Having Your Civil Partnership Ceremony Abroad

The legal paperwork you need to perform a civil partnership ceremony abroad can seem confusing. There is a great deal of information online about where civil partnerships overseas can take place and be legally recognised here in the UK. A valid civil partnership location must be listed on Schedule 20 of the Civil Partnership Act, or fit other criteria outlined in the Civil Partnership Act.

Recognised countries and states are as follows:

• Andorra
• Australia - Tasmania
• Belgium
• Canada
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Iceland
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Spain
• Sweden
• United States - the states of...
• California
• Connecticut
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey
• Vermont

Each country and state has its own interpretation of a civil partnership (marriage, civil union etc), but as a rule, if a ceremony is considered legal in the country where the ceremony was performed it is assumed to be legal in the UK.

In some countries you will need to provide a Certificate of No Impediment or CNI. This is a certificate which confirms there are no objections to your proposed civil partnership. In most cases, if you live in the UK, you can obtain a CNI from your local register office. If you live overseas, you should contact your nearest British Embassy or consulate who will be able to provide you with details on how to apply for a CNI.

Following your civil partnership, you may also need to exchange the UK CNI for a Consular CNI at the British embassy. The CNI and other documents may also need to be legalised by the UK Legislation Office. You will receive a certificate of civil partnership from the country you hold the ceremony in, and can have your civil partnership documents deposited with the General Register Office as an official record, if you wish.

The local British Embassy’s website has specific information, and the marriage and civil partnerships abroad page also has useful advice.

For peace of mind and clarity, you should always contact a lawyer in the UK and the local authorities abroad.

Article by Lester Gethings

Image from Flickr by DerekGavey

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