# Getting married in Spain: civil, Catholic or symbolic, and who can do which

> Spain’s three routes for couples from abroad — what the law asks (Ley 20/2011), why a civil wedding needs one of you to live there, how a Catholic wedding works without residence, the documents, the timings and where the photographer fits in.

- Updated 2026-10-11
- URL: https://lensandvows.com/journal/getting-married-in-spain
- Português: https://lensandvows.com/pt/journal/getting-married-in-spain.md
- Español: https://lensandvows.com/es/journal/getting-married-in-spain.md
- Lens & Vows: https://lensandvows.com/

**In short**

- There are three ways to marry in Spain: civil, before a mayor or councillor, a notary or a court registrar; religious, with civil effect (Catholic, and faiths with agreements with the State); and symbolic, which has no legal effect anywhere.
- A civil wedding needs a prior file handled by a notary or the Civil Registry of the place where one of you is domiciled (Ley 20/2011, article 58), so in practice one of you must live in Spain; most couples who both live abroad marry legally at home and hold a symbolic ceremony in Spain.
- A Catholic wedding has civil effects from the moment it is celebrated (the 1979 agreement with the Holy See) and needs no Spanish residence: couples living abroad prepare the church file in their home parish, which sends it through their own diocese to the Spanish one.
- Same-sex couples have been able to marry in Spain since 3 July 2005 (Law 13/2005); in 2024, 7,336 of Spain’s 175,364 marriages (4.2%) were between two men or two women (INE).
- Once the civil file is approved, the marriage must take place within a year; the civil act is signed by the couple and two adult witnesses, and documents in another language need a sworn Spanish translation.

Spain is an easy country to celebrate in and a harder one to marry in legally if neither of you lives there. The reason is a single rule: the file that has to come before a civil wedding belongs to a notary or registry where one of you is domiciled. That leaves couples from abroad with three realistic routes — a civil wedding if one of you lives in Spain, a Catholic wedding through your parish, or the legal marriage at home and a symbolic ceremony in Spain, which is what most choose.

Spain itself mostly marries civilly: of the 175,364 marriages of couples living in Spain in 2024, 83.6% were civil and 16.4% religious (INE). If you want the ceremony in Spain to be the legal one, the work is paperwork; if you would rather put the effort into the day, the symbolic route opens every place, hour and language.

> **General information, not legal advice.** Rules change, and what you need depends on your nationality, where you live and your situation. Confirm every document and step with the notary or Civil Registry that will handle your file — or with the parish, for a church wedding — and with your own country’s embassy or consulate.

## The three ways to marry

- **Civil.** After a prior file (an *acta* at a notary or an *expediente* at the Civil Registry) confirms you can marry, the wedding is celebrated before a mayor or a councillor they delegate, a notary, or a *letrado de la Administración de Justicia* (a court registrar) — Código Civil article 51 and Ley 20/2011 article 58, as amended in April 2025. Two adult witnesses sign.
- **Religious.** A Catholic wedding has civil effect under the 1979 agreement with the Holy See. Weddings of the Protestant, Jewish and Islamic communities that signed cooperation agreements with the State in 1992, and of faiths officially recognised as deeply rooted in Spain (*notorio arraigo*), also have civil effect — but they first need the same civil file as a civil wedding, so the residence rule applies to them too.
- **Symbolic.** Any ceremony you like, led by anyone you like, wherever you are allowed to hold it. It has no legal effect, so the legal marriage happens separately, usually at home.

## Can we marry legally in Spain if neither of us lives there?

For a civil wedding, in practice no. Ley 20/2011, article 58.2, gives the prior file to “the notary of the place of domicile of either of the spouses” or to the Civil Registry “of the domicile of one of them”. Without a home in Spain there is no notary or registry competent to open it. Official pages say the same in practice: Madrid’s Civil Registry takes appointments only when “at least one of them has their habitual domicile in Madrid capital”, and the US Embassy in Spain tells its citizens to apply “where at least one of the applicants resides”.

- **If one of you lives in Spain**, the file is opened with a notary or the Civil Registry where that partner lives, and the wedding can then be held elsewhere in Spain, before the mayor of the place you choose.
- **If one of you is Spanish and lives abroad**, the Spanish consulate where you live can handle the file (article 58.9).
- **If you both live abroad and are not Spanish**, the realistic options are a Catholic wedding (below) or a legal marriage at home with a symbolic ceremony in Spain. This is the most common choice for couples from abroad, and the [five-country comparison](https://lensandvows.com/journal/portugal-vs-italy-spain-greece-france-destination-wedding) shows how Spain’s rule differs from Portugal’s, Italy’s, Greece’s and France’s.

