When it is not in Spanish, we coordinate its sworn translation (traducción jurada) by a MAEC-appointed translator, with your birth certificate and any divorce papers. Certificates usually take 24–48 hours, from €29. That is a starting price: you approve our written quotation before work starts. Upload scans for a fixed quote.
We are not affiliated with any Registro Civil, notary, embassy or consulate.
In this guide
- What is a certificate of no impediment in Spain?
- How does a foreigner living in Spain open a marriage file?
- How do British citizens get a CNI to marry in Spain?
- Can Americans get a certificate of no impediment for Spain?
- How do Indian and Pakistani citizens prove single status in Spain?
- Does a single status certificate need an apostille and sworn translation?
- Can EU citizens use a multilingual form instead?
- What else do divorced or widowed foreigners need to remarry in Spain?
Already have your certificate? If it is in English or another language, the registry needs a sworn Spanish translation. See our Registro Civil sworn translation service.
What is a certificate of no impediment in Spain?
It is an official document confirming that nothing in your own country's law stops you from marrying. Spanish registries know it under several names: certificado de capacidad matrimonial, certificado de soltería or certificado de estado civil. A foreign partner usually files it in the expediente matrimonial, with a birth certificate.
The names vary by country, and so do the documents behind them.
| Name you may hear | What it usually is |
|---|---|
| Certificate of no impediment (CNI) | UK term; certifies no legal obstacle to the marriage |
| Single status certificate | Proves you are unmarried, for example from Pakistan |
| Certificado de soltería | Spanish shorthand for proof of single status |
| Certificado de capacidad matrimonial | Proof of capacity to marry; also what Spain issues to Spaniards marrying abroad |
| Certificado de estado civil | Marital status certificate, often from a consulate |
| Sworn statement of single status | Used where no certificate exists, for example by US citizens |
Spanish law limits the certificate of marital capacity to six months from its date (administracion.gob.es). For foreign certificates, registries set their own limits, so check yours.
Common mistake: ordering the certificate months before you book. It may be too old by the time your file opens.
How does a foreigner living in Spain open a marriage file?
You open an expediente matrimonial, or acta, before a notary where either partner lives, or at the Registro Civil. Both partners sign an application declaring no impediment. You add identity documents, birth certificates, proof that earlier marriages ended, and witnesses. The official then hears each partner separately and decides.
The steps usually run like this:
- Book the first appointment at your Registro Civil or with a notary. This date opens the file; it is not the wedding.
- Gather the documents. Foreign ones are apostilled or legalised, then sworn-translated.
- File the application with both partners and a witness. The application lists your homes for the past 2 years.
- Attend the reserved hearing. Under Ley 20/2011, art. 58.5, the official hears both partners "reservadamente y por separado".
- Receive the decision, then set the wedding date.
Example: the Registro Civil of Torremolinos asks foreigners for a birth certificate "legalizado y traducido". It also wants a marital status certificate from their consulate and proof of residence for the last 2 years. Foreign documents there must be under 1 year old (Junta de Andalucía).
Tip: if you have lived in Spain for the past 2 years, your town hall's historical padrón certificate (histórico de empadronamiento) is in Spanish. It needs no translation.
More on the wedding file itself: birth certificate sworn translation into Spanish and marriage certificate sworn translation into Spanish.
How do British citizens get a CNI to marry in Spain?
British nationals apply online to the British Embassy in Spain for a Spanish-issued CNI. Gov.uk says Spanish authorities "will only accept a CNI (certificate of no impediment) issued there". If you live in Spain, you apply directly. If you live in the UK, you exchange a UK register office CNI for a local one.
According to gov.uk, the route works like this:
- Living in Spain: apply online for a CNI, a marital status certificate (MSC), or both together. No UK CNI is needed.
- Living in the UK: get a CNI from a UK register office first, then apply online to exchange it.
- Forms: each affirmation form must be notarised separately by a notary in Spain.
- Online only: paper applications stopped on 3 February 2025.
