Getting married in Portugal as a foreigner: a complete legal guide

By Rodrigo MaranhãoLawyer in Lisbon · Updated on 17 October 2026

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Marriage in Portugal is possible for Portuguese and foreign couples, but the process includes a legal check before the ceremony can be authorised. If one partner is foreign and the other Portuguese, the foreign partner must prove they are legally able to marry. This guide explains the requirements, steps, costs and property choices that can affect your plans.

If you would rather have support from start to finish, see how I work as a marriage lawyer in Lisbon.

Who can marry in Portugal?

In Portugal, people aged 18 or over can marry if they are not related in a prohibited way and no legal impediment applies. These rules matter whether you are both Portuguese or one of you is a foreign national. Before the ceremony, the Civil Registry Office (Conservatória do Registo Civil) examines the proposed marriage and decides whether it can be authorised. For the specific requirements and process, see my guide to same-sex marriage in Portugal for foreign couples.

There is an exception for people aged 16 or 17. They may marry if their parents or guardian consent, or if the Civil Registry Office dispenses with that consent. Marriage is not permitted below the age of 16. For a couple in this age group, the required consent or dispensation must be dealt with as part of the process before the ceremony can go ahead.

The rules for a Portuguese citizen marrying a foreign citizen are the same as those for two Portuguese citizens, with one additional requirement for the foreign partner: proof of capacity to marry. The registrar still checks the couple for legal impediments. A certificate from abroad does not itself authorise the Portuguese ceremony or replace the assessment made in Portugal.

That distinction affects how you plan a venue, travel and family arrangements. A booking is not confirmation that the marriage has been authorised. The couple must declare their intention to marry, provide the information required for the process and wait for the registrar’s decision before treating the ceremony as approved.

Before settling your plans, consider whether either person has a previous marriage, a relevant family relationship or a legal circumstance that could affect eligibility. These issues are part of the registrar’s assessment, rather than details to leave until the ceremony. If your partner is foreign, add the capacity certificate to the planning from the outset.

Important: Assuming that being over 18 is the only eligibility test can lead to a refusal if another legal impediment applies. Disclose previous marriages and relevant family or legal relationships when the process begins, so the registrar can assess the circumstances before you rely on a wedding date.

Impediments the registrar checks

The registrar checks whether either person is already married. This includes a marriage celebrated abroad that has not yet been registered in Portugal. If you have a previous marriage, do not assume that the absence of a Portuguese record means you are free to marry again; the existing marriage can still be an impediment to a new one.

Close family relationships can also prevent a marriage. The listed relationships include siblings, a parent and child, grandparents and grandchildren, and an aunt or uncle with a niece or nephew. Some relationships by affinity are covered too, including a stepparent and stepchild, and a parent-in-law with a son-in-law or daughter-in-law.

The checks also cover a previous relationship of parental responsibility between the couple. A legal relationship involving guardianship, adult accompaniment or administration of property between the two people is another listed impediment. A court may also have determined that an adult subject to accompaniment cannot marry, and that restriction has to be considered in the assessment.

Certain circumstances involving intentional homicide are also listed. These include awaiting trial for an intentional homicide, including an attempted offence, against the former spouse of the other person, as well as a conviction as perpetrator or accomplice. If an impediment applies, the registrar may refuse authorisation, which is why the legal check happens before the ceremony.

The check is about whether these two people can marry each other, not simply whether they have chosen a date or completed a venue booking. If you are unsure how a past marriage, family connection or court restriction fits the listed impediments, get the facts reviewed before submitting the process. An early assessment can help avoid relying on a ceremony plan that cannot proceed.

The foreign partner’s capacity certificate

When a Portuguese citizen plans to marry a foreign citizen in Portugal, the foreign partner must provide a certificate of capacity to marry. It must be issued by the competent authorities of that person’s country and dated less than six months before it is presented. This is a time-sensitive document, so the issue date needs to be considered alongside the planned submission date.

The certificate establishes that the foreign partner is legally able to marry under the relevant procedure in their country. The Portuguese registrar still examines the proposed marriage for impediments and must authorise it before the ceremony. The certificate is one part of the file, not a substitute for the Portuguese marriage process or the registrar’s decision.

For example, a British citizen planning to marry a Portuguese partner needs a certificate issued by the competent authorities for that person, presented within the required period. The same requirement applies to an Irish, American or Canadian partner marrying a Portuguese citizen. The authority that issues the certificate depends on the foreign partner’s country, so identify the correct route before arranging the timing.

