Rodrigo MaranhãoLawyer in Lisbon
Office in Lisbon · Serving all of Portugal
Lawyer for marrying a foreign national in Lisbon
We handle the whole process, from the marriage at the Civil Registry Office to regularising your spouse’s residence in Portugal.
- In person or by video call
Rodrigo MaranhãoLawyer in Lisbon
Brazilian Bar Association · PernambucoRegistration: 22.372
Portuguese Bar Association · PortugalRegistration: 60554L
Madrid Bar Association · SpainRegistration: 144875
Who it is for
Marrying someone from another country is one “I do”, but it involves two legal systems.
Many couples handle the marriage themselves, directly at the Civil Registry Office. If one of these situations is yours, it makes sense to have a lawyer.
The person you are marrying is outside Portugal
And cannot, or would rather not, make two trips. One partner can be represented at the ceremony by power of attorney.
You live in Portugal and are marrying someone from another country
Whether you are Portuguese or a foreign resident, the process runs at the Civil Registry Office, with documents from both countries.
The other country’s documents are holding everything up
Certificates without an apostille, rejected translations, a certificate the country does not issue. That is where we start.
After the wedding, your spouse will need residence in Portugal
Marriage does not grant residence automatically. The right application depends on each partner’s nationality.
Your case in 4 questions
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Send the summary on WhatsAppStep by step
How we handle your case.
- 01
Preliminary stage
- Guidance on and review of both partners’ documents.
- Drafting and certification of the power of attorney and the other documents required.
- Review of any previous marriages and, if a divorce was granted outside the EU, of whether the judgment must be recognised in Portugal.
- 02
Scheduling the ceremony
- Opening the preliminary marriage procedure by power of attorney, filing the documents with the Civil Registry Office.
- Responding to any questions and steps required by AIMA, when the Civil Registry Office consults it.
- Booking a date for the ceremony once the marriage has been authorised.
- 03
Civil marriage ceremony
- The wedding, attended by both partners, or by one of them and the other’s proxy.
- Registration of the marriage on the same day.
- Request for the marriage certificate, which is used in the spouse’s residence application.
- 04
Spouse’s residence in Portugal
- Choosing the right application: a residence card as the family member of an EU citizen, when the other spouse is Portuguese or from the EU; family reunification, when they are a foreign resident.
- Preparing the documents and filing the application with AIMA, including booking the appointment when one is required.
- Following the application through to the decision and the issue of the residence permit, including any requests for further documents from AIMA.
Essential documents
What delays an international marriage is, almost always, the paperwork.
Each of these issues has a solution.
What costs time is discovering them halfway through the process, so we start with them.
A foreign birth certificate without an apostille, or with a translation that is not accepted.
The certificate of capacity to marry: not every country issues one, and the alternative must be carefully prepared.
A general power of attorney, “for all acts”, is not enough to get married. The law requires special powers for the marriage, the identification of the other partner and the type of marriage.
A previous divorce granted in another country, which may have to be recognised in Portugal before the new marriage.
Names, surnames and dates that do not match across documents from different countries.
How we can help
From the Civil Registry Office to your spouse’s residence.
- Civil Registry Office
Civil marriage with a foreign national, in person or by power of attorney
Gathering and reviewing both partners’ documents, a power of attorney when one partner cannot attend, the preliminary procedure and support through to the ceremony.
- AIMA
Residence in Portugal for the foreign spouse
A residence card for a family member of an EU citizen, or family reunification, depending on the nationality of the partner already living in Portugal. We prepare the application and follow it through to the decision.
Fees
What the marriage process costs
Consultation
€50 + VAT
A review of your case, at our office or by video call: documents, timeframes and next steps.
Official fees and costs
€200–400 on average
Civil Registry fee, power of attorney, apostilles and translations. See the breakdown in the table below.
Legal fees
Quoted at the consultation, before we start
They depend on what the case requires: a marriage with simple documents is not the same work as one with a power of attorney and a foreign divorce.
