Age of consentThe age at which couples can form a civil partnership in Scotland still remains lower than that in England. Couples have to be 18 years in England without parental consent but in Scotland they have to be aged only 16 years or over on the day of their registration. Whilst love should always be the driving force it also means that you can protect your partners inheritance in secret without the family even knowing should anything happen to you.
ResidencyYou may only form a civil partnership in England and Wales if one of you has lived in a registration district for at least seven days immediately before giving notice. This applies to all couples, including those travelling from overseas.
There is no such residential qualification required for those marrying/registering their civil partnership north of the Border. Scotland thus has the competitive edge for British couples who do not wish to be bound by these regulations or for overseas couples who want to fly in and out of Scotland just for the ceremony.
NotificationWhat is the legal minimum Notice period?
You can submit your Notice Forms during the 3 months before your civil partnership. The legal minimum notice period is 29 days but leaving it this late is not advisable: if there is a problem, it may be necessary to postpone the event.Please submit your forms as soon as possible in the 3 months prior to your chosen date.The registrar will have to satisfy themself that you can legally form a partnership and will require birth certificates and any divorce papers etc., if you have been married or in a previous civil partnership.
For further information you should contact the Registrar who will be glad to guide you through the process. Leaflets are also available for download from the General Register Office for Scotland' official website. These include a list and the location of Registrars in Scotland.
VISASIf you are coming from outside the EU please ensure you apply for your visa in time! For more information and to check whether you require a visa visit the
Home Office website.
The Equality NetworkOver the last 15 years the
Equality Network
has worked hard to secure an equal age of consent, the repeal of Section 28, Gender Recognition, Civil Partnership, adoption and fostering rights, hate crime laws, and the Equal Marriage legislation (now passed), amongst other improvements to the lives of LGBT people in Scotland.