Gov.uk also notes that you or your partner must live in Spain, or be a Spanish national, to marry there. Ask your registry whether your CNI needs any further step. Your UK birth certificate needs an FCDO paper apostille, as there is no e-Apostille for it. See UK documents sworn translation for Spain.
Can Americans get a certificate of no impediment for Spain?
No. The US issues no certificate of no impediment or single status. The State Department's Foreign Affairs Manual says no such document "or governmental authority to issue such document, exists in the United States". Instead, a US consular officer can notarise your sworn statement that you are free to marry.
The Foreign Affairs Manual, 7 FAM 1450 explains that a notarised statement is "often accepted" abroad instead of a government document. Some posts use a form letter instead.
- Ask your registry first whether it accepts a sworn statement, and in what form.
- Signed before a notary in the USA? It then needs the state Secretary of State apostille.
- Birth certificate: state vital records copy, with the state apostille.
- Translation: the statement and birth certificate need a sworn Spanish translation, apostille included.
See US documents sworn translation for Spain for apostille routes by document.
Example: an American teacher in Seville plans to marry her Spanish partner. She asks her registry what it accepts, then swears her statement before a US consular officer.
How do Indian and Pakistani citizens prove single status in Spain?
Pakistani citizens get a single or unmarried status certificate from their Union Council or Marriage Registrar in Pakistan. Indian citizens have no single national certificate, so routes vary by state and by registry. Both then need the apostille and a sworn Spanish translation. Ask your registry what it accepts before ordering anything.
Pakistani single status certificate for a Spanish marriage
Pakistan's Embassy in Madrid says the certificate comes "from the Union Council or Marriage Registrar Office" where you are a permanent resident (MOFA Madrid FAQs). It is then attested by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Pakistan has used the apostille since 9 March 2023, so follow your registry's current wording.
The certificate is usually in English, so it still needs a sworn translation. If you married before, add your NADRA divorce certificate or nikah nama, as relevant. See Pakistani documents sworn translation for Spain.
Indian marital status proof for a Spanish marriage
There is no single Indian certificate for this, so ask your registry what it accepts first. One option to ask about is a declaration attested in Spain. The Embassy of India in Madrid attests sworn affidavits and self-declarations through its BLS centre. Documents issued in India need the MEA apostille after state attestation.
See Indian documents sworn translation for Spain. Single-name passports cause mismatches here too: read our guide on the single-name passport in Spain.
Does a single status certificate need an apostille and sworn translation?
Usually yes, if it was issued abroad and is not in Spanish. Non-EU public documents need an apostille, or legalisation in non-Hague countries. Then a sworn translator appointed by the MAEC translates the certificate and its apostille together. Ley 20/2011, art. 95, requires a translation for documents not in an official Spanish language.
| Your certificate | Before translation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Issued abroad, non-EU (e.g. Pakistan, India, USA) | Apostille or legalisation | Sworn translation, apostille included |
| Issued by your consulate in Spain | Ask your registry | Sworn translation if not in Spanish |
| Issued in an EU country with a multilingual form | None | Usually not needed |
| Already in Spanish | Apostille only, if issued abroad | None |
Some registries are strict about format. Torremolinos asks for the sworn translator's seal on every page, including the copy of the original. Why the apostille comes first is explained in apostille before or after translation.
In Spain, an "official" or "certified" translation means a sworn translation by a MAEC-appointed translator. A certified translation made in the UK or USA is not one, and most Spanish offices won't accept it.
Wedding date booked? Send your certificate and its apostille as soon as you have them. A short certificate usually takes 24–48 hours. Need it faster? See our urgent sworn translation service.
Can EU citizens use a multilingual form instead?
Often, yes. EU public documents need no apostille under Regulation (EU) 2016/1191. There are standard multilingual forms for "capacity to marry" and "marital status". With the form attached, a Spanish registry can ask for a translation only exceptionally. The UK is no longer covered.
Example: an Italian resident in Valencia files her Italian birth and capacity-to-marry certificates with multilingual forms. Her Moroccan fiancé's documents still need an apostille and a sworn translation.
