Are you allowed to marry at 16 in the UK?

The legal minimum age to marry in the UK is 18. This applies across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It does not matter if you have parental consent, the law is clear that you must be 18 or over to marry. This changed in England and Wales in February 2023, so anyone aged 16 or 17 cannot legally marry, even with their parents' permission.

If you are under 18 and want to marry, you will need to wait until your 18th birthday. In the meantime, you can plan and save, but you cannot give legal notice or hold a ceremony that is legally binding. If you are already in a relationship and want to live together, that is a separate decision, but marriage itself is not possible until you are 18.

In Scotland, the minimum age is also 18. In Northern Ireland, the same applies. So across the whole UK, the answer is the same. If you have any doubts about your situation, check with your local register office. They can tell you exactly what applies where you live, because rules can change.