A CHURCH OF ENGLAND WEDDING

2. Marriage by Common License 

Getting married by Common License is a method that is intended for marriages between two foreign nationals or between a foreign national and a British citizen. It is also recommended for temporary parish residents. The application is submitted via the Church Minister to the Bishop of the Diocese in which the marriage is to take place.

A few points to note.

• Whilst recommended for temporary parish residents, at least one partner must have lived in the parish for at least 15 days prior to the application for the license.

• To meet the residential requirements, the residency must be bona fide. If it discovered that you have simply left some clothes at a friends house or booked into a hotel for fifteen days so that you can apply to marry in a Church in that parish, there is a possibility that the license will not be issued or that the vicar will refuse to solemnise the marriage.

• Outside of the intended purposes of the Common License (mentioned above), there must be a good reason for requesting one - one partner working abroad preventing the publication of the banns, or a valid slip-up in the reading of the banns are two such examples.

• At least one partner must have been baptised for the couple to be married by Common License.

• Common Licences are quicker to arrange than banns, but more expensive. Banns do not need to be read and once approved by the Diocesan Bishop, only one full day’s notice is needed before the ceremony can take place.

• A Common License will expire three months after the date of issue.