Our guide to the EU multilingual form in Spain explains how to request one.
What else do divorced or widowed foreigners need to remarry in Spain?
You need proof that every earlier marriage ended. That means a final divorce decree, or a marriage certificate showing the divorce, or the death certificate of your former spouse. Torremolinos, for example, asks divorced foreigners for the "certificado literal de matrimonio donde conste inscrito el divorcio".
- Divorced: see divorce decree sworn translation into Spanish. In England and Wales, the divorce ends with a final order, or decree absolute in older cases.
- Widowed: see death certificate sworn translation into Spanish.
A non-EU divorce may also need recognition in Spain before some registries accept it. Ask your registry early.
What should I have ready before my Registro Civil appointment?
Bring your passport, your full birth certificate and your certificate of no impediment, each apostilled where required and sworn-translated. Add proof that any earlier marriage ended, your padrón history and a witness. Check how recent your registry wants each document. Then book.
- Passport or ID, plus copies
- Full (literal) birth certificate, apostilled and translated
- CNI, single status certificate or accepted sworn statement
- Divorce decree or former spouse's death certificate, if relevant
- Proof of residence for the last 2 years
- One adult witness who knows you both
- Every foreign document checked against your registry's age limit
Most of these certificates are in English: see English to Spanish sworn translation. After the wedding, your marriage certificate may support a family file: see family reunification Spain sworn translation.
Can I trust an online sworn translation for my wedding file?
Yes, and you can check it yourself. Every translator we work with is a sworn translator-interpreter appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC). They are on the official MAEC register and sign digital translations with a qualified electronic signature. Their seal is on every page.
- Is the translator real? Learn how to verify a Spanish sworn translator.
- What if the registry rejects it? Free, prioritised re-issue if rejected on formal grounds, for example an untranslated stamp. See how a free re-issue works.
- Is my data safe? Your files are deleted within 7 days of delivery. Read our privacy policy.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a certificate of no impediment to marry in Spain?
Usually yes, if you are a foreign national. The registry or notary needs proof that you are free to marry. The exact document depends on your nationality.
Can I get married in Spain if I am not a resident?
It depends. Gov.uk says you or your partner must live in Spain, or be a Spanish national. Ask the registry or notary where you plan to file.
How long does it take to get a CNI in Spain?
It depends on your country. Add time for the apostille and about 24–48 hours for the sworn translation. Start once your registry date is close enough for its age limit.
Does the British Embassy CNI need translating?
It depends on the language it is issued in. If any part is in English, your registry may ask for a sworn translation. Ask the registry when you book.
Can a notary handle our marriage file instead of the Registro Civil?
Yes. A notary where either partner lives can process the marriage file. The document rules are the same.
Does a sworn translation of my CNI expire?
The translation itself has no fixed expiry. The certificate's age is what registries check. See does a sworn translation expire in Spain.
Sources: Marriage in Spain, administracion.gob.es · Ley 20/2011, BOE · Getting married in Spain, gov.uk · 7 FAM 1450, US Department of State · Embassy of Pakistan Madrid FAQs · Civil marriage requirements, Junta de Andalucía · UK legalisation, gov.uk. Last checked: 12 October 2026.
How do I get my certificate of no impediment translated into Spanish?
Upload a scan of your certificate, its apostille and your birth certificate, and tell us your registry date. Originals are never needed. You see a fixed total and a delivery date before you pay. You can get a fixed quote for your wedding documents today. Prices start from €29 per certificate; see our sworn translation price page. These are starting prices. For your final price, send your details through the quote form. We email you a written quotation, and work starts only after you approve it.
What happens next
- 1We check both partners' foreign documents against your registry's list and quote one total.
- 2You pay and check every name, date and parent's name in a draft.
- 3The signed PDF arrives before your appointment, or paper by courier if the registry wants it.
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More guides: all our guides on sworn translation in Spain. We only translate. We never sell appointments.