## The civil route, step by step (if one of you lives in Spain)

1. **Choose who handles the file.** A notary where either of you is domiciled (an *acta*), or the Civil Registry of one partner’s domicile (an *expediente*). Registries usually work by appointment: in Madrid you send the documents first and then receive a link to book a date (Comunidad de Madrid, October 2026).
2. **Gather the documents** (the list below), translated and legalised where needed.
3. **Bring two witnesses.** Two adults who know you confirm there is no impediment. In Madrid they need not be the same two who sign at the wedding.
4. **The interview.** The notary or registrar hears each of you “privately and separately” to confirm your capacity and that there is no impediment (article 58.5).
5. **The decision.** The file ends with a resolution authorising or refusing the marriage. The US Embassy warns approval can take up to 45 days.
6. **Marry within a year.** A year after the notices or the steps that replace them, the file lapses and has to be repeated (article 58.5); Aragón’s courts count the year from the opening of the file.
7. **The wedding and registration.** It is celebrated before a mayor or councillor, a notary or a court registrar, as your file allows (article 58.8), and signed by you and two witnesses. The official sends it electronically to the Civil Registry the same day, and you receive a copy at once.

## The documents you will usually need

Your notary or registry will give you the exact list. For foreign citizens the Aragón courts’ list — typical of Spanish registries — asks for:

- A valid passport or national ID card, and the NIE (foreigner’s number) for a partner who lives in Spain.
- A full birth certificate, issued shortly before you open the file; for foreigners it is valid for six months.
- A certificate of civil status — proof that each of you is single, divorced or widowed — also valid for six months.
- Proof of residence: the *certificado de empadronamiento* from the town hall for a partner who lives in Spain, or a consular certificate of residence for one who doesn’t, valid for three months.
- A certificate of capacity to marry, for citizens of countries that issue one: the Aragón list names Germany, Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova, Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Turkey.
- If either of you has been married before, proof that the marriage ended: the earlier marriage certificate with the divorce noted on it, or the death certificate.

Some countries issue no certificate of single status at all — the US Embassy says there is no US equivalent of Spain’s *fe de vida y estado* and offers a statement to show the registry instead. Documents not in Spanish need a **sworn translation** (*traducción jurada*). **Legalisation**: public documents from another EU country need no apostille (Regulation (EU) 2016/1191); others usually need the Hague apostille, or consular legalisation where a country is not in the Hague Convention.

> **Ask before you order anything.** Before paying for any apostille or translation, ask the notary or registry exactly which documents it wants, how recent each must be, and whether the translator must be a Spanish sworn translator. Certificates expire in three to six months, so the order matters: not so early that one goes stale, not so late that a translation holds everything up.

## Where and when the civil ceremony happens

The mayor (or a councillor) of the place where you marry, a notary or a court registrar celebrates the wedding; town halls set their own places, days and fees. Three examples from official pages, as of October 2026:

- **Palma, Mallorca:** in the City Hall or the Throne Room of Bellver Castle, on Fridays 17:30–18:30 and Saturdays 11:30–12:30, every half hour, about 15 minutes each, with no ceremonies in January, August or December; the file must be authorised by Palma’s Civil Registry no. 2 (city council page, April 2025). Region: [Mallorca & the Balearics](https://lensandvows.com/spain/mallorca).
- **Granada:** civil ceremonies in the city’s palaces, among them the Carmen de los Mártires near the Alhambra, from 11:00 to 13:30 every half hour, 20 minutes at most; the council lends the building and you bring everything else.
- **Málaga:** civil weddings on the palm avenue of the La Concepción historical-botanical garden on Saturdays from May to September at 17:00, 18:30 and 20:00 — with no tents or covered space if it rains. Region: [Andalusia](https://lensandvows.com/spain/andalusia).

The ceremony is usually conducted in Spanish; if one of you doesn’t speak it, ask the official how interpretation is handled. Wedding venues that hold civil ceremonies do so through the mayor or a notary — see [wedding venues in Spain](https://lensandvows.com/journal/wedding-venues-spain).

## A Catholic wedding without living in Spain

The 1979 agreement between Spain and the Holy See (article VI) recognises the civil effects of a canonical marriage “from its celebration”; it is then entered in the Civil Registry on the simple presentation of the church’s certificate (Código Civil article 63). Because no civil file comes first, residence in Spain is not required — which makes the Catholic route the one legal wedding most couples from abroad can have in Spain.

