Registering births / marriages / partnerships / deaths

  • To register births, deaths and marriages for individuals who are born, married, or die within the Oldham Borough.

  • A birth must be registered in the register office for the district where the baby was born within 42 days.

  • A death must be registered in the district where it occurred and should be registered within 5 days. However, if the death needs to be reported to the Coroner the registration will be delayed until the Coroner is satisfied the death can be registered and issue his notification to the registrar. See

  • Guidance relating to the marriage of Refugees and Asylum Seekers is complex. It is requested that a Refugee or Asylum Seeker seeking to arrange a marriage in Oldham contacts the Registrars Office in the first instance for advice.

Access/Criteria

Refugees and Asylum seekers would be required to register births and deaths. Provision for AS&R

Any refugee or asylum seeker seeking to register a birth or death in the Borough of Oldham can access this service.

Language provision

No language provision is provided by the service.

Further Notes

Civil Marriages for Non-European Area Nationals

British citizens, EEA and foreign nationals who have been given the right of abode in the UK or who are members of visiting forces from NATO and Commonwealth countries, or who are diplomats are not subject to immigration control can give notice in their district of residence (rather than at a designated office) will need to give at least 28 days notice of marriage.

If you and/or your future husband, wife or civil partner are both in the UK but at least one of you is subject to immigration control, you will need to give notice together to marry or register your civil partnership with a registrar at a ‘designated office’. There are 76 designated register offices in the UK. The closest of these is in Manchester (see address below), but locally you could also go to Blackburn, Leeds or Liverpool.

When you give notice to marry or register your civil partnership, you must bring evidence of your names, addresses, ages and nationalities. If you have been married or registered before, you will need to show evidence that you are now free to marry or register a civil partnership. From the 2nd March all forthcoming marriages involving a foreign national will be subject to referral to the Home Office and delays of up to 70 days possible before a date for a marriage can be arranged.

The Registrar’s Office,
Heron House,
47 Lloyd Street,
Manchester
M2 5LE.

If you or your partner is entering the country to marry or enter into a civil partnership, you/they must have an entry clearance granted expressly for the purpose of marriage or civil partnership in the UK. Entry clearance is the granting of permission to enter the UK by an Entry Clearance Officer in the British Embassy/High Commission in the person’s country. It will usually be shown as a marriage / civil partnership / fiancée visa in the person’s passport or travel document. Any one entering the country without having obtained this before entering the UK will be subject to the Home Office Referral Scheme and possible delays as mentioned above.

People who are exceptions to this are those who:

  • are a British citizen; or
  • are a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, or the family member of a national of the EEA who has the right of residence in the UK; or
  • have a certificate of entitlement in their passport, giving them the right to live in the UK; or
  • are not subject to immigration control.

Registration officers have a statutory duty to report any marriage or civil partnership they suspect has been arranged for the sole purpose of evading statutory immigration controls.

Please note: the minimum legal age for getting married or forming a civil partnership in England and Wales is 16 years of age, but written consent will be required for anyone under 18.

Marriage in places of worship other than Church of England: other Christian Churches, Mosques and Hindu Temples

In the first place, approach the minister, priest or imam. If s/he is willing to conduct the ceremony s/he will direct you to the Registrar of Marriages but first go to http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/while-in-uk/marriageandcivilpartnership/ for more details about the process.

Most places of worship are authorised to allow a marriage to be recognised as a legal marriage under English Law. Please contact the Registrars Service for a full list of all of the religious buildings authorised in Oldham.

Marriage in the Church of England – Diocese of Manchester

  • Marriages in a Church of England Church can normally be arranged by the minister of the church by calling banns and couples should first approach the minister for advice. However there will be occasions when the minister will not call banns and will advise the couple to give notice of marriage at their local register office instead and they will be subject to the Home Office Referral Scheme.
  • From the 2nd March 2015 Marriages in a Church of England Church involving a foreign national will need to give notice of marriage at a designated register office.
  • For a couple to get married in a Church of England Church the couple would normally live in the church parish, alternatively it should be the usual place of worship of the bride or groom or they must have a family connection to the church. Couples should be advised to contact the minister.
  • The priest will spend one or more sessions preparing the couple for marriage. S/he will be following the advice of the Diocesan Registrar in the legal procedures, including in the marriage of divorced persons, if applicable.
  • The couple should not fix their wedding date until the priest has assured them that all legal requirements have been met. The basic fee for a C of E wedding itself in 2013, without extras, is £381. As an alternative, a priest can also arrange a Service of Prayer and Dedication after a civil marriage, for which all that is required is a marriage certificate. This is free, although a donation would no doubt be welcome.

UKBA publishes useful information for those who wish to pursue citizenship at http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/britishcitizenship/eligibility/