Book a Notice of Civil Partnership Appointment
You can only provide notice of civil partnership for a Register Office, Approved Venue or Registered Building within England or Wales.
If you are legally being married or forming a civil partnership abroad please email your details and contact telephone number to
civil.registration@bedford.gov.uk
The place of formation is venue specific and you must know where you are forming your civil partnership before you book your appointment. If you change your venue after providing notice then new notices including the waiting period and fees are applicable.
We suggest that you provisionally book your venue before making an appointment for your notice unless you are subject to a Home Office referral or have a Foreign Divorce that requires clearance.
If either or both or you are subject to Home Office Referral your notice period may increase to 70 days. Please therefore ensure you have provided enough time for any investigations to be completed.
If you, your partner or both have a Foreign Divorce that requires clearance there will be a consideration fee to pay of either £55.00 or £83.00 per divorce. Your formation cannot proceed until your Foreign Divorce has been approved.
A notice of civil partnership can be taken by law up to 12 months in advance of your formation but must be completed at least 29/70 days before your formation. We suggest that you book your appointment 3-4 months before your formation date. Your notice will expire after 12 months.
Please do not book an appointment to give notice more than twelve months prior to the formation.
You can only provide notice of civil partnership in Borough Hall if you reside in Bedford Borough.
You can check whether your address is within Bedford Borough here.
If you live outside of Bedford Borough please contact your local Register Office for an appointment. You can find your local Register Office here.
Please bring the correct documentation to your appointment. Each party is required to provide proof of their name, age, address and nationality. You can find a the list of documents you will need to give notice.
You will be charged a non-refundable booking fee of £46.50 per person giving notice at the end of this process. If your notice is required to be referred to the Home Office there will be an additional £16.50 charge per person to pay at your appointment.
Please bring a debit/credit card with you.
If you are not a British or Irish national you must bring evidence of your current immigration status to the appointment (for example your visa). If you have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme you will need to bring confirmation of your status. You can obtain your share code from the ‘view and prove your immigration status’ service (the code will be valid for 30 days – Please generate this before the appointment).
If one or both of you are Foreign Nationals you must each bring a passport size photo to your appointment.
If you attend the wrong building, are late or do not have the required documentation / photographs you will not be able to provide your notices, will not receive a refund of any monies paid and will be required to book another appointment and pay the booking fee again.
If you are unsure or require extra assistance please forward details of your query along with your contact telephone number by email to
civil.registration@bedford.gov.uk
The booking system can take a few seconds to load each question.