A marriage held in India is registered with the local marriage registrar under the Hindu Marriage Act, the Special Marriage Act, the Anand Marriage Act or state compulsory registration laws. For use in Spain, the certificate is apostilled by the Ministry of External Affairs after state verification and translated into Spanish by a sworn translator. Spanish nationals marrying in India must also register the marriage with the Spanish Civil Registry through the Spanish consulate.
- Document route
- Notario, then apostille from the Colegio Notarial
- Time difference
- India is 3.5 to 4.5 hours ahead of mainland Spain; 4.5 to 5.5 hours ahead of the Canaries
- Hindu marriages
- Section 8, Hindu Marriage Act 1955
- Civil marriage
- Special Marriage Act 1954
Marriage Registration from Spain: how it works
For a Hindu or Sikh marriage held in India, we prepare the registration file: identity and age proof of both spouses, photographs, a wedding invitation and photographs of the ceremony, an affidavit of marital status and witnesses. Most registrars want both spouses present, so registration should be done before the spouse from Spain returns. A civil marriage under the Special Marriage Act needs a 30-day notice period, with one party resident in the district for at least 30 days before notice, which affects travel planning. After registration, the certificate goes for state verification and then MEA apostille.
In Spain, the apostilled certificate needs a traducción jurada before it is used for a residence card, family reunification or the Spanish Civil Registry. If one spouse is a Spanish national, the Spanish consulate in India handles registration of the marriage in the Spanish Civil Registry, and Spanish authorities may interview the couple. Couples who marry in Spain can later obtain Indian recognition where needed, for example to update passports, using the apostilled Spanish certificate. Names must match across Indian passports, the certificate and Spanish documents.
What clients in Spain should know
- Spanish family reunification for a spouse in India is usually handled through the Spanish consulate in India, which checks the marriage certificate and the apostille carefully.
- The 30-day residence and notice rules of the Special Marriage Act mean a short holiday in India is often too short for a civil marriage; a religious marriage followed by registration may be quicker.
- If either spouse was previously married, carry the apostilled divorce decree or death certificate; registrars in India and civil registries in Spain both ask for it.
Step by step from Spain
Video consultation
A call at a time that suits Spain, after we have read your documents.
Documents signed in Spain
Notario, then apostille from the Colegio Notarial
Work in India
Our team files, appears and follows up in India, and shares scans of everything filed.
Result and handover
Certified copies and originals are couriered to you in Spain where needed.
The full guide
This page covers what changes when you are in Spain. For the law, the documents and the step-by-step procedure, read our main page on Marriage Registration, or see all services for clients in Spain and the Cross-Border Family Law practice area.
Questions from clients in Spain
Can we register our marriage in India after returning to Spain?
Registration usually requires both spouses to appear. We check whether the registrar allows any alternative, but planning registration during the wedding visit is safer.
Does Spain accept an Indian marriage certificate?
Yes, with an apostille from India's Ministry of External Affairs and a sworn Spanish translation.
Can two Indian nationals marry at the Embassy in Madrid?
Marriages under the Foreign Marriage Act can be solemnised by Indian marriage officers abroad in some cases. Many couples instead marry civilly in Spain under Spanish law.