What corrections can be made
Only when the information in a marriage or civil partnership registration is incorrect (for example, a mistake was made while entering a person’s employment) can corrections be made.
If your circumstances change after the marriage or civil partnership, you cannot request for a revision to display new facts.
You’ll need to determine if the error occurred at the original registration or only on the certificate.
Contact the registration office in the region where your marriage or civil partnership was recorded for further information. Even if your ceremony was held somewhere else, you must contact the registration office.
Apply to correct a mistake
Rectification can be requested by any of the two persons who are married or entered a civil partnership.
If the mistake is only on the marriage or civil partnership certificate
You can obtain a new copy of the certificate if the information in the register is valid and a mistake was made when copying the information from the register onto the certificate.
If the mistake is in the original registration
Even if the ceremony was conducted elsewhere, you must apply to the registration office in the region where the marriage or civil partnership registration was recorded.
The application fee is £90.
To find out how to mail your application and pay, contact the registration office.
To amend data on a marriage or civil partnership registration, fill out the application form and send it to the register office.
The registry will always display the original information. A remark will be added to the register’s margin when the adjustment has been approved. This will clarify what is correct information and when it was corrected.
Before making any changes to a marriage or civil partnership record, the General Register Office (GRO) must approve them.
Proving the record is wrong
Original or verified documentation demonstrating what the right information should have been at the time of the marriage or civil partnership are required.
Send them to the local registration office where the marriage or civil partnership registration was completed. They’ll then send copies to the GRO. This ensures that your original documents do not get misplaced in the mail.
The paperwork had to be valid at the time of the wedding or civil partnership, or shortly before. To submit a correction to an entry, you cannot utilize papers from after the date of the marriage or civil partnership.
You can send in the following documents:
- passport
- photocard driving licence
- bank, building society or credit card statement dated within 3 months before the marriage or civil partnership
- letter from a hospital or doctor
- letter from a government department
If you do not request a return of the certified copies that were supplied with the application, they will be destroyed.
How long do applications take
The length of time it takes to complete an application is unknown. It may take up to 25 days to receive a response.
After the correction has been approved
When the GRO approves the adjustment, you’ll be notified.
After that, you may purchase a new marriage or civil partnership certificate that includes both the original and amended information.
Contact the registration office where your marriage or civil partnership took place for further information about requesting for a correction.