Registering a civil partnership
Introduction
Under the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010 same-sex couples can register their relationship as a civil partnership. The Registrar-General is obliged to maintain a register of civil partnerships, a register of decrees of dissolution of civil partnerships and a register of nullity of civil partnerships. The registration rules and processes are broadly similar to those for the registration of a civil marriage, annulments of marriage and divorce.
To register your civil partnership, you require a Civil Partnership Registration Form (CPRF) from a Civil Registrar. The Registrar issues the CPRF when you give your 3 months’ notification to the Registrar. You can give your 3 months’ notification to the Registrar for a different district to the district where you will be registering your civil partnership.
Rules
Civil partnerships may simply be registered. There is no necessity to have a civil partnership ceremony, unlike marriages which require a marriage ceremony. Civil partners may choose to have a ceremony and, if they do, the requirements are similar to those that apply to civil marriage ceremonies.
You should approach the Civil Registrar for the district in which you intend to register your civil partnership for information on how to proceed. There is no requirement to live in the district where you want to get registered.
Venue
A civil partnership ceremony can be held in the Civil Registrar’s office or some other venue that is approved by the Registrar. The Registrar will also have to be available to register the civil partnership.
If you want to hold the ceremony in a venue other than the Registrar’s office you should contact the Civil Registration Office for the district the venue is located in to arrange to have it approved. This may involve the Registrar inspecting the venue.
Venues such as marquees, private dwellings or the open air are not acceptable. The guidelines for venues are available on the General Registrar's website. To ensure the venue is approved in time for your civil partnership ceremony, you should arrange for the approval well in advance of notifying the Registrar.
There will be an additional fee for a civil partnership ceremony held in a venue other than the Registrar’s office.
Civil Partnership Registration Form
If you fulfill the 3 months’ notification requirements and there is no impediment to you entering into a civil partnership, the Registrar will issue you with a Civil Partnership Registration Form (CPRF) giving you permission to register your civil partnership. You should give the CPRF to the Registrar who will be registering the civil partnership before the civil partnership ceremony. In practice, if the Registrar issuing the CPRF will also be registering the civil partnership, the Registrar will keep the form.
Immediately after the ceremony, the CPRF should be signed by you and your partner, the 2 witnesses and the Registrar. The Registrar will register the civil partnership with the information on the CPRF as soon as possible after the ceremony.
Civil partnership registration
Civil partnership registration must be performed by the Registrar in the presence of 2 witnesses aged 18 or over. During the registration you and your intended partner must make 3 declarations:
- That you do not know of any impediment to your civil partnership,
- That it is your intention to live with and support your partner
- That you accept your intended partner as a civil partner
Interpretive services
If you, your intended partner or either of the 2 witnesses does not have sufficient knowledge of the language in which the civil partnership registration is being held to understand what is being said, then the services of an interpreter must be provided. It is your responsibility to provide the services.
Rates
There is no fee charged for the registration of a civil partnership, or for the correction of errors on a civil partnership certificate. Fees are charged for copies of certificates.
There is a fee for a civil partnership ceremony held in a venue other than the office of the Registrar.
A certificate is issued for social welfare purposes at a reduced cost. Evidence that it is for social welfare purposes is required, such as a note from the Department of Social Protection.
The fees charged for a certificate are as follows:
- €10 for a full standard certificate (€8 per extra copy)
- €1 for a full, short copy (for social welfare purposes)
- €6 for an uncertified copy of an entry in the Register (€4 per extra copy)
How to apply
To arrange a date for the registration of your civil partnership, you should contact the Civil Registrar for the district where you intend entering into a civil partnership.
To obtain a copy of a civil partnership certificate you should contact any Civil Registration Office, specifying the exact date and place of the civil partnership registration and the names of the 2 civil partners.
You can also apply online for a copy of a certificate.
Where to apply
Contact details for your local Civil Registrar are available from your Local Health Office in the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Language
Related Documents
- Civil marriage ceremonies
Getting married by Civil Ceremony (in a Registry Office) in Ireland, including notification of the Registrar. - Notification requirements for civil partnership
Outlines the three months' notification procedure which both parties to a civil partnership must fulfil in order to be legally entitled to enter into a civil partnership. - Religious marriage ceremonies
Procedure for getting married by the rites and ceremonies of a number of different religions in Ireland. (Includes information on marriage by licence, after the banns or by Registrar's Certificate).
Contact Us
If you have a question relating to this topic you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service on 0761 07 4000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm) or you can visit your local Citizens Information Centre.