Converting a civil partnership to marriage

You can convert your civil partnership into a marriage. You’ll get a marriage certificate, dated when your civil partnership was formed.

There are two ways to convert a civil partnership into a marriage

  • a one stage administrative process called a 'standard conversion' 
  • a two stage process where the conversion is followed by a ceremony

The standard conversion

This is a one stage administrative process where you will both attend an appointment at a register office of your choice located in England and Wales to complete a declaration with details about you/partner and your civil partnership. The documents that you will need to produce include:

  1. evidence of your name and date of birth - current passports or birth certificates
  2. evidence of your address – local office will advise which documents are acceptable
  3. an original civil partnership certificate

A legal declaration will then be drawn up for you to both sign with the Superintendent Registrar.

If you wish you can choose to say the declaration wording aloud to one another before signing the conversion document. Your marriage is then registered and a marriage certificate will be issued.

There is a charge of £11 for each marriage certificate.

A conversion followed by a ceremony

There are two stages to this type of conversion. The first part is where you will both need to attend an appointment at a register office of your choice located in England and Wales to prepare your declaration and for the Superintendent Registrar to check details about your civil partnership and evidence of identity and nationality. There is a fee for this process of £27. The documents that you will need to produce include

  • evidence of your name and date of birth - current passports or birth certificates
  • evidence of your address - local office will advise which documents are acceptable
  • an original civil partnership certificate

The signing of the declaration can then be followed by a ceremony at venues where same-sex couples are able to marry. For example:

  • Register Office
  • approved premises
  • religious buildings that are registered for the marriage of same-sex couples

Following the ceremony, your marriage is registered, and a marriage certificate can then be issued.

A fee will be chargeable for the ceremony. This fee will be advised by our Ceremonies Office.