COVID-19 and our services

Information on how COVID-19 will impact the service that you receive from the Haringey Registration and Citizenship Service including Haringey Register Office.

Please note that restrictions relating to COVID-19 could change with little or no notice - please visit this page often to get the latest information.

Every person coming to a ceremony or George Meehan House must take a lateral flow test (external link) beforehand and stay home if the result is positive. A PCR test should then be taken to confirm the result.

• COVID-19 symptoms
• While in George Meehan House
• For all customers, visitors and guests
• Weddings and Civil Partnerships
• Death registration
• Birth registration
• Citizenship ceremonies
• Certificates
• General enquiries and more information

COVID-19 symptoms

If you have possible signs of COVID-19 infection, you must take a PCR Test and stay home until you get a negative result.

Details on COVID-19 symptoms can be found on the NHS website (external link).

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While in George Meehan House

Face coverings

Face coverings must be worn at George Meehan House unless you are exempt. They must be worn correctly and cover your mouth and nose at all times.

A couple having a ceremony do not need to wear face coverings at the speaking part of the ceremony, but they do need to wear one when moving around the building, interacting with others or if in a congested area.

Social distancing

You are strongly advised to not fill rooms to capacity as there is a serious risk of COVID-19 being spread at your ceremony if people are not socially distanced.

Social distancing is currently a personal choice but one that we strongly recommend those not in the same household observe. Most ceremony venues will be arranged with no social distancing if filled to capacity, it is important to have a good dialogue with your guests and respect their wishes when setting your upper guest limit.

Please also respect other measures put in place to protect people:

• Not closing windows and doors open for ventilation
• Not changing room layouts
• Continuing to sanitise hands

Face coverings must be worn at George Meehan House unless you are exempt. Everyone must take a lateral flow test the day before or on the day of the appointment or ceremony. Anyone who is unwell - however mild their symptoms are - must stay home and get tested.

Respect the wishes of others and take responsibility for keeping yourself and those around you safe.

Please also see the coronavirus guidance on GOV.UK (external link) for the latest government updates on the pandemic.

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For all customers, visitors and guests

Lateral flow COVID-19 testing

Everyone attending George Meehan House or other venue must take a free COVID-19 lateral flow test the day before or on the day of their visit. This includes guests and photographers attending a wedding or civil partnership ceremony. Regular testing protects you and others - avoid your ceremony becoming a super spreader event due to lack of testing.

People exhibiting potential COVID-19 symptoms such as a cough may be asked to provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test. Stay home if you are unwell.

• Find out more and arrange a free NHS test (external link)

Social distancing

Social distancing continues to play an important part in how we deliver COVID-19 secure services, where you can make space for others.

It is advised that we all keep at least 1.5 metres (ideally 2 metres) from others who are not in your household or support bubble. Our ceremony rooms have been arranged to allow for personal choice and for couples to decide up to our maximum limits the maximum number of people that is right to meet the wishes and concerns of their guests attending.

Face coverings

Please wear face masks covering the nose and mouth at all times when inside our buildings. This is unless a person has a valid exemption. A couple having a ceremony and the person conducting a ceremony do not need to wear face coverings when speaking or if other COVID-19 safeguards are in place.

Hand sanitiser

Every person entering George Meehan House or another venue is required to sanitise their hands on entering our buildings. We also recommend sanitising your hands after handling shared items and when leaving a building. Please carry hand sanitiser with you.

NHS Test and Trace

Please download the official NHS contact tracing app (external link). Use the app to check in when attending George Meehan House or another venue. Please advise those coming with you to download the app too. A manual option to check-in is also available.

If having a ceremony please complete a guest list for all those attending to help with test and trace should it be needed.

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Weddings and Civil Partnerships

The ceremony offer

We are following current government guidance to complete ceremonies within a reasonable period of time, but couples can for now play their own music and do things like walk down the aisle. To find out what this means for your ceremony visit the Marriages and Civil Partnerships page.

More information can be found on GOV.UK:

• COVID-19: Wedding and civil partnership ceremonies, receptions and celebrations (external link)

Local Haringey restrictions such as social distancing and wearing a face covering may remain in place, even if not required by law.

Guest numbers

Maximum numbers are now determined by risk assessments and room sizes, there is no upper limit set by law. 

Room capacities may be reduced as a result of Haringey or Government changes in advice, guidance, risk assessments or law. Changes could come with little or no notice, please be aware of this.

• The Earlham Room is now limited to a maximum of 20 people (14 people if you wish to social distance) + up to 2 additional photographers. We recommend a maximum of 10 people attend a ceremony in The Earlham Room - the couple and 8 others
• The Woodside Room seats up to 79 people (60 people maximum suggested to allow some guests who may wish to social distance to do so) 47 people if you wish to exercise one-metre+ social distancing and 32 people at 2-metre social distancing. We recommend that a maximum 32 people attend a ceremony in the Woodside Room - the couple and 30 others
• All numbers include everybody present including the couple, but you may in addition have 2 roaming photographers or videographers
• Guest list templates can be found on the Marriages and Civil Partnerships page

Take into account that each person attending presents a risk of COVID-19 spread and illness in yours and others households. Do the right thing, limit your maximum numbers, get tested and reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread at your event.

Guest numbers at other venues

Guest numbers at other approved venues are determined by COVID-19 risk assessments, room sizes and the need to allow people to social distance.

We will be asking venues to make a commitment to providing a COVID-19-secure environment for every person attending a venue. Venues can download our  COVID-19 Secure Ceremony Commitment form (PDF, 47KB) to send to us. We will need this form back from venues before we attend a ceremony.

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Death registration

During the pandemic deaths will continue to be registered by phone, there is no need to register a death in person.

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Birth registration

Births can only be registered face to face.

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Citizenship ceremonies

We strongly advise doing citizenship ceremonies virtually, but some socially distanced group ceremonies are still taking place in December 2021. 

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Certificates

Please order certificates online, there is currently no counter service.

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General enquiries and more information

Please visit the relevant parts of our births, deaths and marriages pages and the GOV.UK website (external link).

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