You are entitled to get married if you are single, widowed or divorced and you meet the age requirements.
A marriage can take place at a register office, at a building approved for civil marriage or in a religious building registered for the solemnisation of marriage.
If you are currently in a same-sex civil partnership registered in England, Wales or Scotland, you could convert it into a marriage. From 7 December 2020, for 3 years, this will also be possible in Northern Ireland. If you do this, you will be issued with a marriage certificate, which will show the marriage as existing from the date of your civil partnership.
In England, Wales or Northern Ireland, there are 2 ways to convert your same-sex civil partnership:
The conversion can take place at a wide range of approved premises such as hotels, stately homes and religious premises which have been registered for the marriage of same-sex couples. You will have to pay a fee for the conversion depending on when and how you do it.
For more information on the legal requirements of getting married, see: The law on getting married
The minimum age at which you can get married varies, depending on where you live:
There are many things to consider before getting married, such as:
In this section of the law guide, we explore all of these issues relating to getting married. Click on the links on the left hand side of the page to find out more information on all of these topics relating to your marriage.