Wedding Abroad RulesNot legal advice. Marriage rules change and local offices interpret them differently. Confirm every requirement with the civil registry or embassy before you book or pay. Disclaimer
Legal for visitors?Restricted
Wait / residencyMarriage Visitor visa + 29 days' notice
Government feeGBP 135 visa + notice fees
Same-sexNot confirmed
2 of 10 facts read on an official page; 4 not confirmed. Badges show the source level of each fact.
Where couples get confused
Americans can visit the UK with just an ETA, but to marry there they need a separate GBP 135 Marriage Visitor visa.
The rules
- Legal ceremony for visitorsOfficial ✓
- restrictedLegal for visitors only with the right visa: US and Canadian citizens (and anyone not British/Irish/settled) need a Marriage Visitor visa to give notice or marry - a Standard Visitor/ETA is not enough.
- Residency or waiting timeSnippet / semi-official
- Marriage Visitor visa (marry within 6 months of arrival). Scotland: each partner submits notice (M10) at least 29 days before; NRS advises 10-12 weeks. Home Office referral can extend wait up to 70 days.
- Required documentsSnippet / semi-official
- Marriage Visitor visa; M10 notice; passport; birth certificate; Declaration of Status by Non-UK Nationals; divorce/death papers.
- Apostille / translationNot confirmed
- Not confirmed, check with the registry or embassy
- Blood or medical testNot confirmed
- Not confirmed, check with the registry or embassyOur unconfirmed note: No (not listed
- WitnessesNot confirmed
- Not confirmed, check with the registry or embassyOur unconfirmed note: 2 in Scotland - not confirmed this pass
- Who officiatesSnippet / semi-official
- Registrar or approved celebrant
- Same-sex couplesNot confirmed
- Not confirmed, check with the registry or embassyOur unconfirmed note: not confirmed on official page this pass
- Recognized in the US, Canada, UKSnippet / semi-official
- US: generally valid if valid where performed; confirm with your state Attorney General (State Dept). Canada: usually valid if legal where performed, no need to register (travel.gc.ca). UK: no general statement found on gov.uk - unverified.
- Government feeOfficial ✓
- Marriage Visitor visa GBP 135 (gov.uk); Scotland notice GBP 45 per person (snippet of 2022 fee regulations) + ceremony fees
⚠ Pitfalls and scams to watch
Arriving visa-free/with an ETA and trying to give notice = Home Office referral or refusal; venue must be licensed.
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Sources
Quotes copied from official pages on 2026-10-21. Items marked as a snippet were seen in search results because the page blocked our checker.
- visahttps://www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships/from-outside-the-uk-or-ireland
You cannot give notice, get married or form a civil partnership on a Standard Visitor visa.
- feehttps://www.gov.uk/marriage-visa
It costs £135 to apply.
- noticehttps://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//registration/Marriage_in_Scotland_Information_Leaflet_RM1_April_23.pdf(snippet) registrar must receive notice no later than 29 days before ... 10-12 weeks advisable
All sources consulted
- https://www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships/from-outside-the-uk-or-ireland
- https://www.gov.uk/marriage-visa
- https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files/registration/declaration-of-status-by-non-uk-nationals-form.pdf
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2022/68/pdfs/ssifia_20220068_en.pdf
- https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/living-abroad/marriage.html
- https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/documents/marriage-overseas
Last checked 2026-10-21. Spot something out of date? Email hello@weddingabroadrules.com.
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