How to Register a Foreign Marriage in Portugal

By Rodrigo MaranhãoLawyer in Lisbon · Updated on 18 October 2026

Portuguese Bar Association (Ordem dos Advogados)Registration no. 60554L

Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) · PernambucoRegistration no. 22.372

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To register marriage in Portugal with a foreign partner, you must start a marriage process with a Civil Registry Office (Conservatória do Registo Civil). The office checks whether you can legally marry and, if there are no impediments, authorises the ceremony. This guide explains the steps, documents, costs and timing for couples planning to marry in Portugal.

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

What registering a marriage in Portugal means

When people search for how to register marriage in Portugal, they may mean arranging a wedding there with a foreign partner. The process described here is for couples who want to marry in Portugal. It starts before the ceremony, with a declaration of intent and a review by the Civil Registry Office. For a broader overview, read my guide to marriage in Portugal as a foreigner.

That review matters because a wedding date is not authorised simply because you have chosen a venue or made travel plans. The office checks the couple’s details and documents for legal impediments. If it finds none, it authorises the marriage and the ceremony can go ahead within the permitted period.

A marriage is valid only when it is entered in the civil register. The process covers civil marriages and ceremonies in Catholic or civil religious form, which have the same legal requirements and effects but differ in form. You choose the ceremony type as part of the process rather than treating the registration as a step after an unregistered wedding.

If one or both partners are foreign nationals, the rules for the marriage process still apply. The foreign partner must also prove that they are legally able to marry. Preparing that evidence before choosing a date helps you avoid a delay caused by an incomplete application or a document that does not meet the stated requirements.

Who can marry in Portugal?

As a rule, people aged 18 or over can marry if they are not close relatives and no other legal impediment applies. The restriction includes parents and children, as well as siblings. These conditions apply whether both partners are Portuguese or one or both partners are foreign nationals.

A person aged 16 or 17 can marry with consent from their parents or guardian, or if the Civil Registry Office dispenses with that consent. Marriage is not permitted below the age of 16. If either partner is under 18, settle the consent question before you plan a ceremony date or submit the marriage declaration.

A foreign partner must prove their capacity to marry. This is done with a certificate of capacity to marry issued by the competent authorities in their country, if that country issues the certificate. It must be dated less than six months before it is presented, so its issue date can affect when you should request it.

Marriage and a de facto union are different arrangements. Recognition of a de facto union is requested from the local parish council and requires, among other conditions, that the couple has lived together as a couple for more than two years. If you are choosing between these arrangements, consider that they have different requirements and processes.

Documents for a foreign partner

A foreign partner must provide a passport or residence permit, a birth certificate and a certificate of capacity to marry if their country issues one. When the birth certificate is in a language other than Portuguese, it must be legalised and translated into Portuguese. These documents help the Registry Office assess identity and legal capacity.

The certificate of capacity to marry must come from the competent authorities in the foreign partner’s country and be less than six months old when presented. If you are arranging documents from abroad, check the date before submitting the application. An out-of-date certificate may not meet the stated requirement and can hold up the process.

The required documents may depend on your nationality and circumstances. Further documents can also be required if they are needed to analyse the application. The requirements described here do not set out a complete checklist for every nationality or for every personal situation, so do not assume that the basic list will always cover your case.

Important: Presenting a certificate of capacity to marry that is six months old or older may fail to meet the stated date requirement. That can delay the process and put your planned ceremony date at risk. Check the issue date before arranging a translation or submitting the certificate to the Civil Registry Office.

Starting the process at a Registry Office

You can start the process in person at a Civil Registry Office. The couple declares that they intend to marry and provides the information required for the application. The office then examines the declaration and supporting documents to determine whether any legal impediment prevents the marriage.

As part of the declaration, you identify the type of ceremony: civil, Catholic or civil in a religious form. You also state the property regime you have chosen, as well as the place, day and time you want for the wedding. The ceremony details are agreed with the registrar, so a requested date is not automatically an authorised appointment.

If the office finds no impediment, it authorises the marriage. If it does not authorise the marriage, the couple is notified personally or by registered letter. Before the ceremony takes place, anyone may report to the Civil Registry Office an impediment to that marriage that they know about.

The process must be started at least one month before the planned wedding. After authorisation, the ceremony must take place within six months. The first period is the minimum lead time for starting the process; the second is the period in which the authorised marriage must be celebrated.

Can you register a marriage in Portugal online?

The online process is available only when both partners are over 18, are Portuguese citizens or Brazilian citizens with general equal rights and duties status, and have a Citizen Card (Cartão de Cidadão). These conditions limit who can use the online route. A foreign partner should not assume that online access is available without meeting them.

For an eligible couple, one partner signs in with a Digital Mobile Key (Chave Móvel Digital) or Citizen Card and fills in the requested details about the partners and the marriage. The other partner receives a notification and must also sign in using one of those authentication methods to confirm the request.

The request is sent to the selected Civil Registry Office, which informs the couple about the progress of the process. An appointment is marked only after the office sends its confirmation. Submitting the online request is therefore not, by itself, confirmation of the ceremony date.

