Your Wedding in Spain

Can I get married in a registry office in Spain?

No. Spanish law does not permit 2 foreigners to marry at a registry office in Spain if they are non-residents. We recommend: celebrating a legal marriage in your country, and then coming to Spain so that a wedding “officiant” can officiate at the ceremony.

Legal ceremonies for non Spanish residents are possible in some regions in Andalucia.

The requirements for civil wedding ceremonies in Spain are dependent on local regulations and therefore vary from each Town. Please contact us for more information.

Can I get married legally by the Roman Catholic Church in Spain?

Yes. We can organise valid Roman Catholic marriages to change the marital status of the couple. This option can be carried out throughout Spain. You must be a Catholic, have been baptised in the Catholic Church and be single, or legally divorced, and never previously married by the Catholic Church.

Legalities

Civil marriages between foreigners can be held in Spain but one of the parties must be legally resident in the town or municipal district the wedding is going to take place (be legally registered as a resident). If you are not legally resident in Spain, you cannot legally marry here.

The only ways for non-residents to officially and legally marry in Spain are:

1- Through the Roman Catholic Church. The ceremony can also be held in Spanish, English, German and other languages at the church. We will advise on all the necessary paperwork. The wedding is possible provided that one or both of the parties is/are Roman Catholic. In Spain, same sex couples may not hold a Roman Catholic wedding.

2- The other option for marrying legally in Spain when the couple are neither Roman Catholic nor Resident, is to hold a civil wedding in Gibraltar, a British territory to the south of Spain and subject to UK law. In this case the couple, whether they are British or any other nationality, may hold a legal civil wedding.

At Gibraltar you may marry within 24 hours of arrival without the residency requirements of other countries. Apart from the traditional Registry or Church wedding, you can choose a variety of romantic alternative venues for your ceremony.

Legal ceremonies for non Spanish residents are possible in some regions in Andalucia.