Getting married in Spain-Villanueva de la Concepción

Foreigners who wish to marry in Spain will need certain documents so it is advisable to start the process as soon as possible. You will need a minimum of two months.

Start of proceedings:

The proceedings for civil marriage must always be initiated at the Civil Registry of the municipality in which one of the interested parties is registered or has their permanent place of residence. If the parties are registered in different towns, they may choose the one that best suits their needs.

Place of the ceremony:

Although the prior proceedings are conducted at the corresponding Civil Registry, once the pre-marriage proceedings have been completed, the interested parties may choose to hold the marriage ceremony in any municipality.

The physical place of the ceremony must always be the offices or departments of the Civil Registry of the municipal building where the same is located, or any municipal facilities allocated for said purpose, when the wedding is officiated by the mayor or a councilor.

Under no circumstances may weddings be held in other places such as: restaurants, estates or private homes.

Once final approval for the marriage has been issued, the wedding can take place as soon as the needs of the service so allow.

Marriage Registration

Registration certifies the marriage and the date, time and location at which it took place. It is the means of proving that the marriage took place, and it is the certification that gives legitimacy to the married marital status.

The marriage is legally effective from the moment it takes place, but it requires registration in the Civil Register for full recognition.

The Judge, Mayor or Civil Servant who performs the marriage issues the registration or corresponding certificate with his or her signature and those of the married couple and the witnesses. Once the registration has been processed or the certificate issued, the Judge, Mayor or Civil Servant provides each of the individuals who were married with a document certifying that the wedding took place, which is the Family Book. (Libro de Familia). If you later have children they will be inscribed in this book.

Don’t forget to report your wedding to your own country’s Embassy or Consulate.

If you would like to have a civil marriage in Villanueva de la Concepción, both parties will need to have the following.

• Passport, original and photocopy.
• Full birth certificate.
• Certificate from the British Embassy regarding your Civil Status (see below).
• Empadronamiento Certificate which shows where you have been living the past two years (If in the last 2years you were registered in another locality before the present one, then you have to bring the certificateof the other area also, which shows when you were registered there and when it ended).
• If you are a legal resident in Spain, resident certificate, original and photocopy.
• Photocopy of NIE of your two witnesses.
• Town Hall form completed

All foreign documents that are presented must be also presented with their translation in Spanish. The British Embassy can arrange and advise on what documents need to be translated.

Certificate of Civil Status (Certificado de Estado Civil)

This certificate is issued by your local British Consulate.  It involves swearing an oath/declaring to the effect that you are single and free to marry. If you are divorced or widowed, you must declare as such and present your original divorce decree or a death certificate on making your application for the certificate at the Consulate. In all cases you must present an original copy of your full British Birth Certificate (i.e. the copy which includes your parents’ details) and your valid British passport. You may need to show

• Certificate of Empadronamiento
• Certificate of dissolution/annulment of a previous Civil Partnership/same sex marriage, if relevant.

Please note you may be asked for additional documents to those above if your local Consulate requires further proof of your circumstances.

Once all the paperwork is available and the form from the Town Hall completed then a suitable date can be arranged.