The Foreign Marriage Order 1970

7.—(1) Where a marriage between parties, of whom one at least is a British subject, has been duly solemnised or has taken place in a foreign country in accordance with the local law of the country, either party to the marriage, being a British subject, may produce to the consul of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom for the district in which the marriage has been solemnised or has taken place (or in the absence of such officer to the appropriate consul of any other Government who, by arrangement with Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, have undertaken consular representation in that district on behalf of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom) a certified copy of the entry in the marriage register duly authenticated by the appropriate authority in that country or a marriage certificate issued by the appropriate authority of the country, accompanied by a translation into English, and may request him to accept the certificate as a certificate of marriage issued in accordance with the local law and to certify the translation; and the consul, on payment of the appropriate fee, shall, if he is satisfied that the certificate has been duly issued by the appropriate authority and that the translation is a true one, transmit the said certificate and translation, together with his own certificate regarding the accuracy of the translation, to the Registrar General or, in the case of any certificate relating to a party shown to be from Scotland or Northern Ireland, to the Registrar General for Scotland or Northern Ireland as the case may require.

(2) Any person shall be entitled to have from the appropriate Registrar General a certified copy of any document received by that Registrar General as aforesaid, on payment of fees in respect of the provision of the copy and any necessary search for the document. The fees shall be the fees which are for the time being charged by the appropriate Registrar General for the provision of a certified copy of, and any necessary search for, an entry in the records in his custody of marriages performed in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, as the case may be.

(3) Any copy of any foreign marriage certificate issued by the appropriate Registrar General under the provisions of paragraph (2) of this Article shall, without further proof, be received in evidence to the like extent as if it were a certificate duly issued by the authorities of the foreign country in which the marriage was celebrated.