Getting Married In Spain [How-To English Guide

Planning a wedding is a lot of work and is often quite stressful. In addition to planning the event itself, you also need to arrange the necessary paperwork and handle the legal requirements. The time and exact steps will vary depending on the type of ceremony you choose to have and which area of Spain you choose to have the ceremony in. This guide will explain the entire process of getting married in detail.

Who Can Marry Whom In Spain?

Recent reports have suggested that the marriage rate in Spain has been on a steady decline, with the rates today being roughly half of what they were in the late 1970s. Even for same sex couples, the rates have remained relatively stagnant since same-sex marriages were legalized in 2005.

Generally, you are allowed to marry as long as you fulfill the following conditions:

Both partners are at least 18 years of age
They show intelligent and voluntary consent to marry each other
One of the partners must be a Spanish citizen, or should have been a resident in the country for at least the last two years (this is confirmed through the Certificado de Empadronamiento) for a civil ceremony
The couple will need to obtain the certificate of no impediment (Certificado de No Impedimento) to show that they are legally allowed to get married. If you are not Spanish, you will need to consult your home country’s Consulate or Embassy to obtain this.

How Do You Get Legally Married In Spain?

Marriage is a legal contract between two parties, which entitles both to certain rights by virtue of their relationship. Therefore only certain individuals are allowed to marry off a couple legally. The Spanish Civil Code clearly states in articles 49 and 51 the appointed officials who have the jurisdiction to marry you. These include the judge in charge of the Civil Registry, the Mayor of your municipality (or a councilor whom the mayor has delegated this particular function to) or an authorized religious minister. In some cases, a religious minister or independent officiant might be able to officiate a wedding ceremony, but you will still need to contract your marriage before a judge or mayor who has the legal authority. It is worth checking out to make sure you are aware of the requirements in your case.

Where Can I Get Married In Spain?

You can choose to have your wedding ceremony in the Registry Office or your local Town Hall. If you choose the Town Hall, you will need to make an official request in writing ahead of your ceremony. Contracting a legal civil marriage is therefore not a very romantic process. Most couples will want a ceremony afterwards to celebrate their wedding with their friends and family.

Can Foreigners Get Married In Spain?

In Spain, it is possible for a foreigner to get married to a Spaniard, and also for two foreigners to get married to one another. The documents that are required for each type of marriage will vary and all of these documents will need to be translated into Spanish and duly notarized. The documents will need to be legalized, although this will depend on your country of origin and if they have a standing agreement of some sort with Spain. You can get your documents legalized through the Consulate or Embassy of your country. In some cases, the Civil Registry might also require you to get the documents legalized in the service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.

For two foreigners wishing to get married, at least one of them should have a fixed address in Spain and be registered in the municipal register, also known as the empadronado. The couple should visit the Civil Registry in the municipality where at least one of them is living and make an appointment to submit their documentation and complete their application.

Once the couple is married, they must then also register the marriage in the consulate of their country of origin. Moreover, to avoid any last minute surprises and unnecessary worry, check with your consulate for any additional documents or procedures that may be required before you initiate the process with the Spanish Civil Registry Office.

If you are not fluent in Spanish, you should hire a Spanish solicitor or get help from a friend who speaks Spanish. This will make the paperwork much easier to handle and the overall process much smoother.

Which Steps Does The Marriage Registration In Spain Entail?

There is a pre-specified procedure that you must follow if you wish to get married in Spain. While this might take some time, there is no way around this and you must follow the steps below to legally marry your partner in the country.

Check The Requirements At Your Local Civil Registry

Before doing anything else, you should go to the civil registry office in the area that you live in. While the procedure and documents required will be roughly the same in almost all cases and areas, there might be some variation depending on the civil registry of your city. Therefore, it is a good idea to either consult your lawyer or go to the civil registry yourself and ask them for a sheet with details of the specific requirements. Once you have the list with you, you can begin gathering the documents and can have a rough timeframe in mind for your ceremony.

