Destination Wedding - Spain Legal Requirements

Some areas of Spain have a residency requirement of two years, meaning that one of the parties getting married must have lived in Spain that long before the wedding can take place. Other parts of Spain have a less lengthy 21 day residency requirement, but in these cases, marriage applications can still take up to 45 days. You will need to complete an application form, show your birth certificate (translated into Spanish), complete certificates stating that you're free to marry and showing your residency, and you must post the banns for at least 15 days prior to your ceremony. After these requirements are completed, you'll be able to have a Civil Marriage, or if you choose to do so, a Catholic ceremony. Only Catholic, Protestant, Islamic, Jewish and Civil marriages are legal in Spain. As of June 30, 2005, gay marriages are also legal in Spain.