- **The church file starts at home.** The Diocese of Málaga’s guidance: couples who don’t live in Spain “must do their whole file in the Catholic parish of their country, have it approved by the bishopric there and deliver it to the Bishopric” of the Spanish diocese, which authorises the wedding.
- **At least one of you is Catholic.** A marriage with a baptised non-Catholic needs the express permission of the bishop (canon 1124); with an unbaptised partner, a dispensation (canon 1086).
- **Away from your own parish** a wedding needs the permission of your bishop or parish priest (canon 1115) — the file transfer above is how that is done.
- **Typical papers**: a recent baptism certificate (Málaga asks for one less than six months old), proof of a marriage-preparation course, and the civil-status documents your parish asks for.
- **Start early**, and don’t fix a date before the parish and the Spanish diocese have seen your situation; Málaga says plainly not to set a date without consulting them first.

Ask the Spanish parish and diocese how the marriage will be registered and how to obtain the Spanish marriage certificate you will need at home. Religious weddings cluster in summer and early autumn in Spain: in 2024 they were 24.2% of August’s weddings and 22.4% of September’s, against 3.4% in January (INE).

## Same-sex couples

Law 13/2005 added one sentence to article 44 of the Civil Code — marriage has “the same requirements and effects when both spouses are of the same or of different sex” — and it took effect on 3 July 2005. The process is the same for every couple, including the residence rule for a civil wedding. In 2024, 4.2% of marriages in Spain were between two women or two men (INE). If you marry in Spain because you cannot marry at home, ask your own country how a Spanish marriage will be treated there.

## What a symbolic ceremony frees you to do

- **The place.** A cove, a vineyard, a Tramuntana terrace, a hacienda courtyard — wherever you are allowed to be. Beaches and natural parks have their own rules and sometimes need permission; [where to elope in Spain](https://lensandvows.com/journal/where-to-elope-in-spain) goes through them place by place.
- **The time.** Sunset in June is after 21:00 almost everywhere in Spain, so the ceremony can follow the light rather than an office calendar: [the best time to marry in Spain](https://lensandvows.com/journal/best-time-to-marry-in-spain) has the times.
- **The language.** Your own, or both of yours, with no interpreter.
- **The celebrant.** A friend, a family member, a professional celebrant — or nobody but the two of you.

## A timeline, in relative terms

| When | Civil (one of you lives in Spain) | Catholic | Symbolic |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| As soon as you pick a date | Ask the notary or Civil Registry for its list and how recent each document must be. Ask the town hall where you want to marry for its days and places. | Talk to your home parish and the Spanish parish before fixing anything. Book the marriage-preparation course. | Decide where and when you will marry legally at home. Start looking at places and photographers. |
| A few months before | Order certificates, apostilles and sworn translations in the right order; open the file with your two witnesses. | Your parish prepares the file; your diocese approves it and sends it to the Spanish one. | Check the rules for your spot. Settle the celebrant and the vows. |
| The last weeks | The decision can take up to 45 days (US Embassy). Confirm the official, the time and the place. | Confirm the Spanish diocese’s authorisation and the church’s rules for photos. | Go through the plan with your photographer, including a covered spot for rain. |
| After the wedding | The act goes to the Civil Registry the same day; for use abroad, ask for an apostille or the EU multilingual form. | The church certificate is entered in the Civil Registry; ask how to get the certificate. | Nothing to register in Spain: your legal marriage is the one at home. |

## Where your photographer fits in

- **Civil ceremonies are short** — about 15 minutes in Palma, 20 at most in Granada’s palaces — and run to a timetable. Your photographer needs to be in place before the official arrives, not looking for parking.
- **In a town hall or a palace**, ask whether photos are allowed during the ceremony and where a photographer may stand.
- **In a church**, ask the parish about photos, flash and where the photographer may move. Rules vary from church to church.
- **In a monument**, a separate authorisation may be needed for photos: the Alhambra, for example, charges a fee for a wedding photo session and asks for the request at least 15 days ahead — see [where to elope in Spain](https://lensandvows.com/journal/where-to-elope-in-spain).

## Questions couples ask

### Can foreigners get legally married in Spain?

Yes, but a civil wedding needs one of you to be domiciled in Spain: the prior file belongs to the notary or Civil Registry of one partner’s domicile (Ley 20/2011, article 58). Couples who both live abroad can have a Catholic wedding, which has civil effect without that file, or marry legally at home and hold a symbolic ceremony in Spain.

### Do we need to live in Spain to get married there?

For a civil wedding, one of you does: Madrid’s Civil Registry, for example, opens files only when at least one partner’s habitual domicile is in the city. For a Catholic wedding, no — the file is prepared in your home parish and sent through your diocese to the Spanish one. A symbolic ceremony has no requirements at all.

