The legal side of getting married in Spain does vary from town hall to town hall, but the basic documents remain the same for foreigners that wish to get married in Spain. The following information is required for getting married in Spain.

An original birth certificate (i.e. the long version)

Certificate of Residence (Empadronamiento)

Full Passport

Certificate of no impediment to Marriage. This can be obtained either from your local registry office or from the Spanish consulate. You will need to check which your particular town hall requires.

If applicable, an original divorce certificate, which is the one with the coloured stamp on it.

If applicable, an original death certificate.

All documents that are in English have to have the Hague Apostille on them and is available from the following address:

Legislation Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Admiralty Office

London SW1A 2LG

Tel 0207 008 1111

The current fee for the Apostille is ?19 for each document. If you go there in person, then this process takes roughly about 2 days. If you send the documents by post, it takes about 2 weeks and you need to send an extra ?2 for return postage and packing.

All documents must then be translated into Spanish and presented at the relevant town hall at least 3 months before the planned wedding.

Catholics of any country can be married legally in Spain.

If one of the party is Catholic and the other not, then marriage is still possible with a Dispensation, which must be requested from their Bishopric. Neither party can be divorced. Please note the demand for Catholic churches is high so booking must be made well in advance.

WEDDINGS IN GIBRALTAR

Documents required for civil weddings in Gibraltar for UK citizens include:

Long version of Birth Certificate

Full Passport

Divorce Certificate ? This must be the original with coloured court stamp on it (if applicable).

Death Certificate (if applicable).

Documents required for civil weddings in Gibraltar for non-UK citizens are the same as above, but you will also need a certificate of no impediment to marriage, which is available from the appropriate consulate. This paperwork must be presented at the Marriage Office in Gibraltar at least the day before the wedding before 10.30am. The wedding must be booked in advance and is subject to availability.