Exceptional circumstances ceremonies are urgent requests to get married or form a civil partnership.
Serious Terminal Illness (Registrar General鈥檚 Licence)
The Registrar General can authorise marriages or civil partnerships to take place at short notice in circumstances where one of the parties is seriously ill. This includes those who are not expected to recover or cannot be moved to a place where the ceremony takes place. This is known as a marriage by Registrar General's Licence.
One of the couples will need to attend to give a notice to the register office. We will contact the General Register Office to arrange the Registrar General鈥檚 Licence. There is no fixed waiting period for a Registrar General鈥檚 Licence. Once the licence has been granted the ceremony may take place promptly, within one month of the notice being taken.
The person giving notice will need to have a medical certificate from the doctor attending the person who is ill. The certificate must show:
- the doctor is in medical attendance on the person concerned
- the person is seriously ill and not expected to recover
- the person cannot be moved to a place registered for marriages
- the person understands the nature and reason for the marriage ceremony
- signed and dated by the doctor and include their qualifications as registered by the General Medical Council.
Housebound circumstances
A housebound person will be considered to live at the place where they are housebound, because of illness or disability, this could be their home, hospital or hospice.
A medical practitioner in attendance of the housebound party is required to complete forms for both parties that state the need for a housebound marriage or civil partnership. Both notices must be given within 14 days of the forms being signed by the doctor. If notice is not given within 14 days of the forms being signed, more forms will have to be completed and the process will have to start again.
Detained circumstances
A detained person will be considered to live at the place of detention, this could be a prison or secure hospital.
The responsible authority for the place of detention is required to complete forms stating that there is no objection to that place being used for a marriage or civil partnership. Both notices must be given within 21 days of the forms being signed by the responsible authority. If notice is not given within 21 days of the forms being signed, more forms will have to be completed and the process will have to start again.
Notice waiver
Usually, once you give notice of your marriage or civil partnership, 28 days must pass before the ceremony can take place. However, in certain circumstances, it is possible to apply for a dispensation allowing this 28 day period to be waived, allowing you to get married sooner.
For example, if there is a:
- serious illness of either partner (but that person can attend at a registered place for marriage or civil partnership)
- serious illness of a close family member
- service personnel deployed abroad at short notice
The waiver costs 拢66 each which is non-refundable and payable to the registrar general (who can refuse the waiver) plus 拢42 each for giving notice.
You will be required to provide evidence at your notice appointment to support your application. This may take the form of a letter from a doctor, confirmation of posting abroad from military officer, etc.
It will take a minimum of 24 hours for the waiver to be granted by the registrar general, but there is no guarantee that it will be granted. It will depend on the evidence and is entirely the decision of the registrar general.
Contact us
Please contact us, if you have any enquiries about exceptional circumstances ceremonies.