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Will it be accepted?

Foreign divorce decree for UK notice of marriage

What the register office guidance for England and Wales actually asks for when your divorce was granted abroad, including the detail most pages get wrong: the official wording asks for a translation, and it never says certified.

Every fact below links to its official source. Last checked 17 August 2026.

The short answer

The stated rule is proof of your foreign divorce plus "a translation of any documents that are not in English". The word certified is not in the official wording.

Your divorce papers

What the guidance asks for

  • Bring proof of your divorce, annulment or dissolution if it was granted outside the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man
  • If the decree is not in English, bring a translation of it. That one line is the entire stated translation rule
  • Expect a fee of £55 for the local register office to check your documents, or £83 if the General Register Office needs to check them

Source: GOV.UK, Documents you'll need to give notice

The rest of the appointment

Also bring, as originals

  • Details of your final ceremony venue, proof of your home address, proof of any name changes, and a valid passport or UK birth certificate
  • If either of you is from outside the UK: a passport sized photo for each of you and proof of your current immigration status
  • If your normal address is outside the UK, details of a UK contact address
  • Give notice at least 29 days before your ceremony, and hold the ceremony within 12 months of giving notice

Source: GOV.UK, Documents you'll need to give notice and Give notice pages

What the official wording does not say

The load-bearing line on GOV.UK is short: bring "a translation of any documents that are not in English". The guidance does not say who may translate, does not use the word certified, and does not mention sworn translators. It also does not say what happens at the appointment if a translation is missing or the registrar doubts it. The pages we checked never ask for your decree to be apostilled or legalised either.

In practice, many couples choose a certified translation anyway, because it carries the translator's signed confirmation and removes doubt on the day. That is a choice, not a stated requirement. GOV.UK's own general guidance on certifying documents adds: "Check with the organisation that needs the certified copy - they may have specific rules for who can certify a document." Your register office is that organisation, so if you want certainty, ask them before your appointment.

One more visa warning from the official guidance: you cannot give notice, get married or form a civil partnership on a Standard Visitor visa. If you give notice without the right visa, the Home Office will be told, may ask questions about you and your relationship, which can mean waiting up to 70 days, and might decide not to approve your notice. This page covers England and Wales.

  • £55

    Local register office check of your foreign divorce documents

  • £83

    If the General Register Office needs to check your documents instead

  • 29 days

    Minimum notice before your ceremony, which must be held within 12 months

If you choose a certified translation

The notice-of-marriage guidance asks only for "a translation". If you decide to remove doubt with a certified one, the UK government sets out exactly what the translator must confirm in writing on the translation:

  1. 1That it is a true and accurate translation of the original document
  2. 2The date of the translation
  3. 3The translator's full name and contact details
The translator confirms it is a true and accurate translation of the original document, and gives the date plus their full name and contact details. Wording from GOV.UK, Certifying a document.

Sources for this page

We only publish what an official source says, and we re-check these pages on a schedule. If a source changes, this page is reviewed before we rely on it again.

What it confirmsOfficial sourceChecked
The translation rule, foreign divorce proof and the £55 and £83 check feesGOV.UK, Documents you'll need to give notice21 Jul 2026
The 29 day notice period and the 12 month ceremony windowGOV.UK, Give notice21 Jul 2026
Visa rules and what happens if you give notice on the wrong visaGOV.UK, From outside the UK or Ireland21 Jul 2026
What a certified translation must say, and the check-with-the-organisation caveatGOV.UK, Certifying a document21 Jul 2026

This page is general information based on the official guidance linked above, as it stood on the date shown. It is not legal or immigration advice, and requirements can change. The decision on any application always rests with the receiving organisation, so confirm the current requirements with them before you apply. Lingo Service is not responsible for decisions made by third parties.

Related official requirements

More pages in this series, each quoting the receiving organisation's own published wording, plus the prices if you need the translation done.

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Common questions

Does the translation of my divorce decree need to be certified?

The official wording on GOV.UK asks only for "a translation of any documents that are not in English". It does not say certified, and it does not say who may produce the translation. Many couples choose a certified translation anyway because it removes doubt on the day, but that is a choice, not a stated rule. If you want certainty, ask your register office before your appointment.

Does my foreign divorce decree need an apostille or legalisation?

The official notice-of-marriage pages we checked never mention apostilles or legalisation, so there is no stated requirement to legalise your decree for the notice appointment. If another organisation asks you to legalise the same document, that is their own rule, so confirm it with them directly.

How much does the foreign divorce check cost?

GOV.UK states a fee of £55 for the local register office to check your foreign divorce documents, or £83 if the General Register Office needs to check them. The fee for giving notice itself is set locally and is not published in the GOV.UK guide, so ask your register office. Figures checked 21 July 2026.

Can I give notice on a Standard Visitor visa?

No. GOV.UK says you cannot give notice, get married or form a civil partnership on a Standard Visitor visa. If you give notice without the right visa, the Home Office will be told. It may ask questions about you and your relationship, which can mean waiting up to 70 days, and it might decide not to approve your notice.

Will my foreign divorce decree definitely be accepted?

No page can honestly promise that, and you should be cautious of any that does. What we can tell you is what the official guidance requires, with the source, so you can arrive at your appointment with exactly what GOV.UK asks for. The decision on your documents always rests with the registrar and, where needed, the General Register Office.