The six-month condition can affect international plans because a document obtained too early may no longer meet the stated requirement when it is presented. Coordinate the request with the date you expect to submit the marriage process, rather than relying on the certificate simply being current when you first receive it.

Keep the certificate’s purpose clear when assembling the file. It proves capacity to marry for the foreign partner; the Portuguese process separately checks for legal impediments affecting the proposed marriage. These are related but distinct checks, and preparing for both helps prevent the mistaken assumption that one certificate settles every legal question.

Important: Presenting a certificate issued six months ago or earlier does not meet the requirement that it be issued less than six months before presentation. Check the issue date against your planned submission date, and avoid booking travel around an assumption that an older certificate will be accepted.

Starting the marriage process

The process starts when the people intending to marry declare their intention at a Civil Registry Office. The registrar examines whether the marriage can proceed and concludes the process with a decision authorising or refusing it. This is more than reserving a ceremony slot: it is the legal assessment that must come before the wedding.

You can begin the process yourselves, or appoint representatives with special powers to act for you. For a Catholic marriage or a civil marriage celebrated in religious form, a priest or minister of a religious community established in Portugal can also begin the process by submitting a request and gathering information for the registrar’s checks.

At the start, you state the type of ceremony, the place where you want to marry, the property regime you choose, and your proposed day and time. The date and time must be agreed with the registrar. These details connect the legal process to practical planning: the ceremony location and schedule can change the fee, while the property choice can require an additional agreement.

The process therefore asks you to make decisions that have different effects. The ceremony form determines how the wedding is celebrated, the location and schedule affect the fee, and the property regime sets rules for ownership. Treating these choices as a single planning exercise can make it easier to give the registrar a clear proposal and understand the likely costs.

Before making the declaration, compare your proposed ceremony with your travel and family arrangements. If you want a religious form, a representative or a non-default property regime, include that in your preparation. Changes after you have arranged a venue or planned international travel may require you to revisit the schedule, the fee or the information already given.

Online and in-person applications

An online start is available only when both people meet the stated conditions. Each must be over 18, be Portuguese or a Brazilian national with general equality of rights and duties, and hold a Citizen Card. If either partner does not meet those conditions, the online route is not available for that couple under these rules.

For couples who do not qualify for the online process, the marriage process can be started at a Civil Registry Office or through a representative with special powers. The key point is to choose a route that fits both partners’ circumstances. A foreign national who does not meet the online conditions should not build a wedding timetable around being able to submit the process online.

In-person service at Civil Registry Offices is available with or without an appointment. If you choose to book an appointment, allow for that practical step when arranging travel. An appointment is not the registrar’s decision on whether the marriage can proceed, and it does not mean that a proposed ceremony date has already been authorised.

For an international couple, deciding how to start the process can also help identify what needs to be arranged from abroad. The foreign partner’s capacity certificate, the representative’s role if one is used, and the details of the ceremony are separate matters. Preparing them as a coordinated file can reduce the risk of a preventable delay.

The online conditions are specific, so do not infer eligibility from nationality alone. A British, American or other foreign partner should check whether the couple meets every condition before relying on that route. If online submission is unavailable, the in-person or representative route still needs to follow the same underlying marriage assessment.

When to apply and how long authorisation lasts

The process must be started at least one month before the intended wedding date. This is the minimum lead time for the application, not a guarantee that a ceremony will be authorised on the date you prefer. The registrar first examines whether legal impediments apply and then issues a decision.

Once the marriage is authorised, the ceremony must take place within six months of the authorisation. This gives you a defined window to marry; it is not permission to postpone the ceremony indefinitely. When choosing a date, work with both limits: begin the process at least one month beforehand and schedule the wedding within the six months after approval.

For a couple travelling from abroad, the certificate of capacity has its own issue-date condition. It must be less than six months old when presented, while the marriage itself must take place within six months of authorisation. These are different periods that apply to different steps, so plan the document request and the ceremony timetable separately.

For example, a couple hoping to marry in late summer should not wait until the weeks immediately before the planned date to begin the process. They also need to account for the time needed to obtain the foreign partner’s certificate and ensure it meets the presentation-date requirement when the file is submitted.

Think of the application, certificate and ceremony as separate dates on one calendar. Starting the process too late may leave less time for the registrar’s assessment, while presenting an older certificate may fail its issue-date condition. Once authorised, the wedding still has to fall within the six-month period that runs from the authorisation.

