Civil Marriage in Spain
I hope someone can help us on our problem. I am a Filipina living in Manila and my Fiancee is a Spanish, living in Madrid.
My Fiancee decided to visited me and my family this Easter week and finally we decided to live together, get married and build our future family in Madrid. Our Lawyer(which is a Filipina living in Spain and works in Philippine Embassy) advised us to get a Tourist Visa for a while聽 and then get married in Spain. Unfortunately the Consulate denied my Visa Application because they have recovered my Fiancee's previous email inquiries on their account. They said, the email is a clear evidence that the real intention of my Visa is to get married.
Upon releasing of my denied letter, the Spanish officer advised me,that the proper way is to get married first in the Philippines.聽 In line to this,my Fiancee sent an email to the Consulate for requirements and information but until now we have not received any replies.
We are reviewing the requirements and procedure in the consulate website for civil marriage, we are shocked to know that we need to apply, send requirements and get an interview for us to get married. It's like another Visa application again. Their website is quiet confusing in regards to Civil Marriage procedures.
We are asking for your kind help to give us a clear idea about what steps, requirements and procedures to take. Is it better to get married outside the Consulate, like civil marriage in the Local City hall?
Our goal for now is to live together and soon get a proper Church wedding in Spain. I hope you can help us, since our lawyer is not efficient enough to help us. We already paid her half of 2,000 euros as professional fee. Please help.
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I got married in Manila some years ago. It was straightforward.聽 We had a garden wedding performed by the mayor.聽 聽 I was divorced so we could not marry in church.
Once married my wife applied for a visa to travel to Spain. That too was straightforward.聽 Spain has signed an EU Directive that it is in effect illegal to keep a family separated.聽
When she arrived here she applied for RESIDENCIA.

I think our lawyer advised us the wrong step and now the Consulate already know our intentions and blocking my Visa application. Anyway how long does you wait for your wife's approved visa? Did she applied for tourist visa or residence visa? I never thought that applying for Visa and marriage is very complicated.
Thank you very much, God bless you and your wife.
If you marry in the聽 Philippines is will be under their law.
As I said, ask at a town hall.聽 聽They issue the licence to get married, withouit which you cannot marry, so will聽 know the law.
After your marriage in the Philippines, did you register your marriage in the Spanish consulate? And then did you applied for residence, petition or tourist visa for your wife? Big thanks!

At that time, and I do not think it has changed, there was only a tourist visa, unlike with UK.
After the marriage and getting the paperwork in Phil, one applies for the 90 day Schengen visa.聽
On arrival in Spain one starts the application process for RESIDENCIA. Once that is started, that the visa expires is not important.
I cannot remember registering the marriage in the Spanish consulate. I do not think that is a a requirement,
聽 聽 聽 聽 1. Photocopy of current passport of both contracting parties
聽 聽 聽 聽 2. Birth Certificate issued by the Spanish Civil Registry; for Filipino citizens, issued by PSA-Philippine Statistics Authority.
聽 聽 聽 聽 3. Certificate of marital status/No impediment; for Filipinos, certificate of no marriage record issued by PSA (NSO
聽 聽 聽 聽 4. Certificate of Residence during the last two years. This certificate can be issued by the pertinent Consulate if the person has resided abroad. For residents in Spain, the certificate must be issued by the Municipality of your place of residence.
And finally have an interview before they give us the certificate.
Unfortunately they also said that if we want to get married in Philippines. The Philippine authorities require foreign nationals to submit a Consular certificate of legal capacity to marry too. This procedure is regulated by article 252 of the Implementing Rules of the Civil Registry Law, and it requires submission of documents and a private and separate interview with the Civil Registrar.
And this sucks because my fiancee have lots of responsibilities in Spain and it's impossible for him to go in Manila for an interview and go back again in Spain and then go back again in Manila for our Civil marriage. Honestly we are frustrated because the consulate is giving us cold shoulders and our lawyer is ignorant, she seems confused too. Anyway Thanks for your advises.
I am happy to know you and your wife were able to get the marriage and get the residecia. God bless you more!saw your post for spain visa, can you tell me if you have got the visa or have already in spain ? bcoz i have the same situation but yes, yet i havent approach the consulate for anything so am just planning it. my girlfriend is in madrid and we are planning to marry but confuse how to get there in madrid for marriage.
i hope that you have already got solution聽 for your situation.
thanks
Barun
Anyway each country has different consulate rules. I suggest that you need to ask the consulate first.
Why not get married in Philippines ?聽 A couple of visits would seem to have been/be simpler and quicker
聽 Then an application for聽 鈥 reagrupacion familiar鈥 visa should be straightforward
厂别别.听
(EU).aspx
thanks for your reply
barun

