Getting Married in Portugal
Getting married in Portugal requires a civil ceremony at the Conservatoria do Registo Civil. Religious ceremonies are also recognised if registered civilly. Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2010.
Start the Processo Preliminar de Casamento
Both partners must file a preliminary process at any Conservatoria do Registo Civil. This can be done online via IRN (Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado).
Submit required documents
Foreign nationals need additional documents compared to Portuguese citizens.
Documents needed
- Birth certificate (less than 6 months old, apostilled)
- Certificate of no impediment to marriage (from your home country)
- Passport and NIF
- Proof of residence in Portugal
- If divorced: divorce decree (apostilled)
- If widowed: death certificate of previous spouse
- All documents must be translated to Portuguese by a certified translator
Wait for the banns period
After filing, banns are published for a mandatory waiting period. If no objections, the ceremony can proceed.
Schedule and attend the ceremony
Civil ceremonies are held at the Conservatoria. You can also have a ceremony at another location with prior arrangement. Two witnesses are required.
Get the marriage certificate
Issued by the Conservatoria after the ceremony. You may need certified copies for various purposes (name change, immigration, etc).
Update your records
Notify Financas (for joint tax filing option), AIMA (if relevant for residence), bank, and any other institutions.
Watch out
- ●The 'certificate of no impediment' can be tricky to obtain from some countries — start early
- ●Prenuptial agreements are possible but must be signed before marriage
- ●Portuguese default marital property regime is 'communion of acquired assets' — understand the implications
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