The marriage certificate is an official document of civil and religious character proof of the act of marriage, which indicates the date, time and place where the marriage was celebrated. We can find different types of marriage certificates:
- Positive: There are two types of positive marriage certificates. The first one is the extractwhich summarizes the data held by the Civil Registry, the body issuing the certificate. The second is the literal certificate, which contains all the information collected in the registration of the marriage.
- Negatives: These indicate that the marriage does not appear in the Civil Registry.
When do I need a certified translation of my certificate?
In case we need to present a marriage certificate in Spain and it is written in a language other than Spanish then we will have to make a sworn translation of it. For bilingual regions of our country such as Galicia, Basque Country and Catalonia we might even be asked to have it written in Spanish plus the language of that region.
On the other hand, if our certificate was written in Spanish and we were asked to present it in another country we would also have to make an official translation that could only be done by a sworn translator, authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who with his signature and seal would give it legal validity.
In any case, it is the obligation of the body requesting this document to confirm that we do indeed need to provide a sworn translation of the marriage certificate.
What do I need my marriage certificate for?
We may need the marriage certificate for formalities such as:
- applying for the nationality of our partner’s country of origin.
- registering our biological or adopted children at the Civil Registry.
- to process a divorce
- prove the marriage in Spain, if a couple marries outside the Spanish state.
- applying for a residence permit
- contract a health insurance
- adoption procedures, etc.
It will be better to make sure of the necessary requirements of the procedure that we must do to apply for one type of certificate or another.
How can I apply for my marriage certificate?
In Spain, it can be done in the following way in personFor this purpose, it will be necessary to go to the Civil Registry of the place where the marriage has been registered, for mail and also by online.
In case you have any questions or need more detailed information, you can contact us by filling out the following form. the questionnaire and we will be happy to help you.