Civil partnership registration and ceremonies

There are two ways to convert a civil partnership into marriage

• a simple administrative process called a standard conversion
• a two stage process where the conversion is followed by a ceremony 

The standard conversion

This is a simple administrative process where you will both attend an appointment at any register office and complete a declaration with details about you and your civil partnership. The documents that you will need to produce include

• evidence of your name and date of birth - current passports or birth certificates
• evidence of your address - recent council tax or utilities bill
• your original civil partnership certificate for a formation that took place in England & Wales

A legal declaration will then be drawn up for you to both sign with the Superintendent Registrar.

If you wish you can choose to say the declaration wording aloud to one another before signing the conversion document. Your marriage is then registered and a marriage certificate will be issued.

The statutory fee for this process is £50, and a charge of £12.50 for each marriage certificate issued.

A conversion followed by a ceremony

There are two stages to this type of conversion. The first part is where you will both need to attend an appointment at any register office and complete a declaration with details about you and your civil partnership. The documents that you will need to produce include:

• evidence of your name and date of birth - current passports or birth certificates
• evidence of your address - recent council tax or utilities bill
• your original civil partnership certificate for a formation that took place in England & Wales

The signing of the declaration can then be followed by a ceremony at venues where same sex couples are able to marry. For example

• Register Office
• approved premises
• religious buildings that are registered for the marriage of same sex couples
• premises where a ceremony according to the Jewish faith of the Society of Friends is to immediately follow the conversion. 

Please call us for further information on this process, and the relevant fees.