From power of attorney to “I do”: costs and timeframes, step by step
| Step | Reference cost | Usual timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Power of attorneyAuthenticated by a notary, lawyer or solicitor. Abroad, before a local notary. | €75–150 | 1 to 3 days |
| ApostilleOnly when the power of attorney is signed outside Portugal. | €10–50 | 1 to 15 days |
| Certified translationOnly when the power of attorney is not in Portuguese. Not needed from Brazil. | €30–80 | 3 to 7 days |
| Or: power of attorney at a Portuguese consulateInstead of a power of attorney with an apostille. | Set by each consulate | Depends on the consulate |
| Civil Registry procedureOpening, document check and authorisation of the marriage. The €120 applies on a working day at the Registry Office; elsewhere or out of hours, it costs more. | €120 | 30 to 60 days |
| Support from our officeFrom the paperwork to the ceremony. | Quoted at the consultation | — |
| Start to weddingAverage when one partner is a foreign national. | — | 2 to 4 months |
Average references: they vary with the country of origin and each authority’s schedule. At the consultation, we give you the figures for your case.
Who handles your case
Rodrigo Maranhão
I am a lawyer registered in Brazil, Portugal and Spain. At Vilanova Maranhão Advogados, in Lisbon, I work with couples and families who live between countries, on marriage, residence, nationality and civil registration matters. I also know this reality as an immigrant: I have lived in Europe for almost ten years and know what it takes to deal with paperwork across two countries.
Brazilian Bar Association, Pernambuco · Registration: 22.372- Portuguese Bar Association · Registration: 60554L
- Madrid Bar Association · Registration: 144875
Where we are
Office in Lisbon, serving all of Portugal.
At the office
R. Bernardo Lima 35, 2C, 1150-075 Lisboa
In-person meetings by appointment.
Open in Google Maps →By video call, anywhere in Portugal
For those who live outside Lisbon, prefer not to travel, or when your partner is still in another country. We handle the process remotely: in most cases, the couple only needs to come to the Civil Registry Office on the wedding day.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask us most before setting the date.
If your question is not here, ask us directly.
Send my question on WhatsApp →Do I need a residence permit to get married in Portugal?
To marry, the civil registry law does not require a residence permit. But marriage does not, by itself, regularise your immigration status: the spouse’s residence is a separate application with its own requirements. We explain both from the start.
Can we marry if one of us is outside Portugal?
Yes, by power of attorney. The law allows one partner to be represented at the ceremony by an attorney; the other must be present. The power of attorney must grant special powers for the marriage, identify the other partner and state the type of marriage. A general power of attorney is not enough.
Who can authenticate the power of attorney and certify translations?
In Portugal, besides notaries, lawyers can authenticate documents and certify translations (Decree-Law no. 76-A/2006, art. 38). We do this at our office. If the power of attorney is signed abroad, it is done at a Portuguese consulate or before a local notary, with an apostille and, where needed, a translation.
What documents does the foreign partner need?
As a rule, an identity document, a birth certificate and a certificate of capacity to marry, with an apostille or legalisation and a translation when they are not in Portuguese. If there was a previous marriage, also proof that it ended. The exact list depends on the country, and it is the first thing we work out.
What is the certificate of capacity to marry?
It is a document issued by the authorities of the foreign partner’s country confirming that, under that country’s law, the person is free to marry. Some countries do not issue it. In those cases there are alternatives, which should be carefully prepared to avoid delays.
How long does the process take?
It depends mainly on the foreign documents: obtaining, apostilling and translating them is what takes longest. With everything in order, the Civil Registry stage is the quickest. With a foreign partner, the whole process takes 2 to 4 months on average. In our first conversation we give you an estimate for your case.
Does marriage give the right to residence in Portugal?
Not automatically. Marriage can open the way to a residence permit for the spouse, but it is a separate application with its own requirements, which also depend on the nationality of the partner already living in Portugal. We assess your case under the law in force.
Are meetings in person or online?
Whichever you prefer: at our office in Lisbon, or by video call from anywhere in the country. Many steps can be handled remotely.
How much does it cost?
The consultation costs €50 + VAT. Legal fees depend on what the case requires and are quoted at the consultation, before we start. Official fees and costs (Civil Registry fee, power of attorney, apostilles and translations) are around €200–400 on average.
Get in touch
Tell us about your case on WhatsApp.
Tell us each partner’s nationality, where you both are and whether your spouse will need residence. We will reply with the next steps.