In September 2020, civil partnerships officially became legal in the Cayman Islands. This applies both to new civil unions between same-sex couples and heterosexual couples and pre-existing unions. Couples who have civil partnerships elsewhere in the world can now have them recognised in the Cayman Islands too.
The process of arranging a civil union (or any union) is similar to that for a marriage but with a few additional steps. The main area that could cause delays is the fact that it is possible for someone to object to the union taking place (called a caveat) and any objections must be adjudicated by the Grand Court. For this reason it is advised that couples start the application 4-6 weeks in advance of the ceremony date.
There are three ways that a couple can apply for a civil partnership to be formalised.
(1) They can apply to the Registrar, at the Government Administration Building.
(2) They can enlist the help of Civil Registrars such as Simply Weddings Cayman.
(3) They can employ a civil partnership officer. The names and addresses for civil partnership officers can be obtained from the General Registry or from the government website.
Once you have decided your preferred route to apply for civil partnership, you will be asked to provide a copy of your passport and immigration status and then sign a statutory declaration attesting to the fact that their application meets the requirements of the Civil Partnership Act 2020. When your officiant has completed the due diligence on the application, including publishing the Notice of Intention to have a civil union, either the Registrar or the Civil Registrar, depending on who is dealing with your request, will issue a Certificate indicating that all due diligence has been done, no caveats have been received, or if received they have been resolved, and the union may proceed on the date and time specified. If you are using a civil partnership officer then that individual must obtain the Certificate through either the Registrar or a Civil Registrar.
For visitors wishing to form a civil partnership in the Cayman Islands please see the Visitors information on additional steps that must be undertaken.
Same sex couples who are already married or in a recognised civil partnership outside the Cayman Islands can apply to have their relationship registered here. They must provide to the Registrar, or a Civil Registrar, a certified copy of the relevant document, a statutory declaration, proof of identity, and the required fee. Once the marriage or civil partnership has been registered the couple will receive a certificate to that effect. Please contact the General Registry or a Civil Registrar for further guidance.
