MARRIAGE LICENCE GUIDE · FOR COUPLES TRAVELLING FROM THE UK
Getting Married in New York from the UK
The question we hear most is “What do we do next?” This page answers it in order, from your first message to the certificate landing on your doormat.
We checked every step against official New York and UK guidance in October 2026. Rules can change, so confirm with the official links at the bottom of this page before you book flights.
What do we do next?
Step 1: Tell us your plans
Send us your travel dates, how many guests are coming and the places you’d love in your photos. We’ll come back with ceremony ideas and the package that fits.
Step 2: Choose your ceremony and package
See what’s possible in the city:
Step 3: Start your licence application online
Fill in the marriage licence application through the City Clerk’s online system, Project Cupid, then book your appointment. The online application expires after 21 days, so start it within three weeks of your appointment.
Book the appointment before you book flights. Walk-ins aren’t accepted, and the City Clerk is closed at weekends and on government holidays. Virtual appointments are only for couples who are physically in New York State, so most UK couples book an in-person slot for after they land.
Step 4: Collect your licence together in New York
You both need to attend. Bring:
A valid, unexpired passport for each of you. Passports from any country are accepted.
Your application confirmation number.
The $35 fee, by card or by money order made out to the City Clerk.
If either of you has been married before, the details of how that marriage ended. The clerk may ask for the certified decree.
You both need to be 18 or over.
Step 5: Wait 24 hours, then get married
Your ceremony must take place at least 24 hours after the licence is issued. The licence is usually valid for 60 days and can be used anywhere in New York State.
You need an officiant registered with the City of New York and at least one witness. You, your officiant and your witness sign the licence. On a Pop-Up Vows elopement, signing and filing the licence is included.
Step 6: Your certificate arrives
Your officiant returns the signed licence to the City Clerk within five business days. Your Certificate of Marriage Registration is then posted to you, so allow extra time for post to the UK.
Will our marriage count in the UK?
Yes, as long as it’s legal where it took place. UK guidance says a marriage abroad is recognised in the UK when it was carried out under the law of that country.
There’s no need, and no way, to register it again in England. That’s why it’s worth ordering a couple of extra certificates.
GOV.UK: Getting married abroad
Do we need an apostille?
Only if the organisation receiving your certificate asks for one. An apostille confirms a document is genuine for use abroad. If you’re asked for one:
Order an extended certificate from the City Clerk. The standard certificate can’t be apostilled. It’s $35 by post, plus $30 for each extra copy.
Have it authenticated by the Manhattan County Clerk ($3).
Get the apostille from the New York State Department of State ($10), naming the United Kingdom as the destination.
We’re not lawyers, and this isn’t legal advice. If you’re unsure, ask whoever will receive your certificate what they accept.
Timing tips for your trip
Book your licence appointment first, then your flights.
Leave at least one full working day between your licence and your ceremony.
Avoid weekends and US public holidays for your licence appointment. This matters at Christmas and New Year.
Bring your original passports, not copies.
Help and official links
Everything in this guide comes from these pages. If something on Project Cupid isn’t working, the City Clerk’s FAQs and NYC 311 are the places to check.
Getting married on Long Island instead?
Long Island has its own licence process. You apply together at a town or city clerk’s office rather than the NYC City Clerk, and the fee is $40. Opening hours and appointment rules vary by town, so call ahead.
The basics are the same as in the city: passports, at least 24 hours before the ceremony, and 60 days to use the licence. A New York State licence is valid anywhere in the state, so one from the NYC City Clerk works for a ceremony on Long Island too.
We plan Long Island elopements and small weddings across Nassau and Suffolk, the Hamptons and the North Fork.
Visiting South Florida too?
Pop-Up Vows is based in Delray Beach, and we plan elopements and small weddings across South Florida: Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.
Florida has its own marriage licence rules, so a Florida wedding is a separate plan from New York. Our South Florida pages cover packages, locations and licence guidance.
Ready for your next step?
Tell us your dates and what you have in mind. We’ll take it from there.
Checked against official sources in October 2026. General information, not legal advice.