Civil partnerships

The Civil Partnership Act 2004 does not set out a legally prescribed form of ceremony to be used at the time of the registration of civil partnerships in Scotland. The Registrar General sets out a suggested form of ceremony in guidance to local registrars.

If you would like a ceremony to form part of the registration of your civil partnership then you should contact the registrar for the district in which you intend to register your civil partnership. She or he will be able to explain to you what arrangements may be made locally. She or he would also be happy to confirm in advance the form of words that might be used during the ceremony.

You should contact the Consulate or Embassy for the relevant country for advice on what documentation will be required.

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 acceptable to every foreign government and some ask for what is called an 'apostille' to be written on the back of an extract. This procedure is governed by international convention and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible for adding the 'apostille'. If you require an 'apostille' please contact the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 0370 000 2244.

Section 93 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 allows two people to be registered as civil partners of each other at a registration office or at any other place which they and the local registration authority (the local council) agree is to be the place of registration.

So you should contact the registrar for the district where you would wish your civil partnership to be registered to discuss what places may be suitable. 

See the Civil Marriages page for details.

There is some paperwork to be completed, and you will need to book a place, date and time. You may find it useful to download the following documents about our requirements:

• Both parties must show proof of residence. This can be a utility bill, council tax bill or bank statement. This evidence must be dated within the last 3 months when giving notice.

The Registering a Civil Partnership in Scotland (Form RCP1) leaflet should answer most of your questions, but please bear in mind the following points:

• Always telephone the selected local registrar before filling in form CP10.
• If you want to register a civil partnership, the registrar will be able to help you choose a day and time, and tell you what fees you are likely to pay.
• It will also enable you to confirm what form of payment the registrar can accept.
• Both parties intending to register the civil partnership should provide the registrar with a postal address and a contact telephone number.
• You must post (not email) the completed forms (including the questionnaire if you are submitting divorce/dissolution documents from outside the United Kingdom), original or certified copies from the issuing authority of documents and appropriate payment to the relevant local registrar (not to the National Records of Scotland) to arrive normally 8 to 10 weeks before the date of the intended registration of the civil partnership and certainly no later than 29 days before.
• The registrar, in certain circumstances, will ask to see your valid passport or other document to provide evidence of your nationality.

If you are travelling from a non European Economic Area (EEA) country and are a non EEA national further documentation will be required to be completed. Please read the giving notice of marriage or civil partnership information carefully.

If you are subject to immigration controls please download and complete a Declaration of Immigration Status Form.

Parties to a civil partnership, who are not British, Swiss or from the EEA must complete this Declaration of Immigration Status Form which should accompany the marriage notice forms. We cannot accept notice without the completed declaration form.

For advice on what documentation you may need to show please contact the Registrars office on 03000 200 292.

Registrars have a statutory duty to report any civil partnership they suspect has been registered for the sole purpose of evading statutory immigration controls.

No. By law both parties to the registration of the civil partnership are required to submit notice forms to the registrar of the district in which the registration of the civil partnership is to take place. This means that both parties must be aware of this and independently complete and sign the declaration on form CP10 to the effect that the information given is correct. Failure to give proper notice can result in registration of the Civil Partnership being postponed or prevented from proceeding.