Giving notice

Giving notice is a legal requirement that anyone wishing to get married or form a civil partnership in England must complete before their ceremony can take place.

Before giving notice, you must have decided

Neither of these can be changed once notice has been given. A change to the venue or type of ceremony would require you to give new notices. 

When to give notice

  • Notices can be given up to 12 months ahead of your ceremony
  • We require notices to be given at least 6 weeks before your ceremony, but we recommend giving at least 3 to 4 months’ notice, where possible
  • Foreign nationals who are subject to immigration control may require Home Office approval. In this case, the legal waiting period may be extended, notices should be given at least 12 weeks before your ceremony date

Where to give notice

  • Regardless of where your ceremony is taking place, you must give notice at a register office in the district where you live
  • If you live in East Sussex (excluding Brighton and Hove) you can give notice at any one of our four register offices, located at Crowborough, Eastbourne, Hastings, and Lewes
  • If you live outside of East Sussex, you’ll need to contact your local register office to book your notice appointment
  • If you and your partner live in different districts, you’ll need to give notice separately, each at the register office local to where you reside 
  • If one or both of you are foreign nationals subject to immigration control, you must give notice together. If you live in different districts, you can choose a register office in either district

If you live outside England and Wales

Before you can give notice, you must meet a residency requirement. You both need to have been resident at a single address in England or Wales for at least seven full, consecutive days immediately before your notice appointment. The day you arrive and the day of your appointment do not count towards this seven day period.

You must give notice at the local register office in the district where you are staying. You can find the local register office here. 

Documents you'll need to give notice

At your notice appointment, you must present certain documents to the registrar. Here you'll find a list of the documents needed to give notice.

Fees

A statutory notice fee will be payable on booking.

The fees are:

  • £42 per person, or
  • £57 per person, where notices need referring to the Home Office for approval

Additional fees may apply if any of your documents need to be approved by the General Register Office. We will discuss this in more detail when you book your appointment. 

Booking a notice appointment 

To book a notice appointment at an East Sussex register office call the Ceremonies Hub on 0345 60 80 198.

After your appointment

Giving notice is a formal, and legal statement of your intention to marry or form a civil partnership. Notices given in East Sussex are displayed at Crowborough Register Office, Hookstead, for 28 days following the completion of a notice. This allows members of the public to view all notices given and raise any legal objections. 

Notices are valid for 12 months from the date you give notice. 

Once the statutory waiting period has passed, the schedule is issued, which permits the ceremony to proceed.