Civil Partnership now enables same-sex couples to obtain legal recognition of their relationship. Couples who form a civil partnership will have a new legal status, that of ‘civil partners’.

A Civil Partnership ceremony can be held in any of the six attractive Ceremony Rooms at our Registration Offices in Leicestershire, or at an Approved Venue that has been licensed for the purpose by the County Council.

Our Civil Partnership Registrars are experienced, friendly people, who will look forward to meeting you, and helping you to plan a ceremony to remember.

In Leicestershire we are happy to make a provisional booking up to two years in advance of your chosen date.

There are some restrictions on exactly where your ceremony can take place, even at Approved Venues. The law states that a civil ceremony must be held inside a permanent building, which means that you can't register your partnership in a marquee for example. In addition, a civil ceremony cannot contain any elements of a religious nature, or take place in a building with any religious connection.

You must first give legal notice of your intention to form a Civil Partnership. A civil partnership can be formed in England and Wales at a Registration Office or an Approved Premise. Registrations may or may not include a ceremony.

Further information on getting married in a register office or at an approved premise can be found on the Guidance for Civil Partnerships page.

You must both give legal notice of your intention to form a partnership by attending a Registration Office in person, in the Registration District in which you live. If you live in different districts, this would mean that you each attend a different Registration Office. The minimum period between giving notice of your intended partnership and when a ceremony can take place is fifteen clear days, and you can give notice up to twelve months before the date of your ceremony. It's therefore a good idea to give notice as soon as possible, which can be done in Leicestershire by making an appointment to attend one of our offices.

If a civil partnership is to be registered outside of the area of residence, you and your partner will still need to give notice in the area(s) where you live. When you each give notice, you will be asked to give the date and place where the civil partnership registration is to take place, so these details will need to have been first agreed with the local authority where the Registration is to be held.

If either party is not a national of the European Economic Area you must both attend a Designated Office – your local Register Office will be able to advise where the nearest office is located.

There is a fee per person for giving notice plus an additional charge for the ‘Forming a civil partnership’ at a Registration Office. If you choose to do this at an approved venue you will incur the cost for attendance by a civil partnership registrar plus a further charge by the owners of the building for the use of the premises.

Your residency status before giving notice
You both need to have lived in the area in which you wish to give notice for at least eight nights,  immediately before giving notice.
For example, if you arrive on Monday 1 May, the eight night period starts that night and the eighth night will be Monday 8 May. You can then give notice on Tuesday 9 May.
This applies to all including those travelling from overseas.

There is a 15-day waiting period once you have given notice of intention to register, before the civil partnership can be registered. In exceptional circumstances, where there are compelling reasons to do so, the 15-day waiting period may be reduced.

Civil partnerships can be registered at the residence of someone who is housebound, detained or seriously ill and not expected to recover.

There are also procedures which allow couples to form a civil partnership quickly in the cases of former spouses, one of whom has changed gender under the provisions of the Gender Recognition Act 2004.

If you would like more information on Civil Partnerships or would like make an appointment to give notice, please contact us on 0116 305 6565 or e-mail registration@leics.gov.uk

Original copies of all documents are required. Photocopies are not acceptable.

If either of you have been married or entered a civil partnership before you will need to bring documentary evidence that the marriage/civil partnership has ended and that you are free to marry: