstances.

Issuing the Marriage Schedule

Once the registrar has processed your marriage notice forms, the registrar will prepare a marriage schedule.

If your marriage is to be solemnised by a civil registrar, the registrar will retain the schedule for completion on the day of the marriage.

If you are having a religious or belief marriage, one or both parties will need to collect the schedule from the registration office no more than 7 days prior to your ceremony and no less than 29 days after your marriage notice has been submitted.  

Following your Marriage

If you are having a religious or belief marriage, the signed schedule must be returned to the registration office within 3 days of the ceremony.

Are you a Non-UK National?

If you, your partner or both of you are non-UK nationals you can get married in Scotland but maybe subject to immigration control.

If you are a non-UK national, under provisions in the Immigration Act 2014 you should be aware that if you are not a ‘relevant national’, or you do not have appropriate immigration status or a relevant visa, your proposed marriage will be referred to the Home Office for investigation.

You will be required to complete and submit a Declaration of Status by Non-UK Nationals (pdf) and provide evidence in support of your declaration with your marriage notice form.

A relevant national is defined as a person who is:
•    a British citizen;
•    an Irish citizen;
•    a person with EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) settled status;
•    a person with EUSS pre-settled status; or
•    a person with a pending application to the EUSS made before 30 June 2021

If you have EUSS status, please share your nine digit ‘share code’ with the registrar.  Your share code can be sent to the registrar by email, you can print the information from the government website, or you can write down the share code and provide it to the registrar. 

To apply for a share code to allow the registrar to check your immigration status please visit View and prove your immigration status on the GOV.UK website. 

If a decision is still pending on your EUSS application status, you should submit your Certificate of Application as evidence of your ‘relevant national’ status.

Appropriate immigration status is:

•    Exemption from immigration control
•    Settled status in the UK

Relevant visa means a visa issued for the purpose of allowing entry into the UK for the proposed marriage:

•    Marriage visitor visa
•    Fiancé(e) visitor visa /Spouse visa

If you are visiting Scotland to change your civil partnership registered in Scotland to a marriage, you will not need a visa but you must meet the standard visitor eligibility requirements and you will need to provide evidence to show that you are in an existing civil partnership when you enter the UK.

Information is available on Check if you need a visa on the GOV.UK website.  Please also read the giving notice information (92 KB PDF) which details Home Office requirements.

Registrars have a statutory duty to report any marriage they suspect has been registered for the sole purpose of evading statutory immigration controls.

Last updated September 2024