Important: Treating a venue booking or flight reservation as proof that the marriage is authorised can result in a wasted trip or a missed ceremony date. Start the process at least one month before the proposed wedding and rely on the registrar’s decision, not a private booking, as the authorisation to proceed.

When one partner cannot attend

If one partner cannot travel to Portugal to start the process in person, the process may be initiated by a representative with special powers. This gives couples living in different countries a way to begin without both partners attending the initial declaration themselves. The representative’s appointment does not remove the registrar’s duty to assess whether the marriage can be authorised.

The stated requirement is that the representative has special powers for the marriage process. This is not the same as relying on an informal message or an ordinary understanding that another person may act. Keep the role of the representative distinct from the registrar’s assessment: representation provides a way to initiate the process, but does not decide whether the marriage is legally permitted.

Representation and the foreign partner’s capacity certificate address different requirements. A representative may act in the process, but cannot replace the certificate required from a foreign partner marrying a Portuguese citizen. The ceremony details and the registrar’s review also remain necessary, so the file must account for each of these points.

When one partner is abroad, legal support can help review the proposed representation and the rest of the marriage file before submission. Our legal support for marriage in Portugal can include reviewing the documents and property choice alongside the proposed process. The registrar remains responsible for deciding whether to authorise the marriage.

This route can be relevant when work, distance or travel arrangements make it difficult for both partners to attend the initial declaration. It does not remove the need to provide the foreign partner’s capacity certificate where required, settle the ceremony details or wait for the registrar’s decision. Keeping those elements separate makes it easier to see what the representative can and cannot do.

Choosing the ceremony and location

You can choose a civil marriage, a Catholic marriage or a civil marriage celebrated in religious form. These forms have the same legal effects and requirements, although the ceremony itself differs. A civil marriage process begins at a Civil Registry Office, while a priest or minister may begin the process for the religious forms by gathering information for the registrar’s checks.

The ceremony can take place at the Civil Registry Office or somewhere else. If you choose a venue outside the office, you must also arrange transport for the registrar or pay the registrar’s travel costs. That requirement is separate from the registration fee, so include the location and travel arrangement when building your budget.

The day and time affect the fee as well. A ceremony on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday costs more than a weekday ceremony at the office during normal opening hours. The higher fee also applies if the ceremony is held at the office outside normal opening hours.

When you start the process, tell the registrar the type of ceremony and proposed location, and agree on the date and time. A venue reservation does not itself settle the official schedule. If your ceremony plan changes after the process begins, check whether the change affects the registrar’s arrangements or the fee before relying on the new plan.

Couples choosing between an office ceremony and a separate venue should consider more than the setting. A different location can mean extra travel arrangements for the registrar and a higher registration fee. Likewise, a preferred weekend or out-of-hours ceremony changes the fee even if the couple keeps the same location.

Marriage fees and additional costs

The registration fee is €120 for a ceremony at the Civil Registry Office on a working day during normal opening hours. This fee includes the process before the wedding and registration when the couple marries at the office under those conditions. A marriage legally considered urgent also costs €120.

The registration fee is €200 if the ceremony takes place on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, outside the Civil Registry Office, or at the office outside normal opening hours. For a ceremony outside the office, you must also provide transport for the registrar or pay the travel costs. Those travel costs are separate from the €200 registration fee.

The table sets out the main amounts to consider when planning. A marriage agreement adds a separate charge depending on the chosen property regime, and registering or amending an agreement made at a notary office has its own fee. The total cost can therefore depend on both the ceremony arrangements and the property choice.

For example, a weekday ceremony at the office during normal opening hours has a registration fee of €120. A Saturday ceremony has a registration fee of €200 before any travel costs or property-agreement charge. A legally urgent marriage is charged at €120, even if the ordinary ceremony schedule would otherwise lead to a higher fee.

When comparing budgets, separate the registration fee from other costs. The €200 amount applies to the listed ceremony arrangements, while travel for an out-of-office ceremony and the chosen marriage agreement may add separate charges. This distinction helps you compare a weekday office ceremony with a weekend or venue-based plan without overlooking the property choice.

How property regimes affect the couple

A property regime determines what belongs to the couple and what remains each person’s property during the marriage and when it ends. If you do not choose another regime, community of acquisitions applies automatically. Under this regime, property acquired after the wedding generally belongs to both spouses, while property owned before the wedding remains with the person who owned it.

Some assets acquired after the wedding remain individual under community of acquisitions. These include inheritances, gifts and each person’s salary. Property received after marriage may also remain individual if it results from a right that belonged to one spouse before the wedding, such as compensation connected to an earlier event.

