This information applies to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Before you get married, you will need to give notice to marry or register your civil partnership at a designated register office. All register offices in Scotland and Northern Ireland are designated offices, and there are 76 designated offices in England and Wales. For more information and a list of the designated register offices in England and Wales, contact the General Register Office.

You must attend the register office together in England and Wales.In Scotland and Northern Ireland, you can register by post - you do not have to go to the register office in person.

When you give notice to marry or register your civil partnership, you must bring evidence of your:

• names
• addresses
• ages
• 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 and give your certificate of approval to the registrar.

If you register in Scotland or Northern Ireland by post, you will need to photocopy the sticker in your passport and send the photocopy to the registrar with your marriage or civil partnership notice papers.

When you have given your notice to marry or register your civil partnership, you must wait for 15 days in England and Wales, or 14 days in Scotland and Northern Ireland, before you can get married or register your civil partnership. You can then have your wedding or civil partnership at any register office or approved premises.

Once married, your new wife must apply on a UK Border Agency form for leave (permission) to remain in the UK as a spouse. There are strict requirements that your wife will have to meet to satisfy the immigration authorities that the marriage is genuine and that she should be allowed to stay as a spouse. She will also have to show that she didn't intend to deceive the authorities when she entered the country as a student and that as a couple, you can support yourselves without help from the state once you get married. Permission to stay as your wife will initially be given for two years. Towards the end of the two year period she can apply to stay permanently.

UK immigration law is complex and getting it wrong has serious consequences. It is always advisable to consult a specialist adviser. To find out more see Help with immigration problems.

Other Frequently asked questions about immigration:

• Can I do a UK degree if I have a visitor's visa?
• Can I bring my overseas family to live in the UK?
• Can my family come to the UK to escape violence?