Converting your civil partnership to a marriage
You can convert your civil partnership into a marriage. The conversion will not be a marriage ceremony. It is changing an existing legal relationship rather than forming a new one. The fee for the process is £45.
Before you start
To convert your partnership, you and your partner must
- Attend an appointment with a superintendent registrar. It can be at a register office or other approved licensed venue for same-sex marriages.
- Provide proof of your identity and the original civil partnership registration certificate.
- Sign a statement to confirm you have not dissolved your civil partnership. Rather that that you both wish to convert it to a marriage.
To set this up please contact our office via the details at the end of this page.
What happens next
Once you have completed the conversion it will be registered online. A handwritten certificate will be issued.
Partnerships which can be converted into a marriage in England and Wales
You can convert your partnership if it was:
- Registered in England and Wales.
- Or, registered overseas in a consulate or armed forces base. The civil partnership must have been registered according to the law of England and Wales.
Partnerships which can't be converted into a marriage in England and Wales
You won't be able to convert your partnership into a marriage in England or Wales if:
- Your partnership was formed outside of England and Wales. You should seek legal advice to find out the options which are available to you.
- You are in a legal relationship which is still valid in the country the relationship was formed in. You have to be legally free to marry.