Foreign nationals

Weddings and civil partnerships

If you and/ or your partner are subject to immigration control in the UK and want to get married or register a partnership here, you need to apply for a visa.

• If you want to get married in the UK and both you and your partner are from outside European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you need to apply for a marriage visitor visa.
• If you're from outside the EEA and your partner isn't from the UK but does belong to the EEA or Switzerland, you need to apply for an EEA family permit.
• If your partner is a British citizen and you want to settle here, you need to apply for a family of a settled person visa.

You must marry or register a civil partnership within 1 year of receiving your visa or permit.

Kent's designated register office

If either partner is subject to immigration control, you will need to give notice to marry or register a civil partnership with a registrar at a designated office.

There are various designated offices across Kent. To contact an office email register.office@kent.gov.uk or call 03000 41 51 51.

You will need to wait 28 days after giving notice before you can get married. This may be extended to 70 days for Non EEA citizens.