Civil and religious (Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim) marriages can be celebrated in Spain for people over 18.

Civil marriages

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, 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.

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 are recognised as legal under Spanish law, but to obtain an official marriage certificate, and for it to be accepted in the UK, the marriage must subsequently be registered with the local civil authorities. 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 he will provide you with the paperwork to do so yourselves.

Documents you may be asked to provide

We have included some sample certificates, which can be accessed by clicking on the document titles, below.  You may find it useful to print these off and take them with you, when you go to visit the registrar.  They will then be able to see the format of the documents and confirm which they require.

Certificate of No Impediment (CNI)

For this certificate you must come to your local Consulate and give notice that you intend to marry. If you are divorced or widowed, please bring your original divorce decree or a death certificate. You will swear an oath/declare to the effect that there is no impediment to your marriage. The notice is displayed in the Consulate for 21 days and if no legal impediment to the marriage has been shown to exist, the certificate is issued.

If you are resident in the UK you should get your CNI there. You will find more information on the FCO website. Once you have the CNI, come to the Consulate and we will provide you with a Spanish version.

If you are resident in another country, you must give notice in your local Consulate in your country of residence.  Your certificate will be issued by the Consulate, here, in Spain.

Certificate of Civil Status

For this certificate you must come to your local Consulate and swear an oath/declare to the effect that you are single and free to marry. If you are divorced or widowed, you must declare as such and present your original divorce decree or a death certificate on making your application for the certificate at the Consulate. The Certificate is issued while you wait".

Consular Registration

Firstly, you should register on-line with LOCATE. Then you must come to your local Consulate, where you will be issued with the certificate.

Legalised Certificates

• Birth Certificate
• Marriage certificate of any previous marriage 
• Divorce certificate 
• Death certificate, if you were previously married, then widowed
  

These certificates must be requested from the UK (or their country of origin). Copies of birth, marriage and death certificates can be obtained from the General Records Offices in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The documents must bear the Hague Apostille (commonly known as legalisation).  If you already have the certificate, and it is a UK document, we can arrange to send it to the Legalisation Office in the UK, to have the Apostille affixed.

Translation

All certificates/documents will require to be translated into Spanish. We may be able translate UK birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates at the Consulate (please check with your local Consulate for more details). You can see a list of Sworn Translators on the Spanish Government's website.

UK civil partnerships

The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the British Embassy in Madrid in a Note Verbale dated 16 November 2007 that same-sex couples who have registered a civil partnership in the UK should be treated as spouses for legal purposes in Spain. Implementation of this guidance is a matter for the Spanish authorities. Copies of the Note Verbale can be made available to Spanish authorities on request.

If you have undergone a civil partnership ceremony in the UK and would like us to include an observation in your new passport to that effect, please include the civil partnership certificate with your application and a covering letter explaining that you would like us to add the observation. Please visit our passport section for further information about how to apply for a UK passport.

British Nationals living in Spain are responsible for ensuring their own local administrative arrangements comply with Spanish law - UK civil partners should consult a lawyer/accountant over any concerns relating to next of kin/property/inheritance tax/tax issues. Please note that Civil Partnership ceremonies cannot be officiated in  British Consulates in Spain or in the Civil Registry in Gibraltar.

Further Legal Advice

If you are still unsure of the requirements, you may wish to consult a local English-speaking lawyer.

The information on this website on getting married or entering into a civil partnership in Spain is provided as a general guide and is based upon information provided to the FCO by the relevant local authorities. The information on this website is therefore only up to date and accurate to the extent that such authorities provide us with timely and accurate information. The FCO does not guarantee that this information is accurate and will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information. British nationals wishing to obtain information about marriage or civil partnership must contact the relevant local authority to be sure of the requirements that they need in order for their ceremony to go ahead.