You must submit your civil partnership notices early enough for the registrar to be satisfied that both parties are legally free to enter into a civil partnership. Notices should be submitted about 10-12 weeks before the Civil Partnership.

The minimum period is 29 days before the date of the proposed Civil Partnership, but if you leave things as late as this, you may need to postpone your Civil Partnership.

Only in exceptional circumstances will the Registrar General authorise a Civil Partnership to take place if 29 days' notice has not been given.

Civil Partnership notices can usually be submitted in person during our walk-in hours at Falkirk Registration Office:

• Monday - Friday
• 10:00am - 12:30pm
• 1:30pm - 4:00pm

If one or both parties are not British citizens, we advise booking an appointment to submit your Civil Partnership notices. This allows the registrar to check the specific documentation required for your nationality and immigration status and helps prevent delays.

Notice forms cannot be accepted by email.

When to submit

• Submit your notice 10–12 weeks before your civil partnership.
• The legal minimum is 29 days, but leaving it this late may cause delays.
• Only in exceptional cases will the Registrar General allow less than 29 days' notice.

You can submit your notice:

In person

Falkirk Registration Office
Falkirk Library
Hope Street
Falkirk
FK1 5AU

Walk-in hours

Monday – Friday
10am – 12:30pm
1:30pm – 4pm

By post

Send to the same address above.

Include photocopies of required documents (not originals). Originals will be checked later in person.

Include your contact details (UK phone number and email) for payment and queries. Cheques/postal orders should be payable to Falkirk Council.

Notices cannot be accepted by email.

When submitting your notice, you both must provide:

• Completed Partnership Notice Form (CP10)
• Birth certificate
• Passport
• Proof of address (e.g., utility bill, bank statement, council tax bill, UK driving licence)
• If previously married/in a civil partnership: divorce/dissolution decree
• If widowed: spouse's death certificate
• Non-UK nationals: Declaration of Status Form
• Witness Form
• Certified English translations for non-English documents

These documents must be given to the registrar before the civil partnership. If time is getting short it is better to give notice and pass the documents to the registrar when they become available.

If you visit Scotland to get married or register a civil partnership and are a national of a country outside the UK, you will need an entry clearance. The application form is available on the GOV.UK website.

Please check the UK Visas website if you intend to come to the UK to get married or have a civil partnership and settle here. If you have any questions, please contact the UK Border Agency Immigration Enquiry Bureau.

Registrars must report suspected partnerships intended to evade immigration laws.