Of course, it is possible for two foreigners to marry in Spain. Article 50 of the Spanish Civil Code provides that if both parties are foreigners, they may marry in Spain. In addition, they may do so under the same law that governs Spaniards.
Carrying out a marriage in Spain between two foreigners is feasible. Of course, all the legal requirements contemplated by Spanish law for these cases must be met.
Requirements for two foreigners to get married in Spain
The minimum requirement for two foreigners to marry in Spain is that at least one of them must have a fixed address in the country. This means that one of the contracting parties must be registered in the municipal register (empadronado).
In addition to the padron certificate that verifies your address (empadronamiento), the requirements for marrying two foreigners by civil law in Spain include:
- Identification documents
- Birth certificates
- Civil status letter
Please note that all the procedures may be different if one of the two is Spanish.
Documents needed to get married as a foreigner in Spain
For two foreigners to marry in the civil registry in Spain, they must go to the Civil Registry of the municipality where at least one of the parties lives. There, they must make an appointment to submit the required documentation.
All documents must often be legalized, although this depends on the country of origin and the requirements of your local civil registry. An apostille may also be needed, if the country of origin is a signatory to this agreement.
To legalize your documents, you must first request the documents at the Embassy or Consulate of your country. Afterwards, if your local Civil Registry requires it, you would need to legalize them in the service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. If you need more information, check the following link for legalizations on the official website of the Ministry.
If the requested documents are in a language other than Spanish, you must translate them through an official translator.
The documents required to marry as a foreigner in Spain are the following:
- Birth certificate of both duly translated (if applicable). They must be validated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. You can request this document at the Embassy or Consulate of your country in Spain.
- Photocopy of the complete passport of both parties.
- Certificate of registration (empadronamiento) of at least one of the two grooms. You request this document in the unique Civil Registry of your municipality and they must include information about your address from the last 2 years. (Related to this requirement: “Is it mandatory to be registered (empadronado) in Spain for two years to be able to get married?“)
- Certificate of marital status of both parties. You can request this at the Embassy or Consulate of your country. They must be translated (if applicable) and validated before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. This depends on the issuing country.
- Consular registration certificate from the country of origin of both grooms. You also have to request it at the embassy or consulate of your country.
- Certificate of the need to publish edicts issued by the Embassy or Consulate of your country (some Civil Registries do not request this document).
Formalities for marriage between two foreigners
In the first place, you must go to the Unique Civil Registry of your Municipality and investigate all the documentation required for two foreigners to marry in Spain. In the same way, to start with the procedures you must request an appointment to have these documents formally delivered.
On the day of the appointment you must also be accompanied by 2 witnesses. These will certify the existence of the sentimental relationship and confirm their address in Spain. Witnesses must be of legal age and present their ID or passport. The initial witnesses may be replaced by new witnesses on the wedding day, if the initial witnesses cannot be present. Make sure to inform the registro civil if a different witness will come instead of the original one.
Where can we get married?
You can get married directly in the same Civil Registry of your Municipality where you do the procedures. You can also get married at the town hall, court or notaries, although the latter usually costs between 100 and 200 euros.
To get married at the Town Hall, you must make an appointment and pay a fee for the celebration of the marriage. In the City Council the wedding is officiated by a councilor or the mayor.
In court, you also have to make an appointment and the ceremony is performed by the “Juez de Paz” (Judge) of the corresponding court.
Before a Notary Public, the procedure is the same. You have to make an appointment and a notary reads the articles of the Civil Code to carry out the wedding.
How do I request an appointment to get married?
You must go to the Civil Registry that corresponds to you according to your address in Spain. There they will explain the steps to follow, the required documentation and they will give you an appointment to deliver all the documents.
The process step by step
The process for two foreigners to marry in Spain is relatively simple, although it is a bit more complicated than when at least one of the spouses is Spanish. You must be patient and keep an order so that all the documents are correct and are valid when they are delivered to the civil registry.
The steps you must follow are the following:
- Make a first visit to the Unique Civil Registry of the Municipality where you reside. Here you will ask for all the information and the appointment to bring the documents.
- Obtain from the Embassy or Consulate of your country in Spain the documents required in the Civil Registry. These documents are:
- Birth certificate.
- Certificate of civil status.
- Consular registration certificate.
- Certificate of the need to publish edicts (if required).
- Translate the documents with a sworn translator if your documents are in a language other than Spanish.
- Go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation to legalize your documents.
- Request the certificate of registration in the Unique Civil Registry of your Municipality, although many times it can be done online (E.g. Madrid).
- Go on the day of the appointment to deliver all the documents in the company of two witnesses (many times, providing the identification of the witnesses will be enough).
- Wait for them to inform you that the file is ready so that you can get married.
- Set a date for the marriage.
