Marriage and civil partnership

Arranging a ceremony

Information on venues, legal requirements and documentation required etc.

Marriage

Any two persons, regardless of sex, may marry on the Isle of Man.

If you are in a civil partnership which was registered in the Isle of Man, you can now convert it to a marriage on the Island. 

Ceremonies can take place at

  • a religious building solemnized for marriages
  • the Civil Registry
  • a registration office
  • an Approved Place or a place granted consent by the Registrar General

Civil Partnership

The Isle of Man is the only place within the British Isles where same sex and opposite sex couples can both enter into civil partnerships. Couples who register a civil partnership will acquire the legal status of 'civil partners' and gain similar rights and responsibilities to those of a married couple.

Any two persons, regardless of sex, can register a civil partnership provided they are not legally married, already in a civil partnership or come under the prohibited degrees of relationship. The minimum age to register a civil partnership on the Isle of Man is 16. If you are aged 16 or 17, you will need to provide written proof of consent to the registration from your parent(s) and/or guardian(s). If your parents are divorced, we may also need to see the Court Order granting custody to one of them.

Unlike a marriage, there is no legal requirement to have a ceremony or speak aloud any contractual words. A civil partnership must be registered in the presence of a Registrar and a minimum of two witnesses. If you wish to celebrate the occasion with family and friends, you can have a ceremony at the Civil Registry, a registration office, an Approved Place or place granted consent of the Chief Registrar. It is possible to convert your civil partnership to a marriage at a later date if you wish.

Please Note:

An Isle of Man opposite-sex Civil Partnership provides for such recognition in the Island. The recognition of an opposite sex Civil Partnership elsewhere will depend on the approach that jurisdiction's legal system takes to questions of civil status. In England & Wales the Civil Partnership Act 2004 only recognises same sex civil unions. An Isle of Man opposite sex civil partnership would not therefore be recognised in England and Wales as a Civil Partnership. If you require any clarification on the validity of an Opposite Sex Civil Partnership where you are domiciled, you should seek legal advice.

Any person who wilfully gives false information to the Registrar relating to the particulars to be entered in any register is liable to prosecution, and on conviction, to the punishment prescribed by law.

See also - related legislation