From 16 December 2014, couples in a civil partnership registered in Scotland will be able to change their civil partnership to a marriage in Scotland if they wish.
If you do decide to change your civil partnership to a marriage, there are two ways you can do this.
If you propose to use the administrative route, the first thing you should do is make an appointment with the registrar for the date on which you want the change to take place. You should then complete sections 1-12 of the prescribed application form with details of each party to the marriage being entered in one of the two columns on the form. You will also be given the opportunity at section 10 to determine what designation you want to appear on the marriage register and any marriage certificate i.e. Bride, Bridegroom or No designation.
When you attend the registration office, you will be expected to provide your civil partnership extract certificate and photographic evidence of your ID e.g. passport, driving licence etc. You will then sign the application form at section 13 in the presence of each other and the registrar. The registrar will prepare an entry in the marriage register and you can then obtain a marriage certificate at £10 per copy.
Alternatively, you can change your civil partnership to marriage by having a civil, religious of belief system ceremony. For more information about how to organise your ceremony please see Marriage in Scotland leaflet RM1.
Under both routes described above your marriage will be recognised in law as having started on the date you registered your civil partnership and, if you obtain a marriage certificate, it will state that your marriage is legally recognised as having started on that earlier date.
If you decide to have a marriage ceremony, the usual fees apply and the registrar will be happy to give you a price list.
If you decide on the administrative route the cost will depend on when you registered your civil partnership and when you choose to change it to marriage. Only if your civil partnership was registered before the new law comes into effect on 16 December 2014, and you choose to change to marriage within a year, i.e. before 16 December 2015, there will be no charge. If you want a copy of the marriage certificate you will have to pay a £10 charge.