Legal requirements for getting married in Scotland
Your quick, accurate guide to the legal side of marrying in Scotland — M10 forms, fees, the Marriage Schedule and more, reviewed by celebrant Maureen Kettle.
Scottish marriage law is refreshingly flexible — a celebrant can marry you almost anywhere — but there is still paperwork the law requires, and getting it right early saves an enormous amount of stress in the final weeks before your wedding. Local authority registrars are the experts on the legal side of getting married: your celebrant can point you in the right direction, but always take your definitive guidance directly from the registrars and National Records of Scotland. Here is a quick overview of what to expect.
Who can get married in Scotland?
Any two people can marry in Scotland, regardless of gender or where they live, as long as they are both at least 16 years old on the day of their marriage. (This minimum age is expected to rise from 16 to 18 at some point in the future.) If you are travelling from overseas and you are a non-UK national, you may be subject to immigration controls — you will need to complete a ‘Declaration of Status by Non-UK Nationals’ form and apply for a Marriage Visitor Visa.
Where and when can you get married?
Premises in Scotland do not need a licence for couples to marry there. Instead, the celebrant is authorised to conduct ceremonies almost anywhere, as long as the location is ‘safe and dignified’ — a castle or hotel, up a mountain, in a marquee on a farm, on a sandy beach, in a back garden, or even your own living room. For an outdoor wedding, remember to seek permission from the landowner. The location has to be specified on your M10 forms and Marriage Schedule, so you cannot decide to change where you are getting married on the day. There is no set time, either — you could have a morning wedding, an afternoon wedding, or a popular ‘twilight’ wedding where the ceremony rolls straight into a buffet and the party.
Who can legally marry you
In Scotland, your marriage can be legally solemnised by a humanist celebrant (authorised through a ‘belief body’ such as a humanist, pagan or interfaith organisation), a registrar employed by the local authority, a celebrant authorised through a belief body (where some religious elements may be included), or a religious minister or priest. One important thing to check: always ask a celebrant “can you legally marry us?” — because not all can. Some will write and deliver a beautiful ceremony but are not authorised to perform the legal part, which can mean paying an additional fee for a registrar to solemnise the marriage. Whether someone can legally marry you should be clear and transparent from the outset.
The Marriage Notice (M10 form)
Every couple must complete and submit an M10 Marriage Notice form. You each complete your own and submit them together to the registration office closest to your venue (not to where you live). There is a fee of £45 per person — £90, plus a £10 admin fee, so £100 in total — paid directly to the local authority. This is the same for every couple, whether it is a humanist ceremony, a religious ceremony, or one conducted by a registrar. Submit your notices around 10–12 weeks before your wedding: you cannot submit earlier than 12 weeks in advance, and the registrar must have your completed notices at least 29 days before the wedding, or you may not be able to have a legal ceremony. Giving 10–12 weeks lets the registrar check your notices and documents and confirm there is no impediment to the marriage.
Documents to submit with your M10
- Your birth certificate (or adoption certificate, if you were adopted)
- Evidence of your usual residence — for example, a utility bill dated within the last 3 months
- A valid passport or other document evidencing your nationality
- Photo ID (passport or driving licence)
- If you have been married before: a decree of divorce, dissolution or annulment. A decree granted outside Scotland must be absolute or final — a conditional order or decree nisi will not be accepted
- If you have been widowed: a copy of your former spouse’s death certificate
The Marriage Schedule
Once your notice has been accepted, you will be given an appointment to collect your Marriage Schedule in the week leading up to your wedding — you cannot collect it before then. One or both of you collect it in person; then keep it safe and bring it to the venue on the day, as it must be given to the person performing the marriage before the ceremony can take place. During, or immediately after, the ceremony the schedule is signed in permanent black fountain-pen ink by both of you, your celebrant, and your two witnesses. You then return the signed schedule to the same registrar within 3 days of the ceremony (that is 3 days, not working days) so the marriage can be registered. If you are heading straight off on honeymoon, someone else can hand it in on your behalf.
After the wedding
Once your marriage is registered, you can buy copies of your marriage certificate from the registrar: £10 if you buy within a month of registration, or £15 after that. If you need an urgent copy, tell the registrar when you collect your schedule. And there is no need to formally change your surname after marrying in Scotland — if you choose to use a new surname, most organisations will accept your marriage certificate as evidence of the change.
With thanks to Maureen Kettle of Humanist Ceremonies Scotland for reviewing and providing this guidance. Last reviewed: August 2026. Legal requirements can change, so always confirm the current details with National Records of Scotland (nrscotland.gov.uk) and your local registrar.