Some parts of the process cannot be completed online. A prenuptial agreement cannot be made online; you must go to a Civil Registry Office or notary to make one. If you do not meet the requirements for the online route, the process can be started in person instead.

How long does the process take?

The process has a minimum lead time and a deadline after authorisation, rather than one fixed total duration for every couple. Start at least one month before the date you have in mind. The Registry Office must still examine the application, so the date you request is not confirmed until the process has been authorised and the ceremony arrangements agreed.

Once authorised, the marriage must take place within six months. That deadline affects couples coordinating a ceremony with travel or other plans: you need to complete the wedding within the authorisation period. Allow time to prepare the required documents before starting the process, particularly where a foreign certificate must be obtained, legalised or translated.

For example, a British partner and a Portuguese partner planning a civil ceremony in Lisbon should prepare the British partner’s passport or residence permit and birth certificate. If the British partner’s country issues a certificate of capacity to marry, they must provide one dated less than six months before presentation. The couple then makes the declaration and waits for the office’s decision.

Two foreign nationals planning to marry during a stay in Portugal must also meet the document and authorisation requirements. They should not treat a short visit as a substitute for proving capacity to marry or completing the Registry Office process. The ceremony fee depends on the venue, day and time, so those choices should be considered alongside the application.

When one partner cannot attend

A partner may be represented by a proxy when the marriage process is started. The proxy needs a power of attorney in an accepted form: an authenticated document, a public instrument prepared by a notary or a Portuguese consular official, or a document signed by the represented partner with their signature formally witnessed in person.

The power of attorney must identify the other partner by name, age, place of birth, habitual residence and parentage. It must also state the property regime and the type of marriage, whether civil, Catholic or civil in a religious form. These details give the representative authority for the intended marriage process.

If your fiancé cannot travel for the initial step, representation may allow the process to begin without their personal attendance at that stage. The document must still match the marriage details provided to the Registry Office. I would have the wording reviewed before signing, particularly when the power of attorney is being prepared outside Portugal.

Important: A power of attorney that does not identify the other partner or state the property regime and ceremony type may not include the details required for this process. That can leave the application incomplete and delay the next steps. Check the wording before it is signed or authenticated, rather than discovering an omission after submission.

Costs and ceremony choices

The standard process and marriage registration cost €120 when the ceremony takes place at the Civil Registry Office on a working day during normal opening hours. This fee covers the steps before the wedding and the registration made when the couple marries. The amount changes for some ceremony arrangements.

A non-urgent ceremony costs €200 if it takes place outside the Registry Office, outside normal opening hours, or on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday. If the ceremony is outside the office, the couple must provide transport for the registrar or pay the registrar’s travel costs. The amount of those travel costs is not specified here.

A marriage considered urgent under the law costs €120. An example is when one partner is at imminent risk of death. This is a legal category, not an alternative couples can select for convenience. The ceremony type also matters: civil, Catholic and civil religious-form marriages have the same legal requirements and effects, though their form differs.

The property regime can add costs if you make a prenuptial agreement. The table sets out the stated amounts for the marriage process and the agreements. If you are choosing a ceremony outside the Registry Office or outside normal hours, include the relevant fee and any registrar travel costs in your arrangements.

Choose the property regime before the wedding

The property regime sets the rules for which assets belong to each partner or to the couple during marriage and when it ends. If you do not choose another regime, the default is community of acquired property. In broad terms, assets acquired after marriage belong to both partners, with exceptions including inheritances, gifts and each partner’s salary.

Property that a partner already owned before marriage remains their own under the community of acquired property regime. Under separation of property, each partner keeps their own assets and owns what they acquire during the marriage. The couple can still own property together, for example by buying it jointly.

Separation of property is compulsory if one partner marries after turning 60 or if the marriage takes place in certain exceptional circumstances without the ordinary process of checking for impediments. Under the general community regime, most assets owned before or acquired after marriage belong to the couple, subject to exceptions.

The general community regime cannot be chosen if either partner has children from a previous relationship, including adult or emancipated children. A couple can also define a regime within the limits of the law, but a prenuptial agreement is needed to choose a regime other than the default. I would not leave this decision until the day you submit the marriage declaration.

Next steps for your wedding in Portugal

Begin by confirming that both partners can marry and gathering the foreign partner’s documents. Check whether their country issues a certificate of capacity to marry and make sure it is less than six months old when presented. You will also need to decide the ceremony type, place and timing, and choose a property regime.

A legal review can help you check the document list, the wording of a power of attorney and the property regime before you submit the application. Rodrigo Maranhão’s team assists with legal preparation and follow-up for marriage matters in Portugal. You can review the firm’s legal support for marriage in Portugal and decide whether it suits your plans.

Keep the process and ceremony deadlines in view when planning. Start at least one month before the intended wedding and, once the marriage is authorised, celebrate it within six months. If you are comparing marriage with a de facto union, check the separate requirements before deciding which route to pursue.

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