Converting your civil partnership

Step 1: apply to convert your civil partnership to a marriage or a marriage to a civil partnership

You, your partner or a wedding planner can apply to convert your civil partnership to a marriage or your marriage to a civil partnership.

When you convert your civil partnership to marriage, your civil partnership will no longer exist and you will be recognised as married from the date of your civil partnership.

When you convert your marriage to a civil partnership, your marriage will no longer exist and you will be recognised as being in a civil partnership from the date of your marriage, or from 2 April 2012 if your marriage was formed earlier than that date.

You will need to:

• provide all the required documents
• submit the documents no more than 12 months before the day you want to convert and no less than 3 days
• have lived at your place of residence, in Jersey or elsewhere, for at least seven days before you submit your application

If you apply in person and request a conversion declaration form at the same time, you can have conversion to marriage 3 days later.

You need to apply to the Superintendent Registrar (SIR) to convert your civil partnership or marriage in Jersey. You must be in a valid civil partnership or marriage that is recognised in Jersey law.

You both need to bring:

• your civil partnership or marriage certificate
• your passport
• a utility bill in both names dated within 3 months
  
• a standard birth certificate or adoption certificate

If you don't live in Jersey, you need to state on your application whether you're an EU, EEA or Swiss national. If you're not an EU, EEA or Swiss National, we'll give you a letter confirming your provisional booking for marriage. This means that you can then apply to the Home Office to get your marriage visa.

The application for conversion to marriage or civil partnership will cost £215.38.

Step 2: request a conversion declaration schedule

Once your application has been approved, you can be given a conversion schedule between 3 and 10 days before the day you want to convert.

To issue your conversion schedule, you and your partner need to visit us to:

• provide original or certified copies of the required documents that accompanied your application form
• sign a Signature Verifier Form
• sign a Declaration of Freedom to Convert to Marriage

We will then produce the conversion schedule and 2 copies of your marriage or civil partnership certificate.

Step 3: choose your type of conversion

You can choose how you want to convert. You can either have a full ceremony or sign the documents in the presence of the Superintendent Registrar (administrative conversion) at our office.

Organising a conversion ceremony

If you want a ceremony, you need to book the location and the marriage or civil partnership celebrant of your choice.

We will issue your conversion schedule and marriage or civil partnership certificates to your chosen celebrant.

The cost of issuing your conversion schedule is £323.07.

You, your partner and the celebrant will exchange vows and sign the conversion schedule and the marriage or civil partnership certificates. When you sign these certificates, you'll officially be married or civil partners. As you're already in a civil partnership or marriage, you don't need any witnesses.

After your conversion, the celebrant will give you 2 copies of the marriage or civil partnership certificate. The conversion schedule will be placed in the conversion register in the parish where your conversion took place.

Organising an administrative conversion

An Administrative Conversion is offered free of charge and does not include any ceremony.

If you want an administrative conversion, you and your partner need to do the following in the presence of the Superintendent Registrar:

• make your conversion vows to each other 
• sign the conversion schedule
• sign your marriage or civil partnership certificates

As this will be an administrative conversion, there is no ceremony and no guests are permitted.

Converted marriage or civil partnership in other countries

Not all countries recognise a converted marriage or civil partnership as a legal union. If you want to convert to marriage or civil partnership but are considering living or buying property abroad, you should seek legal advice in the relevant country. 

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