A simple example shows how the default regime works. If one partner owns a car before the marriage, that car remains theirs. If the couple buys a house after marrying, the house belongs to both under community of acquisitions. The difference between what each person already owned and what they acquire later can matter when you decide whether the default arrangement suits you.

Under separation of property, each person keeps what they already own and owns what they acquire during the marriage, whether bought or received. There is no automatic shared pool of assets, although the couple can buy property together. Separation of property is mandatory if one person marries after the age of 60, and in certain exceptional marriages without the usual prior process.

Community of property generally includes assets owned before and acquired after the wedding, but some categories remain individual, such as certain inheritances and personal rights. This regime cannot be chosen if either person has children from a previous relationship, including adult or emancipated children. Considering existing assets, children and future plans helps you understand what the different regimes would mean in practice.

Marriage agreements and tailored regimes

A marriage agreement, known in Portuguese as a convenção antenupcial, is needed if you choose separation of property or community of property instead of the default regime. The agreement makes the chosen arrangement part of the marriage preparations and adds a separate charge. It is therefore worth settling the property choice before you calculate the full cost of the ceremony.

You can also define a property regime of your own by combining features of the named regimes or setting different rules, within the limits of the law. This option requires a marriage agreement and has a different additional fee from the listed standard regimes. It can be relevant when neither person wants to use the default arrangement or a standard alternative as it stands.

If an agreement is made at a notary office, registering or amending it costs €30. That is separate from the additional charge for the marriage agreement itself. When reviewing the costs, distinguish the fee for the agreement from any fee to register or amend an agreement made at a notary office.

The default regime, separation of property, community of property and a couple-defined regime do not produce the same ownership rules. A choice that seems convenient for the ceremony may have consequences for assets acquired during marriage and when it ends. Consider the property each person brings to the marriage and the kind of ownership you want for future purchases.

I have seen couples leave the property choice until their ceremony plans are already settled, even though the regime can affect ownership and add a separate cost. Consider what each person owns, what you expect to acquire and whether either of you has children from an earlier relationship. Legal support can help review the proposed arrangement before the marriage process is submitted.

Two practical international scenarios

Imagine a British citizen and a Portuguese citizen planning a civil wedding in Lisbon. The British partner needs a certificate of capacity to marry from the competent authorities of their country, issued less than six months before it is presented. The couple begins the Portuguese marriage process, provides the ceremony details and waits for the registrar to authorise or refuse the marriage.

If they choose a weekday ceremony at the Civil Registry Office during normal opening hours, the registration fee is €120. If they choose a Saturday, Sunday, public holiday, an out-of-office venue or a time outside normal opening hours, the fee is €200. For an out-of-office ceremony, they also need to arrange the registrar’s transport or pay the travel costs.

Now consider an American citizen and a Portuguese citizen who want to marry in Portugal. The same foreign-partner capacity requirement applies: the American partner must obtain the certificate from the competent authorities of their country and present it within the required period. They must also complete the Portuguese process, agree the ceremony details with the registrar and consider the fee that follows from their chosen day and location.

If the American-Portuguese couple chooses a marriage agreement, the extra charge depends on the regime they select. The listed standard regimes add €100, while a regime defined by the couple adds €160. If an agreement is made at a notary office, registering or amending it costs €30. These amounts are additional to the registration fee for the ceremony.

Both examples show why nationality and ceremony arrangements should be considered together. The foreign partner’s certificate is a separate requirement from the registrar’s assessment, and the fee depends on the ceremony plan. If one partner cannot attend in person, a representative with special powers may initiate the process, but the other requirements still need to be addressed.

Registering a marriage celebrated abroad

If a Portuguese citizen marries before the authorities of another country, the marriage can be transcribed into the Portuguese civil register. The Portuguese citizen contacts a Portuguese consular post to begin the transcription. This route applies whether the other spouse is Portuguese or a foreign national, and the request may be made at any time after the foreign wedding.

Transcription is relevant because a marriage celebrated abroad and a marriage recorded in Portugal involve different steps. The Portuguese process described here concerns recording the foreign marriage in the Portuguese civil register. It is not the same as starting a new marriage process at a Portuguese Civil Registry Office before a ceremony in Portugal.

For example, a Portuguese citizen who marries a foreign partner before the authorities of that partner’s country can later request transcription through a Portuguese consular post. Keeping the place and authority of the original ceremony clear helps identify which process applies. The route is for Portuguese nationals who married abroad, whether their spouse is Portuguese or foreign.

