How to register a Civil Partnership in Scotland
To register your Civil Partnership you will need to complete some paperwork and book a venue, date and time with a Registrar.
A Civil Partnership can be registered by an Authorised Registrar or an approved celebrant under the Civil Partnership Act 2004
You may find it useful to read the following documents:
Other documents you need to submit
You and your partner will also need to provide:
- Your original birth certificates
- Proof of nationality for anyone born after the 1st January 1983 we will need to see a valid passport if you have one. If you do not have a valid passport, we need to see your mother's birth certificate.
- Proof of address. This can be a valid driving licence, current Council Tax Bill or Bank Statement, or a utility bill dated within the last three months.
- If you have previously been married or in a registered civil partnership, we need to see your original decree of divorce or dissolution. If you are widowed, we must see the death certificate of your late spouse.
- If you were born outside the UK, we must see your valid passport and where appropriate your visa.
- If you were divorced outside the UK we must see the original of the divorce and translation if not issued in English. Depending on the country the divorce was finalised you may also be required to complete a Foreign Divorce Questionnaire. For more information about this, please contact the Registrars.
You need an appointment to submit notice of marriage. You can book an appointment by calling 03000 200 292 (option 6).
I want to register the Civil Partnership as a “surprise” for my partner. Is this possible?
Unfortunately, this is not possible as both partners are legally required to submit notice forms to the Registrar. This means that you must both independently complete and sign the declaration form (CP10).
Failure to give proper notice can result in the registration of the Civil Partnership being postponed or prevented from proceeding.
Can we have a ceremony?
If you would like a ceremony to form part of your civil partnership then please contact the Registrar for the area in which you intend to register your civil partnership. They will be able to explain to you what arrangements can be made locally. They can also confirm the words that might be used during the ceremony.
Arranging a Civil Partnership Abroad
You should contact the Consulate or Embassy for the relevant country for advice on what documentation will be required.
Registering a Civil Partnership Abroad
If you are registering a Civil Partnership in a country out with the UK, you may need to get your birth extract authenticated.
An authentication can be provided by National Records of Scotland for a fee. Please email the General Register for Scotland authentication of extracts section by using their Contact Form. They will be glad to help and will advise you of the current fee.
Please note that an authentication is not accepted by every foreign government and some ask for an apostille to be written on the back of an extract. If you require an apostille please contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 0370 000 2244.
Can we register our Civil Partnership in places other than a registration office?
Your Civil Partnership can be held in a registration office or at any other location of your choice, if it has been agreed to by the local council.
You should contact the registrar for the area you want your civil partnership to take place to discuss further details.