Essex.gov.uk
Death registration
We are offering telephone appointments for death and stillbirth registrations.
Birth registration
We are now offering appointments to register all babies.
We are currently experiencing very high levels of demand. Appointment availability is updated continuously on our online system, so if there are no appointments available, please do not call us, please continue to check the booking system.
Ceremonies
Ceremonies of marriage and civil partnership formations can now take place.
We are accepting new bookings for ceremonies of marriage and civil partnership formations from Monday 20 July 2020. Please note that we are experiencing a very high volume of calls; please bear with us during this time.
If you have an existing booking that was made prior to 23 March 2020, please do not call us. For all existing bookings up to 31 October 2020, we will proactively contact customers in priority date order.
For Essex Register Office ceremonies, maximum attendance is 7 until further notice. This includes the couple, two registrars and two witnesses.
At community venues and approved venues, up to 30 individuals can attend the ceremony. This includes the couple, two registrars, two witnesses and any staff such as photographers. Couples will need to contact their venue to understand how many the venue can accommodate, while observing social distancing.
Receptions are not currently allowed to take place.
We will continue to update this page with service information.
Notice of marriage or civil partnership
We are now offering notice appointments for all couples who have ceremonies booked and due to take place before 1 January 2021 and who need to give notice so that their ceremony can proceed.
Keep up to date
Please check our coronavirus update page before calling about registrations. This will be updated as soon as any new information is available.
Register a stillbirth
When to register a stillbirth
If your baby was born after the 24th week of pregnancy but did not breathe or show any signs of life, you will need to register a stillbirth.
This gives parents an opportunity to have their child officially acknowledged and have their name recorded.
This has to happen before you’re able to have a burial or cremation for your baby.
If your baby was born before 24 weeks and showed no signs of life, this is legally classed as a miscarriage, and you do not need to register it.
If your baby showed signs of life after birth and then died you will need to register this as a birth and a death within five days.
Print this page