Prepare The Necessary Documents

There is a set of documents that you will need to prepare for the formal procedure. These include the following:

A long form birth certificate, which must be notarized and translated into Spanish if the original is in another language
Valid passport along with four copies (these copies will be used for applying for the empadronamiento, residencia and for the file for marriage)
Certificate of marital status
Divorce degrees or annulment or death certificates, whichever might be applicable if either of the parties was married before
Certificate of No Impediment, which acts as proof that there is no obstruction in allowing you to get married and that there are no objections against your marriage. You can get this from the registrar office in your home country
Spanish Town Hall Registration Certificate, also called the Empadronamiento
Extranjera application form, which is used to get a Spanish Foreign Identity Card. This proves the legal status of any foreigner living in the country. You will need to file the completed form at the national police station, and carry your passport and photograph along with it

If you are having a Catholic wedding, there will be some additional documentary requirements. You will need proof of your religious background such as a certificate of baptism as well as a letter from the parish priest. In some places, you could also be asked to provide a Freedom to Marry letter which indicates that you have fulfilled all of your premarital course requirements.

Apply For The Marriage License

Regardless of the type of ceremony you plan on having, one of the most essential steps will almost always be to apply for a certificate for permission to marry (Certificado de Capacidad Matrimonial). This will be done at your local Civil Registry Office. In case you are not a Spanish citizen, you will need to obtain the certificate form your home country’s embassy or consulate.

When you apply for this license, you will need to carry a copy of your passport and all the other necessary documents. Your witnesses will also need to accompany you at this stage with their IDs. Bear in mind that the witnesses must be of legal age and cannot be family members. The officials will enter your information on their system and register you. The intent to marry (also known as the wedding banns) will be put up on the local registry office’s public notice board for 15 to 21 days. After this the Office of the Registrar will issue your marriage license. Once 10 days have elapsed, you can contact the office for an interview date.

In case you have opted for a religious wedding, this process might be handled by your church administrators, so you should check with them beforehand.

Attend The Interview

You should remember that wait times for the interview can get pretty long and you might have to wait as long as six months to get an appointment! Therefore, it is always a good idea to start the process well in advance to avoid any last minute delays and unnecessary worry.

For the interview stage, both partners will need to attend separate interviews at the town hall. You will be asked a variety of questions to help determine the validity of the relationship and check if both applicants are genuine and not marrying for any convenience related reasons. If you pass the interview and the application is considered to be valid, the marriage will be registered at either the Spanish central registry or the corresponding Spanish consulate. Then you can go ahead with the marriage.

Register Your Marriage Certificate

For a civil marriage, the official who conducts the ceremony will be responsible for registering it with the Civil Registry. Right after the wedding, both of you will receive your marriage certificate as well as your family book (Libro de Familia). The Spanish Ministry of Justice issues these. The documents will have all the relevant certificates like stamped copies of the marriage, the birth of any children, etc. The Civil Registry will record a civil partnership two to three weeks after the notary constitutes and registers the union. Once you submit all your documents to them, they will do this immediately.

For religious weddings, in order to legalize your marriage paperwork, you will need to submit them to the local Civil Registry within a week.

How Long Does It Take To Get Married In Spain?

The time frame for the entire process can vary a great deal across Spain. This is due to the slightly different requirements and bureaucratic procedures in each autonomous area. Typically, it will take anywhere from 30 days to four months to complete arrangements for a civil wedding. In some cases, it is possible to get married within 48 hours under a Special License, but you will need to complete additional requirements for documentation. The ceremony itself in all cases will be brief and won’t take up a lot of time in your day.

How Much Does It Cost To Register A Marriage?

There are several standard costs that you should expect to pay to register your marriage in Spain. These include the following categories, though the exact expenses could differ depending on where you are residing and what type of ceremony you have:

Civil marriage administrative fee: 400 to 3,000 euros. You will also need to pay somewhere between 300 and 600 euros to the Officiant
Catholic church wedding: a donation of 300 to 700 euros to the church and an additional donation of 250 to 350 euros to the priest
Apostille stamp: 15 to 20 euros for each document
Consular document: up to 150 euros, provided that there is no hindrance to your marriage in Spain.

Final Thoughts

Getting married is a huge milestone in your life and one that no one takes lightly. That being said, this guide was meant to summarize the entire procedure in a bid to make it simpler for you to marry in Spain. And once you look past the Spanish bureaucracy and its requirements, you will have the time of your life planning your ceremony with your partner!