The government will not charge a fee for civil partners who wish to convert their unions into same sex marriage, it has announced.
Same sex couples currently in civil partnerships will be able to convert these to full marriages from December 10. The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act, which received Royal Assent last summer, contained provision for civil partners to convert their unions into marriage, but it will be one of the final elements of the legislation to be implemented.
Culture Secretary and Minister for Equalities Sajid Javid has now told MPs that the usual £45 fee will be waived for one year for any couple who entered a civil partnership before 29 March.
The Conservative Member for Bromsgrove told Parliament:
“We have rightly said that when people are converting civil partnerships into marriage, having entered into those partnerships before same-sex marriage was available, we will waive the fee. I think that that demonstrates the Government’s priorities.”
