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Beginner January 2012

Catholic wedding in Spain: Paperwork dilemma!

Elan_elan, 14 of July of 2013 at 15:54 Posted on Honeymoons & Getting Married Abroad 0 3
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Hi everyone. I am getting married in less than a month is a Catholic ceremony in Spain. We (foolishly!) decided against a wedding planner even though neither of us speak a word of Spanish. (Yes I must be mad). The wedding is fast approaching but there have been a few major spanners in the works.

Dilemma 1) We organised our paperwork (baptismal and confirmation certificates, as well as freedom to marry letters) through our local church, but when I hadn't heard anything, I got worried. The priest assured me he had sent everything on but I got a family friend to ring the bishop's office in Spain. They have not received our paperwork. Neither has the Diocese here! The priest has gone on holiday and is unable to tell me what he as done with our paperwork and time is seriously marching on.

Dilemma 2) In passing, a married friend of mine mentioned something to do with getting a certificate of no impediment before the wedding. I have asked people at the local registry office, the Spanish embassy in England, the English Embassy in Spain, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Town Hall in the town where I intend to marry and NO-ONE knows what civil paperwork I need, if any. The phoneline to the Bishop's office in Spain in down so I can't ask there.

The wedding is in 20 something days and I am tearing my hair out! No one is helping me and I am terrified that our wedding will not be able to take place and that all our guests will have paid for flights and accommodation to see us getting married and it will all be for nothing.

Please: if you have got married in the Catholic church in Spain, what exactly did you have to do? Sorry for the long winded post but I am at my wits end!

3 replies

Latest activity by SunnyBlueConfetti551, 26 of February of 2016 at 16:33
  • Barefoot
    Beginner August 2012
    Barefoot ·
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    I may be wrong, but I understood that to marry in Spain, you either need to be residents of Spain, or one of you needs to be Spanish.

    This may help: www.gov.uk/marriage-abroad

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  • E
    Beginner January 2012
    Elan_elan ·
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    Hi Barefoot, thanks very much for your reply. The residency stipulations don't apply if you are marrying in the Catholic church which has its own paperwork requirements, so Im so confused as to whether I need extra paperwork than what the church is asking for (church ceremony does not require an additional legal ceremony).

    Hopefully Ill get it sorted but thanks again x

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  • I
    Beginner May 2013
    Ivana1985 ·
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    I got married in the USA so can't help on the Spanish law itself however I didn't need a certificate of no impediment - it basically confirms that you have not been married before. Not all foreign countries need it. If it was a requirement I'm pretty sure it would be clear as with the other paperwork.

    Sorry I can't be of more help with everything else. Try not to panic - could you not get in contact with a wedding planner now on the pretence you are getting married at a later date and just sound out what legal paperwork you need.

    8i so feel for you we didn't have a planner and its hard getting your head around it all.

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  • S
    Beginner June 2016
    SunnyBlueConfetti551 ·
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    Hi Elan_elan,

    I am in a similar situation, and I was just wondering if you could please help with some info? We have submitted the baptism certificates, letters of freedom etc to our local priest in the UK, and just waiting for the bishop to give the OK.

    Was there any other paperwork that you needed in the end? I have seen mention of certificates of no impediment etc. but can't work out if this applies to us, also people have mentioned about notaries signing off translated copies of our birth certificates etc.

    So I was just hoping you could please clarify as you have been through it all??

    I was hoping that the 'expediente' from the bishop would be all we need...

    many thanks in advance.

    Susi

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