Marriage by Special Licence

Marriage by special licence is unusual and such a licence is only issued on the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury through the Faculty Office (refer to General Church Organisations in our Useful Resources section for the address).

This licence allows applicants to bypass both the residency qualifications and the 3 week notice period, and it allows a minister to perform the ceremony in an unlicensed location.

It is granted in few circumstances but these may include, for example, the terminal illness of one of the parties combined with their inability to leave hospital.

Marriage by Common Licence