UK to use share codes for marriage checks from 25 Feb

Planning a wedding or civil partnership this spring? A small but useful update lands on Wednesday 25 February 2026: registrars will be able to accept a UKVI share code to confirm that a party is exempt from immigration control when you give notice. This is designed to make checks quicker and more consistent across the UK. (tsoshop.co.uk)

What actually changes is the evidence route. If you are exempt from immigration control, you can either present the familiar Home Office letter confirming that exemption, or present your notice with evidence of your date of birth plus a valid share code that opens your online UKVI account to a digital record showing that exemption. If a code has expired or cannot be accessed, the superintendent registrar can ask you to generate another code for a period they specify. (tsoshop.co.uk)

Who is affected and where it applies matters for planning. The update covers England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In England and Wales the change sits with the 2015 Referral Regulations; in Scotland and Northern Ireland it sits with the 2015 Administrative Regulations. The wider sham marriage referral-and-investigation scheme created by the Immigration Act 2014 remains in place. (legislation.gov.uk)

If you are using a share code at your notice appointment, the practical steps are straightforward. Before you attend, sign in to your online UKVI account and generate a share code. Bring evidence of your date of birth as requested by your local office. Hand the code to the superintendent registrar, who will use it to view your digital record that confirms you are exempt from immigration control. What it means: you control the code, and the registrar sees only the status they need to see. (tsoshop.co.uk)

Expect the registrar to ask for a fresh code if the first one times out or if they need to complete checks later. The regulations explicitly allow the superintendent registrar to request another code and to set how long they need access for, so build a little extra time into your appointment to generate it on the spot. (tsoshop.co.uk)

What stays the same is as important as what changes. If at least one party is not exempt, the registrar must still refer the proposed marriage or civil partnership to the Home Office, which decides whether to investigate. The new rules do not create new grounds for referral; they simply add a digital way for exempt people to prove status. This sits within the existing scheme under the Immigration Act 2014 and Home Office guidance. (gov.uk)

Key dates help you plan confidently. The instrument was made on 29 January 2026, laid before Parliament on 2 February 2026, and comes into force on 25 February 2026. It is signed by Home Office minister Mike Tapp. For couples with notice appointments around these dates, ask your register office which evidence they prefer so you bring the right documents first time.

For registrars and registration staff, this is a light-touch workflow change. The schedules now define “online UK Visas and Immigration account” and “share code”, and make clear that a valid code plus date‑of‑birth evidence is acceptable where the digital record shows the person is exempt. Update your local scripts, evidence lists and record‑keeping notes accordingly. (tsoshop.co.uk)

For couples, the language of “sham marriage” can sound alarming, but this update is not about creating suspicion. It is about giving people who are exempt from immigration control a clear digital route to show that fact at the point of notice. If you are unsure whether you are exempt, speak to your registrar or review official guidance before you book. (gov.uk)

For students and teachers, this is a neat case study in how secondary legislation modernises everyday admin. The 2014 Act set up the referral-and-investigation scheme; the 2015 regulations listed evidence; the 2026 amendment adds a digital proof option without rewriting the whole system. It shows how small legal edits can change front‑desk practice. (legislation.gov.uk)

A quick prep checklist in plain words: make sure you can log in to your UKVI account at the office; have the email and phone that receive security codes; generate the share code close to your appointment; carry the date‑of‑birth evidence your office asks for; and leave a few minutes to create a second code if the registrar requests one.

If your ceremony is soon after 25 February 2026, ring your local register office now. Ask whether they would rather see a Home Office letter or a share code plus date‑of‑birth evidence. Clear communication up front keeps your notice smooth while more status checks move online.