Marriages and civil partnerships premises approval

You can apply to us for a ‘grant of approval’ to hold civil marriages and civil partnerships. The grant of approval will be valid for a minimum of 3 years.

Read guidance on conditions for applying – GOV.UK.

View a list of Portsmouth venues approved for civil ceremonies.

Application and fees

Before applying for approval, make sure you read the guidance on conditions for applying – GOV.UK.

To apply for a grant of approval, you need to provide:

a completed secular premises application form or religious premises application form
a plan of the building showing the area where ceremonies will be held, and any other documents stated on the application form
the fee

An approved premises licence costs £1500 for two rooms. Each additional room costs another £200.

This includes a full inspection by a Registration Officer and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service. Upon satisfactory completion of these inspections the licence will be issued for a period of 3 years less one day.

We’ll also place a public notice in the Portsmouth News.

Payment can be made by cheque (please make payable to Portsmouth City Council), with cash, or by debit or credit card.

For full details, read the guidance for registering a venue for civil marriage and civil partnership.