Getting Married in Spain

For couples who wish to hold their wedding in Spain there are several steps that the couple must adhere to. The Spanish authorities enjoy asking for more and more paperwork and this can get very complicated and can be stressful, even for the registered residents. The first step is to contact your local registry office, town hall or church where you are planning to marry. They will be able to tell you exactly what you need to do.

Because of the often extensive paperwork many couples chose to take care of the legalities by civil marriage in their home country of residence and then hold a celebration here in Spain for their friends and family. Which to all present will appear as a normal wedding ceremony.

For couples who reside in Spain but have married in their home country and wish their marriage to be recognised in Spain the only legal requisite is an official translation of their marriage certificate for certain legal/town hall transactions.

Basic Requirements

That neither person is still in a marriage that has not been officially dissolved (either through divorce, death, or annulment).
That both parties are of legal age (18 years old).
That the couple are not blood related “To the third degree of consanguinity”

For more information on types of wedding ceremonies, blessings, rituals, venues and much more please click here to visit 'Ceremonies in Spain'

Information and advice on getting married or entering into a civil partnership in Spain

For those planning on getting married in Spain, the first step is to contact the relevant authority (town hall / registry office / district court / religious authority) in the place where you are planning to get married. They will be able to inform you of the documents they will require from you. Please bear in mind that your local Consulate will not be able to give you this information; it must come from the relevant authority where you plan to get married.

Civil and religious (Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim) marriages can be celebrated in Spain. Please contact the church / synagogue etc directly.

Please note that marriages celebrated abroad are not registered in General Register Offices in the United Kingdom, nor in British Consulates or Embassies. The law applicable in the United Kingdom usually recognises foreign marriages which fulfil the requirements of the country where the marriage took place, where both parties to the marriage had the capacity to marry and where each party consented to marry the other. This means if you seek a divorce in the future, this is more complicated unless you live in the country where you were married.

Civil Marriages

The most common type of marriage in Spain, a cicil marriage is carried out before a judge, mayor, notary or civil regisrty office with witnesses. For this you will need to apply for the civil marriage permit.

Applications for civil marriages must be made to the Civil Registry (see the Spanish Ministry of Justice's website for contact details), District Court or Town Hall in the place where the marriage is to be celebrated. As it may take some time to receive an appointment with the town hall and/or registrar, and for paperwork to be processed, it is important that you make contact with them at the earliest possible opportunity. They will tell you what documentation they require.

Both partners must be at least 18 years old and one of them must either be a Spanish citizen or have resided in Spain for a minimum of two consecutive years.

Religious Marriages

Requirements for religious marriages vary according to the denomination and area in which an applicant lives, and applicants will be asked for a variety of documents. Please consult the relevant authority for information on these.

Religious marriages through the Catholic church are recognised as legal under Spanish law, but to obtain an official marriage certificate, the marriage must subsequently be registered with the local civil authorities (Town Hall). Therefore, it is important to confirm that the officiator of the marriage is licensed to marry and to establish arrangements for civil registration. You should check whether the officiator will register the religious marriage on your behalf or whether they will provide you with the paperwork to do so yourselves.

So a religious marriage is also registered in the civil registry. And will carry all the same effects and implications. The main difference actually comes should the marriage end in divorce where it can not simply be done via the civil regisrty but must also be officially annulled by the church.

Documents that may be required for a wedding in Spain

Documents issued at the British Consulates in Spain:

Certificate of Marital Status /Certificado de Estado Civil
Certificate of No Impediment or CNI /Certificado de No Impedimento
Consular Letter: Proof of previous or current address in the UK or elsewhere/Confirmación de domicilio para casarse en España
Consular Registration Letter /Carta que confirma Inscripción Consular
Consular Certificate of Home Office Registration/Naturalisation /Certificado consular que confirma que al obtener la nacionalidad británica no se obtiene una partida de nacimiento británico.

Please remember to check the requirements with your local Civil Registry (Town Hall or Ayuntamiento in Spanish) as not all may be required.

Identity documents (passprts or offical ID for your country)
Birth certificates recently issued, legalised & translated /Certificados de nacimiento-defunción-matrimonio actualizados, legalizados y traducidos)
Home Office Registration/Naturalisation Certificate, legalised & translated /Certificado de registro/naturalización expedido por el "Home Office". Additional copies may be obtained from Home Office/UKBA
Certificate of “Fe de Vida y Estado”, to prove the marital status of the interested parties

The certificate of 'Fe de Vida' shows your civil status. It doesn't always have an exact equivalent in all countries. It demonstrates that you are not already married and are legally able to be married. You'll need to obtain this from your country of origen. For UK citizens, this might be copies of British Divorce decrees. You should contact the UK court that issued the original decree. Find a UK court.

Any documents presented to the civil regisrty or public notary which are not in Spanish must be accompanied with a sworn translation by an official translator, and these translations are usually valid for 6 months to allow time for them to be handed to the relevant registry office.

So can I get married in Spain?

In conclusion yes, if one of you is registered for at least 2 years as a Spanish resident. This time can vary depending on the local civil registry where you plan to marry to see if the time required to reside in Spain is different to two years. Once you or your partner have been livign in Spain for the required time you will be able to get married as would a Spanish citizen.

You need to weigh up the effort, cost (approx €800) and amount of paperwork that will need completing and numerous visits to the Spanish Town Hall, against the convenience of completing your legal paperwork in your country of residence and then celebrating your Wedding Blessing Ceremony here in Spain. Which is just like the actual day: with the wedding dress, exchange of rings, declaration of marriage etc. Most couples consider this celebration with their friends and families as the true date of their mariage rather than the day they signed the paperwork.