This
article should be read in conjunction with our articles on minimum
age and parental consent and prohibited marriages. If you have been married
before, you may also find our article on second
marriages helpful.
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Although not part of
the United Kingdom, The Isle of Man is a British Crown dependency
and is part of the British Isles. The British sovereign is head
of state under the title Lord of Man. The Isle of Man has been
included in our wedding guide due to its close links and proximity
to the United Kingdom.
The Isle of Man is an island of 227 square miles lying midway
between Northern Ireland and England in the Irish Sea. In 1994
its population was 72,000. The capital is Douglas. The coastline
is rocky and the scenery is varied and beautiful. The Isle of
Man is probably best known for its annual TT motorcycle road
races and for its tailless Manx cats. In 1765 the Isle of Man
became a British Crown dependency. It is governed by its own
legislature, the Tynwald, which is the oldest parliament in
the world. |
Any
two persons can marry in the Isle of Man subject to meeting the
following requirements: depending upon the type of licence applied
for, either one or both persons must have resided on the Isle
of Man for 15 days prior to giving notice to the Registrar; both
persons are at least 16 years of age; they are not related to
one another in a way which would prevent them from marrying;
they are unmarried (any person who has previously been married
must produce documentary evidence that the previous marriage
ended by death, divorce or annulment); they are not of the same
sex; they are capable of understanding the nature of marriage
and of consenting to marriage and the marriage would be regarded
as valid in any foreign country to which either party belongs.
You
can be married in the Isle of Man by either a religious ceremony
or by a civil ceremony. A religious marriage, whether Church
of England or non-Church of England, may be solemnised only by
a minister entitled to do so under the Civil Registration Act,
1984. A civil marriage may be solemnised only by a registrar
or an deputy registrar that has been authorised by the Chief
Registrar. Marriages can be performed between the hours of 7am
and 6pm.
Marriages
may be solemnised in any register office or in certain non-conformist
Churches in the Isle of Man by either certificate or by certificate
with licence.
For
marriages by certificate where you both reside in the same registration
district, one of you must give 21 clear days notice to the Registrar
of your marriage. If you live in different districts, you must
each give notice to the Registrar of the district in which you
live and one of you must be a resident in the district you wish
to get married. After the 21 day notice period, the Registrar
will issue a certificate of marriage to enable your marriage
to take place. The marriage must take place within three months
following the entry in the notice book. Both of you to have been
resident for at least 15 days before giving notice.
Marriage
by certificate and licence differs in that only one of you need
be resident in the district in which your marriage is to take
place for at least 15 days prior to giving notice to the Registrar.
Three clear days must elapse following the day on which notice
was given before the certificate with licence can be issued.
For
non-Church of England religious marriages, special arrangements
apply if there is no licenced building of the religious body
you belong to in your district. If this situation is applicable
to you, the advice of the Registrar in the registration district
in which you plan to marry should be sought.
If
you wish to get married in a church of the Church of England in the
Isle of Man, no reference to the civil Registrar is needed. All arrangements
are made by the vicar of the church in which your ceremony is to take
place. After your marriage has taken place, the vicar will notify
the Registrar of your marriage. The procedures for getting married
in a church of the Church of England are fully explained in the section
on Church
of England marriages.
When
you give notice of your intended marriage to the Registrar, you will
need to produce certain documents, for example, your birth certificate
if either of you are under 21 years of age. If you have been married
before, a decree absolute of divorce is required. If you are a widow
or widower, the death certificate of your former spouse should be
produced. If one of you is under 18 years of age, the written consent
of your parents is required. If you are domiciled outside the United
Kingdom, a certificate of no impediment to marriage is required stating
that you are free to marry. Should any of your documents be in a foreign
language, you will need to provide a certified translation in English.
If you are unable to provide any of the required documents, the registrar
will advise you what other documents are acceptable.
For
further information and advice about getting married in the Isle of
Man, please telephone the Civil Registry on +44 (0)1624-687039. Alternatively,
you can write to the Civil Registry at Deemsters Walk, Bucks Road,
Douglas, IM1 3AR, Isle of Man.
If you still have any unanswered questions about the legal requirements
of getting married on the Isle of Man, please post your question on
our Wedding Forum.
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