Special Licence

Special Licence

The Archbishop of Canterbury has the right to grant a Special Licence for a marriage to take place at any convenient time or place in England or Wales. The issue of a Special Licence is discretionary.

The most common circumstances where a Special Licence is required are where the parties wish to be married in a church or chapel of a parish where neither party has a ‘qualifying connection’ within the meaning of the Church of England Marriage Measure 2008.

Alternatively the parties may wish to be married elsewhere than in a building which is authorised for marriage according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, for example, a school or college chapel, or in a church building which is no longer in use for public worship.

Enquiries about a Special Licence should be made to:

The Faculty Office, 1 The Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3JT

Tel: 0207 222 5381

Email: faculty.office@1Thesanctuary.com.

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