Apply for a Domestic Partnership Licence

To have your domestic partnership formalised in Bermuda, you must meet the following criteria:

  • The parties are both 18 years and older
  • Neither party is currently married, or already in another domestic partnership (locally or overseas)
  • The relationship is not within the prohibited degrees of domestic partnership as set out in Schedule 1 of the Act; for example, a relationship between parent and child or between siblings
  • If the couple is in compliance with the conditions outlined in the Act, they, whether same-sex or heterosexual, can formalise their relationship as a domestic partnership

How to apply

These are the steps if you want to have a Domestic Partnership formalized in Bermuda:

  1. If two people intend to enter into a domestic partnership, one of them shall appear personally before the Registrar and give notice in the prescribed form of the intended domestic partnership.
  2. You have to submit a 
    Notice of Intended Domestic Partnership and Statutory Declaration (105.12 KB)

    form to the Registry General, along with any evidence that you are free to marry, and the required fee. 

  3. The Registry General will publish the Notice in the official gazette. 
  4. After a 15 day waiting period, the Registry General will issue a Domestic Partnership Licence to you and your intended partner (the licence will be valid for three months from the date of issue).
  5. For a local formalisation the Domestic Partnership Officer, who will perform the ceremony, must be in possession of the issued Licence for Domestic Partnership (Form DP8) prior to the ceremony.  This Licence must be collected from our office beforehand.  In the case of a Maritime formalisation, the Licence will be forwarded to the respective ship.  The Domestic Partnership Officer on the ship must be in possession of the Licence prior to the ceremony. 
  6. The formalisation of a domestic partnership must be performed by either a registered Domestic Partnership Officer or officiated by the Registrar General at the Registry General Office or one of the approved 24 alternate venues.
  7. Once the ceremony is completed, the Domestic Partnership Officer must complete a 
    Particulars of Domestic Partnership (97.84 KB)

     and send it to the Registry General so the details of the domestic partnership can be registered. If the ceremony is conducted by the Registrar General this form is automatically processed by the Registry General. 

  8. The Registry General will issue your Domestic Partnership Certificate within ten business days of receipt of the Particulars of Domestic Partnership. 

Fees

Domestic Partnership Licence: $338.00

Domestic Partnership Certificate when ordered:

  • Prior to the formalisation        $35.00
  • After the formalisation           $59.00

In the case of a refund, $58.00 is refundable for an unissued certificate (commonly referred to as licence).  If publications have not been made, $168 is refundable and $35.00 is refundable for the certificate. 
 
Special Domestic Partnership Licence Application Fee:       $30.00
Special Domestic Partnership Licence:                                  $678.00
Special Domestic Partnership Certificate:                              $35.00
Domestic Partnership Ceremony at the Registry General:     $245.00
Domestic Partnership Ceremony at any one of the 24 Alternate Venues      $450.00   
 

Persons not a resident in Bermuda may submit payment by credit or debit card or

wire transfer. Please Send us an email for wire information.

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