Civil partnerships in Dumfries and Galloway

COVID-19 Update

Due to the current circumstances with the global spread of COVID-19, our registration offices are temporarily closed to members of the public.

We are still here to support you but are working with a significantly reduced team.  Please note that our response times are currently up to 28 days and we are prioritising in order of date of marriage or civil partnership.

Please carefully read the below information to help direct your enquiry.

Marriage and Civil Partnerships

Full details on legalities to marriage in Scotland including the Marriage Notice forms (M10s) and Civil Partnership Notice forms (CP10s) can be found at: www.nrscotland.gov.uk

• If you are contacting us about an existing marriage booking, including enquiries where your marriage date has already passed, please bear with us as we are receiving an exceptionally high volume of enquiries. Your query has been logged and one of our team will get back to you as soon as possible however please note that our response times are currently up to 28 days and we are prioritising in order of date of marriage or civil partnership.
• If you are contacting us about a new marriage booking and wish to know the progress of your application please bear with us. Your query has been logged and one of our team will get back to you as soon as possible however please note that our response times are currently up to 28 days.  We are prioritising existing bookings for those couples whose plans were disrupted due to COVID-19 and the suspension of ceremonies.  New applications will be prioritised in order of date of marriage or civil partnership. 
• If you are planning to be married within the next 2 months we have limited availability to process your application or facilitate your ceremony.  Priority is being given to couples whose plans were disrupted during the suspension period.
• If you have already cancelled your booking and are waiting on a refund, please note we cannot provide timescales on when your refund will be processed. We are working to refund fees as fast as we can.  The statutory fee of £30 each for serving notice of marriage or civil partnership will not be refunded.  You can apply to be married in 2021 without paying that fee again if you have cancelled your marriage in 2020 due to COVID-19.
• Marriage Notices (M10s) and Civil Partnership Notices (CP10s) submitted up to 30/9/2020 are valid until 31/12/2020.  You can be married up to 31/12/2020 using these forms, they have been automatically extended.  M10s and CP10s submitted from 1/10/2020 onwards are valid for 3 calendar months.
• If you are required to submit a Visa for the purpose of marriage in the UK or Certificate of No Impediment you must provide valid documents.  If any document previously submitted has expired, you are required to obtain a new one and submit it.
• If you wish to pay the fees for your marriage or civil partnership booking, you can do so by telephoning Dumfries and Galloway Council on 030 33 33 3000 and choosing option 2 to register a birth, death or marriage.  Our staff will be able to take your payment over the telephone by debit or credit card. 
• If you have previously submitted documents as part of your application, these will be returned to you when you attend to be married.  If you have cancelled your marriage plans, your documents will automatically be returned you.  Please note we cannot provide timescales on when you will receive your documents as we are working through these in order of date of ceremony.
• If you are required to attend the registration office to submit a passport or collect a Schedule for a ceremony, you will be granted access to the registration office for this purpose.  Please wear a face covering if you are required to attend a registration office for this purpose.
• The postal address to send your marriage or civil partnership application is,  Gretna Registration Office, Central Avenue, Gretna DG16 5AQ

Scottish Government Guidelines for Ceremonies

From 15 July relaxations of the lockdown rules on marriage and civil partnership in phase 3 of Scotland's route map will allow:

• A maximum of 20 people in total can attend the marriage or civil partnership (this number includes the couple, 2 witnesses, guests, venue staff, photographers etc).  The number of people attending will be subject to social distancing and capacity of the venue.
• The maximum figure encompasses all those at the ceremony, including children, carers supporting any attendee, photographers, musicians or any other person employed by the couple, and so on
• 2 metre social distancing is required
• All persons attending a ceremony will be required to provide their name and contact telephone number as part of Test and Protect in Scotland.
• All legal requirements for marriage and civil partnership in Scotland must be met including serving 29 days' notice of intention to marry or enter into a civil partnership

Face Coverings

The latest information on rules and guidance for people involved in planning a wedding in Scotland during COVID-19, including the ceremony and reception can be found on the Scottish Government website.

The regulatory requirements for face coverings to be worn at marriage ceremonies and civil partnerships in indoor public places in Scotland is removed. Scottish Government continues to strongly encourage the use of protective measures to reduce risk, including wearing face coverings where appropriate to help keep each other safe.

Other Registration Services

If you wish to make an appointment to register a birth or death or purchase a replacement certificate you can telephone Dumfries and Galloway Council on 030 33 33 3000 and choose option 2 to register a birth, death or marriage.  A member of our team will be able to assist you.

We are working hard through an extremely high volume of enquiries right now. We kindly ask that you bear with us and be patient - one of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience and support.

A number of documents have to be submitted to one of our registration offices along with the relevant fees payment. This can be done within 3 months of the civil partnership date and no later than 29 days before that date.

Find your nearest registrar

Information required

Both parties will need to provide:

• a civil partnership notice application (Form CP10)
• the appropriate fees
• a birth certificate
• proof of being widowed (if appropriate)
• proof of a divorce or annulment (if appropriate)
• proof of nationality
• proof of residence
• a Declaration of Immigration Status (if you are not British, a national of the European Economic Area or Swiss)

A certified translation must be provided with any documents you submit that are written in a language other than English.

Your documents will be held by the Registrar and returned to you in person if you attend the registration office.  Otherwise the documents will be posted to you after the ceremony along with your marriage extract.  If you wish your documents to be returned to you sooner, you must provide a self-addressed envelope with the appropriate postage.

Costs

The amount you pay depends on where you have the ceremony.

Statutory fees
Notice fee - £30 per person (non-refundable) - M10s received before 30 April 2022
Notice fee - £45 per person (non-refundable) - M10s received from 1 May 2022 onwards
Civil marriage solemnisation or civil partnership registration - £55
Marriage or civil partnership certificate - £10

Enhanced fees - additional fees charged by Dumfries & Galloway Council

Advance booking for registration office ceremony - £101 (non-refundable)
Registration office ceremony with more than 8 guests - £106
Registrar's attendance at authorised venue ceremony - £230 (non-refundable)
Registration on a Saturday - £130
Registration on a Sunday or public holiday - £196
Postage fee - £7

How to Pay
There are a number of ways to pay for your marriage or civil partnership fees:

• Send a cheque (payable to Dumfries and Galloway Council) when you submit your M10 or CP10 forms and documentation
• Pay online using the Pay It option at www.dumgal.gov.uk using a debit or credit card.

To be able to pay your fees online, you must submit your M10 or CP10 forms first providing an email address and contact telephone number.  Upon receipt of your application, we will process your forms and send you an email with a reference number and instructions on how to make payment for your marriage or civil partnership fees online at www.dumgal.gov.uk.

Please note:  You cannot make payment online until you have submitted your application and received a reference number from the Registrar.

Other charges may also apply for civil ceremonies depending on the location or date you choose. Ask your registrar for further details.

• Find out more about arranging a civil ceremony

What happens next

We'll produce a Civil Partnership Schedule once we've processed your paperwork and are happy that there are no legal reasons that the partnership can't go ahead.

A civil partnership can't take place without the schedule. Our registrar will bring the schedule to the ceremony for you to sign.

Civil partnership certificates

We will officially register the civil partnership afterwards and send you a copy of the certificate when it is ready. The cost is included in our initial charges.

• Find out more about buying additional copies