If you get married abroad you generally cannot register your marriage in your country of residence.
This however does not mean that your marriage is not legally valid and your foreign marriage certificate will usually be accepted for official purposes.
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Registering your Marriage in the United Kingdom
From 1 January 2014, you will no longer be able to deposit foreign marriage or civil partnership documents with the General Register Office (GRO).
Please note that there is no legal requirement to deposit your foreign marriage or civil partnership certificate with the GRO, or to have your marriage/civil partnership recorded in the UK. The deposit of a foreign certificate does not make the marriage legal in the UK, nor does it ‘recognise’ the marriage as a valid one.
The validity in UK law of a marriage or civil partnership contracted in a foreign country is in no way affected by its having been, or not having been, recorded in the UK.
If your certificate is in a foreign language you will need to provide an official translation from a recognised translation agency along with your marriage certificate if it is to be used for official purposes.
If you deposited your certificate prior to 1 January 2014, you will still be able to obtain a copy from the relevant GRO, for a fee. Details on how to do this are available on the GOV.UK website
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Registering your Marriage in Ireland
If you have had your wedding abroad your marriage will not normally be registered in Ireland. However, it will be recognised in Ireland provided it is entered on the civil register of the country where the ceremony took place and all legal formalities have been followed. Your foreign marriage certificate will usually be accepted for official purposes.
If your certificate is in a foreign language you will need to provide an official translation from a recognised translation agency along with your marriage certificate.
Please note: The above information is in respect of UK and Irish citizens. Although much care and attention has been taken to ensure the above information on registering your marriage is correct please do not take it as legal advice.
