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Getting Married in Spain -
and San Miguel de Salinas Civil and religious marriages between foreigners or a foreigner and a Spanish national are possible in Spain. Agreements between the State and the major non-Catholic faiths governing the acceptance of religious marriage ceremonies are being finalised and should be possible in the near future. In the meantime and subject to the agreement of individual priests, it is possible to have a civil marriage blessed in a non-catholic church. It is not possible at this time to have such a blessing at The Parochial Church in San Miguel de Salinas.
These are a matter for the local Archbishop in the area of the forthcoming marriage and, in general, a baptism certificate and a statutory declaration by the parents of the English party to the effect that their son/daughter is single, is required. Formalities do, however, vary significantly from parish to parish and the requirements should be checked well in advance with the local priest.
We understand from the Civil Registry in Madrid that, at present, a birth certificate (accompanied by a sworn translation), passport, Consular registration Certificate and a Consular Certificate of No-Impediment to the marriage are required. Formalities may again vary in different Registries and applicants should check in every case which precise documents are needed or waived. A notice of intention to marry is displayed on a Consular notice board for a clear 21 days. The notice itself is sworn by the applicant and can only be accepted if he/she has been residing for a clear 21 day period in the Consular district where the notice is displayed. Where one of the parties to the forthcoming marriage is resident in the UK and will come to the marriage ceremony shortly before it is to take place they should approach the nearest Spanish Consulate in the UK to obtain information regarding the procedures involved. If proof of UK residence is needed, a letter can be obtained from the local Electoral Registration Office to the effect that the UK resident is on the electoral register for the year in question. It is important to note that paperwork can be lengthy and time consuming and ample forward planning is necessary, especially where a marriage is to be celebrated during the summer months. Civil Marriages
There are no facilities for marriage at a British Consulate in Spain. Some foreign consulates do provide a service for their nationals however. For more information click here for a link to The British Consul in Alicante
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