Marriages are ceremonies that unite two different individuals together and name them husband and wife. Marriage legitimizes the child born out of the wed-log. Marriages are conducted in specific customary manners. These standard manners must be recognized by law to be valid. The marriage process differs from place to place and religion to religion. Still, to get the State’sState’s recognition, marriage needs to be registered under the prescribed code provided by the law.
The certification of a marriage is a way of recognizing marriage by the State. It requires a registration of the names and required details of the persons associated with the wedding. After the successful registration, if the provided details are sufficient and the persons willing to marry are bearing the legal position to enter into the marriage, the State generates a certificate that gives the evidence of the marriage.
What is the Eligibility of getting a Marriage Certificate Uk
Like the other countries of the world, the UK has its own provisions relating to marriage. The provisions include the eligibility of persons willing to marry. Some restrictions are imposed on certain people who can’t get married unless they satisfy the given criteria. The provisions apply commonly to both ceremonial marriage and civil partnership.
Who can get marriage certificate UK
- According to the provisions of the UK, any person who is the age of sixteen or above is eligible to marry.
- To ensure no bigamy is committed, a person needs to be either single, widowed or divorced before getting married. When there is a civil partnership, the partnership needs to be dissolved before getting into another marriage.
- The persons who are aged less than 18 and want to enter into marriage have to produce the consent of both of their parents or legal guardians.
- If a parent denies giving consent or for any reason, you can’t get the consent; you can apply for a permit in the court to get married.
- In the case of a transgender person, a gender recognition certificate by the Gender Recognition Panel is needed to be produced. This certificate will provide a new birth certificate with the recognized gender. This can create the opportunity to choose a partner as per your gender preference.
- In the case of same-sex marriage, religious ceremonies are restricted to some extent, but they can marry in a civil ceremony. If the same-sex couple gets married in any other country, the marriage will be recognized as valid in the UK.
Who can’t get UK marriage certificate
There are some common restrictions on marriage related to a person who is related to their partner in some specified way. If such marriage happens, it will be declared void.
- You can’t marry your own child, including an adopted child.
- The same goes for the parents. You can’t marry a parent, including the adoptive parent.
- You can’t marry your brother, sister, half brother, or half-sister.
- You can’t marry your parent’s brother, sister, half brother, or half-sister.
- You can’t marry the child of your brother, sister, half brother, or half-sister.
- You can’t marry your grandparent or grandchild.
Why is a Marriage Certificate Necessary in the UK?
The marriage certificate is considered a very necessary document that can prove the validity of your marriage when any dispute arises on the very topic. A marriage certificate has various importance in many places.
- A marriage certificate can help you get tax benefits by providing marriage allowance, capital gains tax advantages, and inheritance tax.
- A marriage certificate is needed to show the proof of immigration if any changes are required in order to be made in immigration.
- Just in case you intend to change your surname to your spouse’s surname, you will require a marriage certificate as proof to change your maiden name.
- A marriage certificate may be required in some medical emergencies for insurance claims.
- Anyone who wants to change your name on your passport or driver’s license, a marriage certificate can help you show your maiden name, a new name with the modified surname, and the date of marriage.
What is the process of issuing a Marriage Certificate in the UK?
For issuing a marriage certificate, you need to go through the specific provisions set by UK law. If your marriage is valid according to the rules provided, you need to apply for a marriage certificate. A marriage certificate helps to prove the legitimacy of the wedding. If any dispute arises on whether the marriage is legal or not, a marriage certificate helps the court decide.
A marriage certificate consists of every necessary detail about the marriage. It contains the full name of both of the partners with the previous name and the name with the changed surname. It also consists of the date when the marriage was accomplished.
The marriage certificate is not automatically given after the completion of the marriage. In order to acquire the marriage certificate, you need to apply for a legal copy from the General Register Office. The general register office will give you an application form to fill out with every necessary detail.
The marriage certificate application form of the General Register Office consists of 5 sections. The first section asks about the customer details, which contains the General Register Office account number and general information of the customer, i.e., name, address, email, phone number, etc.
Section two of the application form asks about the details of both the parties involved in the marriage. It provides space to fill the name and father’s name of both the party and also the date when the marriage was constituted.
While the third section requires to be filled with the register number, entry number, and date of registration, the fourth with the name of the referee, and the fifth with the payment details, the process is cheaper if you register online.
Fees for Getting UK Marriage Certificate
A certain amount of fees is required to be deposited within a specified duration for the approval of the marriage certificate application form. The application form asks for the payment details in the fifth section.
With the General Register Office index reference number, the application fee for a marriage certificate is £11 and paid during the filing of the application form for the marriage certificate. 4 days after the payment has been made, the General Register Office sends a valid copy of the marriage certificate. The process gets chipper if registered online. If you don’t have a General Register Office index reference number, you will have to pay £14, and you will receive the certificate 14 days after you apply for the same.
Conclusion
A marriage certificate is one of the best proof of your marriage. It gives evidence about the legitimacy of your wedding and helps you in various aspects. Acquiring a marriage certificate is an easy but crucial step. So follow the details and apply for your marriage certificate now.
