WeddingThe Costa Del Sol stretches along just over 150 kilometres and is one of Spain's most popular tourist resorts. This is a fantastic destination for people of all ages offering year round sunshine, glorious beaches and picturesque villages. The Costa Del Sol is within easy reach of a wide range of historic tourist attractions from the impressive Ronda, the spectacular cities of Malaga and Seville and quaint villages with white washed houses. When the sun goes down there is a wide variety of shops, bars and restaurants to choose from. The Costa Del Sol stretches along just over 150 kilometres and is one of Spain's most popular tourist resorts. This is a fantastic destination for people of all ages offering year round sunshine, glorious beaches and picturesque villages. The Costa Del Sol is within easy reach of a wide range of historic tourist attractions from the impressive Ronda, the spectacular cities of Malaga and Seville and quaint villages with white washed houses. When the sun goes down there is a wide variety of shops, bars and restaurants to choose from.
Legalities and documentation for Costa del Sol, Spain
Wedding Legal RequirementsCatholic Weddings
Catholic weddings are legal for any nationality in Spain. Generally as long as one of the couple is Catholic and neither is divorced then it is possible to have a Catholic wedding. The paperwork is started with your priest in your home country, sent to your Bishop, who sends it onto the Bishop in Malaga, who then sends it onto the church where you are getting married. The paperwork required is:
• Certified copies of Official Baptismal Certificates, not older than 6 months
• Photocopies of Birth Certificates
• Certificate of Marriage Guidance Preparation Course
• Letter of Freedom to marry in the Catholic Church
• Parish, day and time of wedding
• If one of the couple is not catholic then you also need a Dispensation from the Bishop to marry in the Catholic church.
Civil Weddings
According to Spanish law, it is possible for 2 non-residents to marry, however this law is interpreted differently in each area. Most areas require you to be a resident; however there are selected hotels, which have special arrangements with their local Town Hall, where non-residents can get married. Contact Sunway on 01 2311 896 for a list of these hotels. In these areas you will need the following documents
• Birth Certificates
• Certificates of no Impediment of Marriage
• Passports.
• Proof that you are on the electoral roll in your home country
• Divorced/death certificates (if applicable)
All documents are in English, with the exception of the
passport which has to have the Hague Apostille attached
to the back and then have to be translated by an authorised
translator. All these documents has to be presented by you to
the Town Hall 3 months before the wedding. Finally at the
service itself you have to have a translator, unless you both
speak Spanish, and then the service will be in Spanish.
This can be a long and costly process which is why couples
that live in Spain tend to choose to go to Gibraltar to get
married, to save the time and expense. Additionally, as
with any civil service, it is not a romantic service, whereas
a blessing is tailored to your needs and requirements, and
so is more memorable. Generally couples do not tell their
guests that the blessing is not legal, and that the trip to
Gibraltar was just to get the license. Blessings can be held
in a wide variety of venues.
Gibraltar
For weddings in Gibraltar you need the following documents:
• Passport
• Birth Certificate (with name that matches the passport)
• Original divorce certificate or death certificate (if applicable)
Couples getting married in Gibraltar must visit the area
approx. 3 months before the wedding to fill out the relevant
paperwork.
