GOV.UK
Marriages and civil partnerships in the UK
Overview
You can get married or form a civil partnership in the UK if you’re:
- 16 or over
- free to marry or form a civil partnership (single, divorced or widowed)
- not closely related
You need permission from your parents or guardians if you’re under 18 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Only same sex couples can form a civil partnership.
There will be no change to the rights and status of EU citizens living in the UK until 2021. You and your family can apply for ‘settled status’ to continue living in the UK after June 2021. The scheme will open fully by March 2019.
Same sex couples
You can:
- form a civil partnership in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- get married in England, Scotland and Wales
- convert your civil partnership into a marriage in England, Scotland and Wales
Marriages and civil partnerships in Scotland and Northern Ireland
You can read more about the rules:
- in Scotland for marriages and civil partnerships
- in Northern Ireland for marriages and civil partnerships