While processing my authenticated papers inside the consulate office. I have seen a lot of rejections for聽 filipinas and their Spanish husbands on getting a family reunification visa. All of these couples get the civil marriage in the Philippines without having the certificate first. They all thought that it is easy to get but no, now they need to go back to square one to redo the process.
The Spanish Consulate said that they only recognized the marriage if it's registered in the Spanish Civil registry alone not in the Philippines.
@Barun yes it is more safe if your Spanish fianc茅 will be the one who will ask the Spanish Civil registry for the requirements and聽 date of your marriage. But please do not聽 let her send any documents or inquiries to the Consulate in your country-if you plan to get a Schengen Visa. For sure they will block you聽 because you have other intentions.
Yes it is easier if you go to Spain as a tourist聽 then get married there. It is our first option too but my Schengen Visa application was denied.
I wish you get the certificate too!
PS I tried this link it worked for me
PPS.聽 I had a problem with the British c贸nsul who would not accept that I had a few years previously change my name in U.K. under common law.聽 聽 I call the FCO in U.K. and they contacted the consul聽 聽The problem disappeared
If you believe the consul is being difficult try FCO as I did
We already ask the higher office about our case and the easiest and only way that the consulate can't block our application is this way.
But as a legal resident in spain, all EU Citizens have the same rights. Thus the same rules must apply to all
This is a site. where one can ask specific questions and get especific, not standard, replies within a day or two
I have asked several questions and had very helpful replies.
Ps. The link works for me
聽 thank you so much for the links and assistance. my fiance said that she already spoke to the civil registry there and they gave her some form to fill and to submit mine and her docs there. then they will say when i have to come there also, i will not approach the consulate here neither mine fiancee so once she get the date of marriage i will then go to my local consulate here. okay this is what we are working on but as you said that to go on tourist and marry is more easy but the consulate don't give two months tourist visa as they ask many things that why we need so much day for tour otherwise i would have consider that. @filipina wish to hear good news soon from you and i will pray for you guys
@jhoncar can i get tourist visa more than 40 days do you think its not problematic and they easily give ? thanks
regards
barun
I said,聽 聽鈥 .........聽 聽if one comes to spain as a Spouse of an EU national ........鈥

Thanks
Barun
The decision whether or not to issue a visa is,聽 I believe, based on whether they accept you will leave spain at the end of the visit.
So you must have a compelling reason to return to your own country.聽 聽Maybe a career in philippines, substantial business,聽 very ill close relative, etc.聽 聽 聽
Coming to meet a bf/gf would seem to be a reason why it might be thought聽 one may not leave!聽
Applying for a visa for just a holiday, cultural visit, tour of Europe, etc. might be more likely to produce a visa.聽 聽Just a thought
@filipina - hi, have your boyfriend submitted the docs in civil registry, have you got the marriage date ?
I am currently in this dilemma.
1) Tourist visa would have been a lot easier. Although I can risk this but my travel history would warrant for second inspection and greater chance of being denied. I can risk but will look for better option if there is one.
2) Yes. Acquisition of the certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry/Certificate of No Impediment is different from that of the UK and Spain. For British nationals, the foreigner sets an appointment to the British Embassy, present all necessary documents, once documents are found valid and complete, the foreigner will take an oath, then his legal capacity to marry will be released right there and then. No tedious/strict interviews (I know this based on a friend's experience). However for Spanish Nationals, you need to submit the requirement, then wait for their email/call to set your appointment, you appear at their office and will be interviewed, thoroughly. Too much trouble but it is the way.

Anyway, any update on your application using the "Civil Marriage without your presence"?
Would be a great help if you could update us.

By the way before the pandemic we received our Certificate-聽 2 to 3 months after my Spanish consulate interview.
I was married in a civil ceremony in Philippines in 2006.
Having overcome the long drawn out system, no doubt inherited from 300 years of Spanish rule !聽 聽 It was pretty straightforward.
In our case the 鈥榥o impediment鈥 paperwork was from the British consulate.聽 The marriage licence from the town hall for the area where we were to get married.
Please don鈥檛 draw confusion to other Filipino readers- Spanish Embassy and Spanish consulate are two different entities. Only the Spanish Consulate have the authority to release 鈥淟egal Capacity to get married certificate鈥 in the Philippines.
By the way before the pandemic we received our Certificate-聽 2 to 3 months after my Spanish consulate interview.
@FilipinaArchitect Hi, I麓m in the same situation like your husband was. Did you finally had a proxy marriage? is that possible? Did you finally got married? How did you do that? Thanks for your answer.
聽 聽 @FilipinaArchitect Hi, I麓m in the same situation like your husband was. Did you finally had a proxy marriage? is that possible? Did you finally got married? How did you do that? Thanks for your answer.
聽 聽
聽 聽 -@miguelboach
They have not visited the site in 3 years, so its unlikely you will get a response. I recommend that you start a new topic with the questions you may have.
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