Destination Weddings: How to Get Married Civilly in Spain | RM Magic Dreams
How to Get Married Civilly in Spain: The Definitive Step-by-Step Guide
By Rocío Mejías Godoy – Director of RM Magic Dreams, experts in Destination Weddings in Spain, France, and the United States
Getting married civilly in Spain is a beautiful, modern option and a top favorite for many couples, both Spanish and international, who choose this country for their destination wedding. Spain has it all: magical landscapes, spectacular weather, and an incredible culture.
But let's be honest: organizing paperwork and understanding the deadlines of a foreign administration can get a bit complicated if you do not know the steps well.
From our offices in Miami, Florida, and with our specialized teams on the ground in Madrid and other cities across Spain, at RM Magic Dreams we help couples from all over the world manage these procedures. Today, we explain, in a very close, direct, and step-by-step way, everything you need to know so that the process is smooth and free of surprises.
1. Time is on Your Side: When to Start?
The best professional advice we can give you is anticipation. Ideally, you should start processing the marriage file between 6 and 12 months before the scheduled date for the civil wedding.
If you live outside of Spain, for example in Florida, or if you and your partner are registered in different Spanish provinces, the waiting times can lengthen.
At RM Magic Dreams, we always recommend choosing the date and booking the appointment at the Civil Registry one year in advance. This is especially important if you want to get married during high season or in a highly requested town hall.
2. Where is the Civil Marriage Processed?
Spanish law allows you to manage your civil wedding in three different places:
At the Civil Registry of the municipality where at least one of the couple resides.
At the Town Hall, if it has an agreement with the Civil Registry.
At the Justice of the Peace courts, if it is celebrated in small towns.
The documentation is always presented at the Civil Registry. Once the file is approved and authorized, the civil ceremony can be held either at the Registry or Town Hall itself, or at an authorized private location through the management of a displaced official or notary.
3. Required Documents to Get Married Civilly in Spain
Both the groom and the bride must present original personal documents and copies. Remember that all of them must be less than 6 months old:
Valid DNI or NIE and passport.
Literal birth certificate, requested from the Civil Registry where you were born or online.
Certificate of registration (empadronamiento) covering the last 2 years.
Sworn declaration of your current marital status (single, widowed, or divorced).
If either party has been married before, they must also provide the literal certificate of the previous marriage showing the divorce registration, or the death certificate as appropriate.
4. Witnesses and the Preliminary Interview
During the processing of the marriage file, the Civil Registry will request the appearance of two adult witnesses who know the couple. It can be one witness for each party or two in total, and they must always attend with their valid DNI or NIE.
In this process, a simple interview is conducted where the official asks personal and straightforward questions about the relationship, cohabitation, or future plans. This is a standard procedure to confirm that the relationship is completely real.
5. Costs of a Civil Wedding
Getting married civilly in Spain is not always free, and prices vary depending on the venue:
At the Civil Registry or the Justice of the Peace court, the ceremony is usually completely free.
At the Town Hall, the fee or donation depends on each municipality and usually ranges from 50 to 500 euros.
If you decide to celebrate it in a private place like a hotel, an estate, or a garden, the fee for the official or the fees of the notary who travels to officiate the wedding must be added to the cost of renting the space.
The average time from when you submit the documents until the Civil Registry approves the file is usually 2 to 6 months, at which point the official date, place, and time of the wedding are set.
6. What Happens if One of the Couple is Not Spanish? (Mixed Marriage)
Spain is one of the most desired places in the world for international destination weddings. If one of the couple is a foreigner and the other is Spanish or a legal resident, they can perfectly get married civilly in Spain, although the process requires additional documents and the Civil Registry's verification deadlines can extend from 6 to 12 months. Therefore, we recommend starting the process at least one year in advance.
Extra Documents for the Foreign Party
Valid passport or NIE.
Literal birth certificate issued by their country of origin.
Certificate of single status or marriage capacity issued by the consulate or embassy.
Certificate of registration or legal residence.
If divorced or widowed: certificate of the previous marriage with the annotation of divorce or death.
Mandatory Requirements for Foreign Papers
All international documents coming from outside Spain must meet two strict rules:
The Hague Apostille: All documents from your country of origin must carry this official stamp or be legalized through consular channels. For example, if you organize your wedding from Miami, your certificates must come apostilled from the state of Florida.
Official Sworn Translation: If your papers are in English, French, or any language other than Spanish, they must be translated into Spanish by an official sworn translator appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain.
If the foreigner does not reside in Spain, they can process part of their file at the Spanish consulate in their country of origin (such as the Consulate of Spain in Miami or Paris) and the rest is sent to the Civil Registry of the province where the wedding will be held, such as Madrid. In these cases of mixed marriages, the interview with the witnesses is usually a bit more detailed to verify the authenticity of the relationship.
7. Professional Advice from RM Magic Dreams
To ensure that everything goes perfectly, we suggest keeping these key recommendations from our director, Rocío Mejías Godoy, in mind:
Control the Dates: Always check the validity of each certificate, as most expire after 6 months.
Check Local Regulations: Specific requirements may vary slightly depending on the Autonomous Community or the Civil Registry where you carry out the procedure.
Keep Copies of Everything: Always maintain a physical and digital record of every paper submitted.
Religious Weddings and Second Marriages: If either party has been married before in the Church, they cannot marry again by this rite unless they have a prior ecclesiastical annulment. Furthermore, if you are already civilly married in your country of residence (such as in Miami or Paris) and want a grand celebration in Spain, the ceremony at the destination will be symbolic or religious before God, but it will not generate civil effects again because you are already legally married.
Conclusion
Getting married civilly in Spain is a direct and very beautiful process if organized with the necessary time. The most important thing is to anticipate deadlines, gather documents correctly, and count on expert advice.
At RM Magic Dreams LLC, we love helping couples from all over the world make their destination wedding a reality, whether civil or religious. We take care of all the legal, logistical, and emotional details so you only have to focus on enjoying yourselves. Your dream wedding in Spain begins with good planning.