The appointment will not proceed without these exact documents. All documents must be original and valid (not expired). Photocopies, photographs or electronic versions will not be accepted. If any of the documents are in a language other than English, a certified translation in English must also be provided.
1 – Evidence of name, surname, date of birth and nationality
You must bring one of the following:
- valid current Passport (i.e. not expired) – non-UK Nationals should refer to Section 4 ‘Evidence of Immigration Status’
- certificate of registration or Certificate of naturalisation as a British citizen
- UK birth certificate if you were born before 1/1/1983 plus one official document from List 2 to confirm your current name.
- UK full birth certificate if you were born after 1/1/1983 which shows your parents’ details PLUS evidence of either your parent(s) British Citizenship or settled status at date of your birth plus one official document from List 2 to confirm your current name
- if your parents were not married at the date of your birth, please bring your mother’s UK birth certificate
- if your parents were married at the date of your birth, please bring either parent’s UK Birth certificate
- UK Passport which states the relevant parent as a British Citizen or having Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) at the date of your birth.
- if you are using your father’s documents, you must also bring your parents’ marriage certificate
- where your parent’s documents are in a different name to those named on your birth certificate, further documentation will be required to show the link of names
Please note, you cannot use the same document for proof of name and place of residence, and cannot use residency letter for proof of name.
If your name has changed since these documents were issued we need to see evidence from the list below:
- ‘Registered’ Deed Poll (3 stamps: in the Supreme Court of Deeds, Royal Courts of Justice)
- ’Unregistered’ Deed Polls/Statutory Declaration
- Marriage Certificate(s)
2 - Evidence of place of residence
You must bring one of the following documents which shows your full, current name and address (within England/Wales):
- valid UK or Irish driving licence
- gas, water or electricity bill from the last 3 months
- bank or building society statement/passbook from the last month
- council Tax bill from the last 12 months
- mortgage statement from the last 12 months
- current residential tenancy agreement
- letter from the owner/proprietor/tenant of the property where you have been residing, which must:
- confirm you have been living there for at least 7 full days directly before the date of your appointment (excluding the day of arrival and day of giving notice), and specify the date of arrival
- confirm the owner/proprietor/tenant’s name, address and status as owner/proprietor/tenant
- be signed and dated by the owner/proprietor/tenant on the day of the appointment to give notice
- be supported by evidence of the owner/proprietor/tenant residence at that property, which must be one of the documents listed above
If your name has changed since these documents were issued we need to see evidence from the list below:
- ‘registered’ Deed Poll (3 stamps: in the Supreme Court of Deeds, Royal Courts of Justice)
- ’unregistered’ Deed Polls/Statutory Declaration
- marriage certificate(s)
3 – Evidence of ending of a previous marriage or civil partnership
If you have been married or in a civil partnership before, you’ll also need to bring one of the following documents:
- a decree absolute, decree of nullity, dissolution order or final order
- your former partner’s death certificate plus marriage certificate (if you are not named on death certificate)
If your name on your Decree Absolute/Dissolution/Final Order is different to the name you are using now, we need to see evidence from the change of name list in Section 1, to show the link of name.
Additional fees will apply to documents obtained outside the British Isles, which you can view on our registration service fees page. If these documents are not in English, you must also provide a full translation including any stamps and signatures, and include the name and address of the translator.
4 – Evidence of Immigration Status
All applicants must provide evidence of their nationality to support their statement i.e. valid current passport, in addition to the documents listed in the previous sections. You cannot give notice without a current valid passport - EEA. ID Cards are not acceptable.
If you are a ‘relevant national’, i.e. someone who either has settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), or has a pending application for that status submitted before 30 June 2021:
- settled/pre-settled status: You will need to provide a valid EUSS ‘share code’ generated within 30 days of the appointment as evidence of this status for your appointment, which you obtain on the settled status Gov page.
- pending applications: You will need to present a digital copy or hard copy letter of the pending application with your ‘Certificate of Application’
If you are a non-relevant national i.e. not a British or Irish citizen or granted/awaiting EUSS, you must bring a recent passport-sized photograph for both parties where applicable, even if only one of you is from outside the UK, in addition to the following evidence:
- valid Biometric residence permit
- valid HO endorsement in passport
- valid UK residence permit in passport
- valid immigration status document bearing a valid photo-endorsed vignette
- any other photographic status document issued by the Home Office or an immigration officer
- home office form IS96
- valid application registration card (ARC) with photos required from both parties
- valid UK visa/entry clearance in passport with photos required from both parties
- no evidence - party making a statement but cannot provide any supporting evidence with photos required from both parties
You must bring a translation by a third party of any documents that are not in English. If you do not speak English, you must bring also an interpreter to your appointment. This cannot be your intended spouse so it must be another person who can translate. The same person will also need to be a witness at the marriage/Civil Partnership Ceremony.
If you are a non-EEA national, or EEA/Swiss National with no EUSS Status, in some circumstances the notice period may be extended to 70 days.
What do I need to do if I am in the Armed Forces?
If you are a member of the Armed Forces and you do not have a driving licence or utility bill at your North Yorkshire address, you must get a letter from your Commanding Officer on forces official letterhead. This must include your full name, the address you are resident at, the date since which you have been resident at that address (which must be at least 8 nights or longer prior to your appointment to give notice) and be signed by your Commanding Officer. You must also bring along your forces ID to accompany the letter.
This does not apply to anyone who lives with you and who is not a member of the Armed Forces.