Marriage.

What is the legal age for marrying in the UK?

In England and Wales people cannot marry if they are aged 16 or 17 and do not have parental consent. (In the UK, the age of sexual consent for women is 16). In Scotland both parties must be at least 16 years of age (parental consent is not required). A marriage can take place in:

• a Register Office.
• a church of the Church of England, Church in Wales, Church of Ireland, Presbyterian or Roman Catholic Church in N. Ireland.
• a synagogue or any other private place if both partners are Jewish.
• any other religious building provided that the person marrying the couple is registered by the Registrar General.
• premises approved by the local authority.
• a place where one partner is seriously ill and not expected to recover.
• the home of one of the partners if the partner is housebound, for example, has serious disabilities or is agoraphobic.
• a hospital, if one of the partners is unable to leave or is detained there as a psychiatric inpatient.
• a prison, if one partner is a prisoner.