Confirm you’re free to get married in Spain if you live abroad

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Check eligibility and the documents you need

Check the laws in Spain to make sure you can get married. Your marriage will be recognised in the UK if:

The person conducting your ceremony or relevant local authority can help you understand the processes you need to follow to get married, including what documents you’ll need.

To get married in Spain either:

  • you or your partner must live in Spain and be registered with the town where you’re getting married (‘padrón municipal’)
  • your partner must be a Spanish national

The documents you’ll need depend on where you’re getting married in Spain. Make sure you‘ve read the getting married in Spain guidance and checked which documents you need.

Certificate of no impediment (CNI)

To get a certificate of no impediment (CNI), British nationals need to fill in a notice of marriage and affirmation and sign them in front of a notary in Spain before applying for a CNI online. See how to get a CNI for details. A CNI is a legal document that states that no barriers (called impediments) to your marriage have been shown to exist.

You may need other documents to get married in Spain. You may also need to get some documents legalised (certified with a stamped official certificate called an apostille) or translated into the local language by a qualified translator. Check with the person conducting your ceremony or relevant local authority.

If you also need a marital status certificate (MSC)

If you’ve been told you need an MSC as well as a CNI you can apply for both documents in a single application. Apply for an MSC and CNI

Marriage registration

Marriages that take place abroad according to another country’s law are not added to UK records. Your marriage will be registered in Spain instead. The person conducting your ceremony can tell you how to get a marriage certificate. You will not be able to register at or get a certificate from a UK register office, or British embassy or consulate. Keep your marriage certificate as evidence of your marriage. You may want to get it translated, especially if you want to use it outside Spain. Find a qualified translator.

If your partner is a British national

They should check what documentation they need with the person conducting your ceremony or relevant local authority and apply online themselves.

If your partner is not a British national or a national of Spain

Your partner should contact their national embassy to find out what they need to get married in Spain.