### Can we have a Catholic wedding in Spain if we live abroad?

Yes. A canonical marriage has civil effects in Spain from its celebration under the 1979 agreement with the Holy See, and it is registered on the church’s certificate. Your home parish prepares the file and your bishop’s office sends it to the Spanish diocese; at least one of you must be Catholic, and a mixed marriage needs the bishop’s permission.

### Is same-sex marriage legal in Spain?

Yes, since 3 July 2005 (Law 13/2005), with exactly the same requirements and effects as any marriage. In 2024, 7,336 of Spain’s 175,364 marriages, 4.2%, were between two men or two women (INE). The residence rule for civil weddings applies to every couple.

### How long does the civil paperwork take in Spain?

Allow several months: certificates must be recent, translations and apostilles take time, and the US Embassy warns approval of the file can take up to 45 days. Once approved, the wedding must take place within a year, or the file has to be repeated.

### Do we need witnesses to marry in Spain?

Yes, for a civil wedding: two adult witnesses who know you take part in the file, and the act of the wedding is signed by the couple and two witnesses (Ley 20/2011, article 58.8). In Madrid the witnesses for the file need not be the same two as at the ceremony.

### Is a symbolic wedding in Spain legally binding?

No. It has no legal effect anywhere, so couples who choose it marry legally at home, before or after. In return the place, the hour, the language and who leads it are entirely up to you, within the rules of the place you choose.

Once the route is clear: [what a wedding photographer costs in Spain](https://lensandvows.com/journal/wedding-photographer-cost-spain), [wedding venues in Spain](https://lensandvows.com/journal/wedding-venues-spain), or start from the regions — [Spain](https://lensandvows.com/spain). When you have a date, [tell us about your day](https://lensandvows.com/#concierge) and see who is free, or browse [the photographers](https://lensandvows.com/photographers).

## Sources

1. [BOE — Ley 20/2011 del Registro Civil, articles 58 and 58 bis (consolidated, in force from 3 April 2025)](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2011-12628)
2. [BOE — Código Civil, articles 44, 49–51, 57, 60 and 63 (consolidated)](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-1889-4763)
3. [BOE — Ley 13/2005, marriage between people of the same sex](https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2005-11364)
4. [BOE — Agreement between Spain and the Holy See on legal affairs (1979), article VI](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-1979-29489)
5. [BOE — Ley 24/1992, cooperation agreement with the Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities (article 7, marriage)](https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-1992-24853)
6. [Comunidad de Madrid — Appointment to open a marriage file (updated 8 October 2026)](https://sede.comunidad.madrid/autorizaciones-licencias-permisos-carnes/cita-apertura-expediente-matrimonial)
7. [Sede Judicial Electrónica de Aragón — Expediente de matrimonio civil (documents)](https://sedejudicial.aragon.es/registro-civil/matrimonio/expediente-matrimonio-civil/)
8. [US Embassy & Consulate in Spain and Andorra — Marriage](https://es.usembassy.gov/marriage/)
9. [Ajuntament de Palma — Celebración de matrimonios civiles (updated 28 April 2025)](https://seuelectronica.palma.cat/-/protocolo.01-celebraci%C3%B3n-de-matrimonios-civiles.-solicitud)
10. [Ayuntamiento de Granada — Bodas y palacios: Carmen de los Mártires](https://www.granada.org/inet/palacios.nsf/xedbynombre/58475794CDC857ECC1257188003A3DA0)
11. [Jardín Botánico-Histórico La Concepción, Málaga — Servicios (civil weddings)](https://laconcepcion.malaga.eu/es/servicios/)
12. [Diócesis de Málaga — Para casarse (2014)](https://diocesismalaga.es/inicio/2010110903/para-casarse/)
13. [Holy See — Code of Canon Law, Book IV (canons 1086, 1115, 1124)](https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann998-1165_en.html)
14. [European e-Justice — Public documents (Regulation (EU) 2016/1191)](https://e-justice.europa.eu/topics/your-rights/public-documents_en)
15. [INE — Movimiento Natural de la Población 2024, definitive data (19 November 2025)](https://www.ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/MNP2024.htm)
16. [INE — Marriages by month and form of celebration (table 37641), 2024](https://ine.es/jaxiT3/Tabla.htm?t=37641)

## The places in this guide

- [Mallorca & the Balearics](https://lensandvows.com/spain/mallorca)
- [Andalusia](https://lensandvows.com/spain/andalusia)