Question about marriage in the US and marriage in Spain
I am American and my partner is Spanish and we are discussing marriage in the US or marriage in Spain. We currently live in Spain but might move to the USA at some point. I’m just wondering whether it is easier to get married in Spain and validate marriage in the US, or vice versa (married in California, validate it where we reside in Valencia). Just wondering if there are specific pros of getting married in one place versus the other that might be of convenience to one or both of us down the line.
Answers
These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
“So easy peasy to get married in the US and register in the consulate. As a plus, you certificate will be handled by the registro central, which seems to function faster than any other registro”
“My Spanish partner and I are getting married here (in Madrid). I haven’t found it to be that difficult of a process. Yes, there’s some paperwork and it takes some time to get a date but it’s perfectly doable and if you’re in a rush you can pay to do it by notary. My understanding is that the US recognizing foreign marriages without problem, whereas Spain has more hoops to jump through to recognize a foreign marriage (but I haven’t looked too much into this since we are going the other route). Bonus, if you get married here, you’re entitled to 15 paid days off work for your honeymoon.”
“I suggest getting married in Spain. This is just our experience only. My husband is Spanish and I am Australian. We got married in Australia and tried to register it at the Sydney Consulate, due to COVID that was totally impossible. Arrived in Spain in September, first appointment was March, nope come back in August as their cover sheet we were told complete wasn’t the correct one. All documents are notarized and translated etc.,
Appointments are scarce 4 months part, now have to get all new documents as they are 3mths old.”
“Why not marry in both? First the USA—super easy since you aren’t applying for any residency there yet..then, since you live in Spain go through the process in Spain as well. So instead of Spain having to recognize your marriage in the US, just present your Spanish credentials when needed. You may want to start the process first so you can certify that you’re not legally married in the USA—once you apply and have a long waiting period in Spain you can go get married in the USA. I don’t know why these things have to be so complicated for us all should have international marriages at the Hague or something”
“Bringing him to the US depending on the visa you choose (fiancé or marriage) can take more than a year or even more than 2. There are pros and cons to both types of visas especially when it comes to permission to work in the US. If he goes there as a tourist and ends up married he might have to answer to that later in the process of legalizing his status (emphasis on the might because I’m not sure). US immigration is a complicated and long process but it’s also very personal and depends on what ya’lls life is like. I think the best thing you can do is contact a US layer so they can explain to you step by step what you have to do. My husband and I were on the same boat and it wasn’t until we contacted a lawyer that we were able to to fully understand the process even after I had google searched for months”
