Marriage

How to get married

Portuguese residing abroad, who want to get married (or a Portuguese who wants to get married with a foreigner), may request to the Consulate or Consular Section of his/her residential area to celebrate or register the wedding. Consequently, the corresponding deed will be drawn up by registration if before a consular agent, or by transcription, if the marriage was celebrated before a catholic priest or before the local authorities of the Civil Registration of the considered country.

1. Marriage celebrated by the consular agent:
   The qualified Consular Post is the post of the residential area of both intended spouses or of one of the spouses if they reside in different areas. The organization of a preliminary process of publications is obligatory.
2. Marriage transcribed by consular agent:
   If the marriage is celebrated before the local qualified authorities, it may have or not a previous preliminary process of publications. In this case the consular agent cannot do the transcription, unless he organizes “à posteriori” the respective process. The obligation of separate estate regime will be the regime in force. Any marriage contract authorised by the intended spouses might be null.

NOTE: The internal legislation of some countries may limit or restrain the application of these measures.

Norms that should be observed for the wedding

1. Intended spouses must present at the Consulate of the residential area the legal obligatory documents and must request the organization of the preliminary process.
2. Having the process been opened, the Consulate will fix a public notice, publicizing the conscious will of the intended spouses to celebrate their marriage.
3. After organizing the preliminary process a final order will be drawn, which, being positive, will serve as a base for the consular authorities to issue the marriage certification.

Requested Documents

• Birth certificate with complete narrative of the intended spouses, issued in less than 6 months;
• Identity card/Passport of each intended spouse;
• Intended spouses with foreign nationality must also present a certificate of his/her civil state and nationality;
• Documentary evidence of his/her residence in the country and indication of the entrance date.
• Marriage certification for those cases concerned with of transcription registration.