Marriage in the Isle of Man

The procedures for Marriage in the Isle of Man [1] are similar to those in England and Wales but instead of the general division between religious and non-religious marriages the distinction is made more between Church of England (CoE) marriages and other marriages. The use of "approved places" for non-CoE marriages is not provided for.

Age Requirements

The minimum age for marriage is 16 years and parental permission is required to married below 18 years.

Notifying an Intended Marriage

One of the parties must have had at least 15 days residence in the registration district where the marriage is to take place; after this they must attend the Registration Office and sign a "Notice of Marriage" which is made available for public inspection. If no objection is raised within three working days then a "Registrar's Certificate With Licence" is issued and the marriage can take place.

If both parties have already been resident in the Registration District for 15 days then the marriage can be by "Certificate without Licence" but the Notice of Marriage must be available to the public for 21 working days before it is issued.

If both parties have been resident on Mann for 15 days in different Registration Districts then a Notice of Marriage must be given to both Registrars. One of them must reside in the district where the marriage is to take place. A Registrar's Certificate without Licence will then be issued once the notices have been open for public inspection for 21 working days.

Registrars' Certificates are valid for three months from the date of giving notice.

Marriage on the Isle of Man applies only to heterosexual unions, although same-sex civil partnerships are legal.