Guide · Paperwork
Getting married in Spain as foreigners: requirements and options
It is the first question almost every couple from abroad asks: can we legally marry in Spain? The short answer is yes, but it depends on your residency status and your timeline. This guide explains the three possible routes and the one most international couples choose. Rules change and each registry applies its own criteria, so always confirm the requirements with the Civil Registry or your consulate.
The three routes: civil, religious or symbolic
Spain recognises two forms of legally valid marriage: the civil ceremony, processed through the Civil Registry, a court or a notary, and the religious ceremony of denominations with a state agreement (Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim), which carries automatic civil effects.
The third route is the symbolic ceremony: no legal effect, but complete freedom over location, script and officiant. It is the most common choice for foreign couples, who marry legally at home and celebrate in Andalusia.
Civil marriage: who qualifies and what documents you need
To marry civilly in Spain, at least one of you must be a Spanish citizen or a legal resident in Spain. Two foreigners without residency, in practice, cannot open a civil marriage file, except in very specific cases.
If one of you is resident here, the file is opened at the Civil Registry of the town of residence and usually takes between two months and a year depending on the province. The usual documents are:
- Passport or national ID for both partners
- Birth certificate, apostilled, with a sworn translation
- Certificate of no impediment or single status from your home country
- Certificate of registration (empadronamiento) for the partner resident in Spain
- Divorce decree or death certificate, if either of you was married before
Religious ceremonies with civil validity
The Catholic ceremony is the most used legal route for foreign couples in Spain: it is processed through the parish where it takes place, with documents issued by your home parishes, and becomes civilly valid once registered.
Start about a year ahead: church documents expire and diocesan timelines are not negotiable. Protestant, Jewish and Muslim ceremonies are also civilly valid when the officiant is authorised.
What most couples choose: legal at home, celebration here
Marrying legally at home and holding a symbolic ceremony in Seville removes all the paperwork friction: no apostilles, no marriage files, no registry timelines. The ceremony can be exactly what you imagined, in a hacienda, a courtyard or a country estate.
One important note: same-sex marriage has been legal in Spain since 2005, with identical requirements and timelines. Whichever route you take, we coordinate with the registry, the parish or the symbolic officiant on your behalf.
FAQ
- Can two foreigners have a civil marriage in Spain?
- In practice, at least one of you must be a legal resident in Spain. Without residency, the realistic options are a religious ceremony with civil validity or a symbolic ceremony after marrying at home.
- How long does the marriage file take?
- Between two months and a year depending on the province and how complex your home-country documents are. We recommend starting a year before the date.
- Is same-sex marriage legal in Spain?
- Yes, since 2005, with exactly the same requirements and timelines as any other marriage.
Want help with the legal side and the celebration?
Get in touch