Marriage in Scotland

---

If you intend to marry in Scotland you can have either a civil or a religious marriage:

• A civil marriage is conducted by a registrar or assistant registrar who has been authorised by the Registrar General
• A religious marriage is conducted by a clergyman, pastor, priest, minister or other religious person entitled to do so under the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977

Whether you choose a civil or religious marriage the legal requirements remain the same. Both parties to the marriage are required by law to complete and sign Marriage Notice forms and submit them to the registrar in whose district the marriage is to take place. Marriage Notice forms can be obtained from any registration office in Scotland or by downloading them using our links. If a couple is having a religious or civil marriage in the registration district of East Ayrshire their Notice Forms can be submitted to any of the registration offices in East Ayrshire.

A signed Marriage Notice form is only valid for three months. By law the minimum period of notice that you must give the registrar before the date of your marriage is 15 days. The leaflet Marriage in Scotland (RM1), available from any registration office in Scotland or by downloading from this page, gives more guidance to marrying in Scotland.

It is recommended that Marriage Notice forms are submitted to the registrar four to six weeks prior to the date of the marriage together with any additional documents the registrar may require and the appropriate fees.

Additional documents include:

• birth certificate for both bride and groom
• proof of termination of a previous marriage where applicable

An appointment should be made with the registrar to hand in Marriage Notice forms. This can be done in person or someone can do it on your behalf. Please use our link to book an appointment online.

If any of these documents are in a language other than English, a certified translation must be included.

All documents must be original - photocopies are not acceptable.

The registrar will check the documents and may retain them for examination later.

You will need to arrange for two people to be present to act as witnesses to your marriage. The two witnesses must be aged 16 or over and must be capable of fully understanding the proceedings. The registrar must be notified of the full names and addresses of both witnesses. If, for any reason, you wish to change the names of the witnesses please tell the registrar as soon as you can.

If you are having a religious ceremony the registrar will give you details of when to collect your Marriage Schedule. The Marriage Schedule is the legal document the celebrant conducting your marriage requires; without this your marriage cannot proceed.

After your marriage, the schedule is returned to the registration office where the marriage is registered and you can obtain copies of your marriage certificate on payment of the appropriate fee.

 

Contact Information