Registration in Portugal and recognition in a spouse’s other country are separate questions. A Portuguese citizen may use the transcription procedure to record the marriage in Portugal after marrying abroad. If your plans involve both countries, keep the Portuguese registration step distinct from any procedure you may need to follow where your spouse is a national or resident.

If you are marrying abroad and later need the marriage recorded in Portugal, the timing does not have to be tied to the wedding date under the stated procedure. The request can be made after the ceremony. The route applies to a Portuguese national who married before another country’s authorities, so the nationality of the Portuguese spouse is a key point when considering this option.

Marriage compared with a de facto union

A de facto union is a relationship in which two people live together as a couple, in the same home and with a shared life, for more than two years. It is recognised through a declaration issued by the local parish council (junta de freguesia) where the couple lives. This is a different route from marriage, which starts through a Civil Registry Office process.

For recognition, the partners must be at least 18, must not be related in the first degree and must not have a legal impediment. Recognition is requested from the parish council. To prove the union, the couple presents the parish council declaration, a joint declaration under honour that they have lived together as a couple for more than two years, and a full copy of each person’s birth record.

A recognised de facto union can have effects including joint income-tax treatment under the rules that apply to married couples, protection connected with the shared home, a benefit in the event of a partner’s death and certain employment-related treatment of leave and absences. The couple may need to prove the relationship when claiming a specific effect, so recognition and evidence have practical consequences beyond the relationship itself.

There are no special rules for dividing property when a de facto union ends. If one partner acquired an asset with the other’s contribution, the situation may be assessed under co-ownership rules or unjust enrichment. That differs from choosing a marriage property regime, which sets out rules for assets during the marriage and when it ends.

Marriage and a de facto union therefore involve different formal steps and property consequences. A marriage process requires the registrar’s assessment and, in Portugal, registration in the civil register for the marriage to be valid. A de facto union is recognised through the parish council and established with the relevant declarations and birth records.

Benefits, property and the end of a de facto union

A recognised de facto union can have practical effects in several areas. The partners may file income tax jointly under the same rules that apply to married couples, and the relationship can be relevant to protection of the home they share. It may also give access to a benefit after a partner’s death and to certain employment rules concerning holidays, absences and leave.

These effects are not necessarily claimed without evidence. A couple may need to prove that the union exists when seeking joint tax treatment or a social security benefit after a partner dies. The parish council declaration, the joint statement under honour and full copies of both birth records can establish the relationship for that purpose.

If the relationship ends, property is not divided under a special de facto-union property regime. Where one person acquired an asset with the other’s contribution, the circumstances may be considered under co-ownership or unjust enrichment. The proportion of ownership can reflect what each person contributed to a purchase, while unjust enrichment concerns a benefit obtained at another person’s expense without justification.

A de facto union ends if either person dies, either person decides to end it, or one person marries. A declaration under honour can state when the relationship ended; if one person will not sign, the other can submit it alone. The declaration is not compulsory in every situation, but may be needed to claim a particular right.

There are also specific protections relating to the shared home after a partner dies. If the deceased owned the home and the surviving partner has no home in the same municipality, the survivor may have a right to remain there for five years, or for the total length of the union if it lasted more than five years. A court may extend the period; after it ends, continued occupation may involve rent.

If the shared home belonged to both partners, the surviving partner may have a right to live there exclusively for five years, or for the total duration of the union if it lasted more than five years. A court may extend the period. After that period, the right to live there exclusively ends.

Plan the process before making commitments

Before settling travel or venue arrangements, check the eligibility rules, the foreign partner’s certificate where it applies, and whether a representative is needed. Then settle the ceremony form, location, proposed date and property regime. Those choices affect the process and, in some cases, the fee, so addressing them together gives you a clearer plan.

Begin the marriage process at least one month before the proposed date, allow for the certificate’s issue-date condition and make sure the ceremony falls within six months of authorisation. If you are choosing a non-default property regime or marrying outside the office, account for the relevant agreement and additional costs. Legal support can review the application and choices without replacing the registrar’s decision.

About the author

Rodrigo Maranhão

I am a lawyer admitted to practise in Brazil, Portugal and Spain. At Vilanova Maranhão Advogados, in Lisbon, I help people from abroad who want to live in Portugal or Spain. I also know this reality as an immigrant: I have lived in Europe for almost ten years.

• Portuguese Bar Association (Ordem dos Advogados) · Registration no. 60554L
• Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) · Pernambuco · Registration no. 22.372
• Madrid Bar Association (ICAM) · Spain · Registration no. 144875