Marriage Registration in Spain

The legal part of getting married in Spain...

Any marriage, regardless of whether the marriage takes place in a religious or civil service, must be registered within one week of the event with the Civil Registry (Registro Civil).This is the registration of marriage (Inscripción de Matrimonio). Failure to register will mean the marriage will not be recognised. The registration of the marriage can also be used to ensure the partnership is recognised outside Spain.

If marrying in a religious ceremony, the parties should register the marriage within one week of the ceremony. For those marrying in a Town Hall, the presiding official will register the marriage. For those marrying in a court house, the procedure itself is the registration. A marriage certificate certifying the date, time, place of the marriage and details of the married couple will be issued by the Civil Registry.

Note: Spanish nationals who marry outside of Spain must register their marriage in Spain.

For information from the Spanish Ministry of Justice on registering a marriage visit The Ministry of Justice website.

Consular Services

The Consular Offices of most Embassies are able to help their nationals with much of the documentation required in the preparation of a wedding in Spain.

The British Embassy has information on getting married abroad