How to Register a Marriage in Portugal as a Foreigner

My husband is British. I’m Brazilian. When we decided to register our marriage in Portugal, we thought it would be straightforward – we had all our documents, we both live here, and I speak fluent Portuguese.

It still took months, multiple trips to the Conservatória, and a few moments of genuine frustration. The process works, but it’s not intuitive, and almost nothing is explained in English.

This guide is everything I wish someone had written for us before we started. It covers both getting married in Portugal for the first time and transcribing a marriage that took place abroad.

Two different processes

Before anything else, you need to know that there are two distinct procedures, and they require different documents.

Getting married in Portugal (civil ceremony). This is when you and your partner marry at a Portuguese Conservatória do Registo Civil. The ceremony is conducted in Portuguese, and a registrar acts as the official. You’ll go through a formal application process, a 30-day public announcement period, and then the ceremony itself.

Transcribing a foreign marriage. If you already married outside Portugal – in the UK, the US, Brazil, or anywhere else – and you want your marriage legally recognised here, you need to transcribe it to the Portuguese civil registry. This doesn’t involve a ceremony. It’s a documentary process where you submit your foreign marriage certificate (apostilled and translated) and the Conservatória registers it in the Portuguese system.

Both processes happen at the Conservatória do Registo Civil, but the requirements and timelines are different.

Getting married in Portugal: step by step

Documents you’ll need

Both partners need to provide the following:

Valid passport. This is your primary identification document as a foreign national.

Full birth certificate. Not a short-form extract – it must be a full birth certificate, issued within the last six months. This catches a lot of people off guard. Your birth certificate from when you were born won’t be accepted if it’s older than six months. You need to order a fresh one from your home country’s registry. For British nationals, you can order this from the General Register Office. For Americans, it depends on the state. For Brazilians, you can request an updated certidão de nascimento through the cartório.

Certificate of No Impediment (CNI). This is a document confirming you’re legally free to marry. How you obtain it depends on your nationality. British nationals who are resident in Portugal or another country outside the UK are not required to produce a CNI – this was agreed with the Portuguese IRN in 2013 and reconfirmed in 2025. You’ll be treated the same as a Portuguese national. American nationals can obtain an Affidavit of Eligibility to Marry from the US Embassy in Lisbon. Brazilian nationals should check with the Brazilian consulate.

Divorce decree or death certificate. If either partner has been previously married, you’ll need the divorce decree or, if widowed, the death certificate of the former spouse.

All foreign documents must be apostilled and translated. This is non-negotiable. Every document that wasn’t issued in Portuguese needs an apostille from the country that issued it, and then a certified translation into Portuguese done in Portugal. The apostille comes first – always. If you get the translation done before the apostille, you may need to have the document translated again, because the apostille itself needs to be included in the translation.

The application process

Step 1: Visit the Conservatória together. Both partners must go in person to the Conservatória do Registo Civil where you intend to marry. You submit all your documents and pay the application fee, which ranges from roughly €200 to €300 depending on the Conservatória and the specifics of your case.

Step 2: Public announcement period. Once your application is accepted, the Conservatória publicly announces your intention to marry. This announcement runs for 30 days, during which anyone can raise an objection. This is a legal requirement and cannot be skipped or shortened.

Step 3: The ceremony. After the 30-day period, assuming no objections, you book the ceremony. The civil ceremony is conducted entirely in Portuguese by a registrar.

The interpreter requirement

This is the part that surprises most foreign couples. The ceremony is legally conducted in Portuguese, and if either partner does not speak Portuguese, an official interpreter must be present. The interpreter must be a certified translator or someone approved by the Conservatória.

Crucially, your partner cannot act as your interpreter, even if they’re fluent in Portuguese. The interpreter must be an independent third party. This is a legal requirement, not a suggestion.

I provide this service – acting as the certified interpreter at civil marriage ceremonies in Lisbon. I handle the coordination with the Conservatória beforehand, brief the couple on what to expect, and interpret everything during the ceremony itself so both partners understand every word of what they’re committing to.

What it costs

The total legal costs for a civil marriage in Portugal typically fall between €500 and €1,000 for couples where at least one partner is a foreign national. That breaks down roughly as:

• Conservatória application fee: €200–€300
• Document apostilles: varies by country, but budget €50–€100 per document
• Certified translations: from €60 per document
• Interpreter (if required): from €200
• Holding the ceremony at an external venue (optional): €100–€300 on top

For couples where both partners are foreign nationals with documents from two different countries, costs tend to be at the higher end because there are more documents to apostille and translate.

How long it takes

Plan for four to five months from start to finish. The document gathering and apostille process in your home country typically takes two to eight weeks. The application at the Conservatória is a single visit, but the 30-day announcement period is fixed. Add some buffer for any additional documents the Conservatória might request – and they sometimes do.

Transcribing a foreign marriage

If you married outside Portugal and want the marriage recognised here, the process is simpler but still requires the right documents.

What you’ll need

Your foreign marriage certificate. This must be apostilled in the country where the marriage took place.

Certified Portuguese translation of the marriage certificate. The translation must be done in Portugal by a translator whose signature is certified by a Portuguese notary or lawyer.

Birth certificates for both spouses. Again, these should be recent – ideally issued within the last six months – apostilled, and translated.

Passports for both spouses.

How the transcription works

You submit these documents to the Conservatória do Registo Civil. The registrar reviews them and, if everything is in order, registers the marriage in the Portuguese civil registry system. Once transcribed, you can obtain a Portuguese marriage certificate (certidão de casamento), which is useful for all subsequent dealings with Portuguese authorities.

The transcription process itself is faster than a new marriage – there’s no announcement period. But the document preparation takes the same amount of care. A missing apostille or an incomplete translation will be sent back.

Common mistakes to avoid

Getting the apostille after the translation. The apostille must be on the original document before it’s translated. If you translate first, the translation won’t include the apostille, and the Conservatória may reject it.

Using an old birth certificate. Portuguese authorities typically want birth certificates issued within the last six months. A certificate from when you were born – even if it’s a perfectly valid official document – will likely be refused.

Assuming your partner can translate for you. Whether it’s translating documents or interpreting at the ceremony, your spouse or partner cannot do this for you. It must be an independent professional.

Not checking your specific nationality requirements. The rules vary. British nationals don’t need a CNI for marriage in Portugal. Americans need an affidavit from the embassy. Brazilians have different requirements again. Don’t assume the process is the same for everyone.

Leaving it too late. Ordering apostilled documents from abroad, getting fresh birth certificates, and navigating embassy appointments all take time. Start at least four to five months before your target date.

How I can help

I offer two services that directly support couples going through this process.

Document translation. I translate and certify all the documents you need for your marriage application – birth certificates, CNIs, divorce decrees, and the marriage certificate itself if you’re transcribing a foreign marriage. As a qualified lawyer and native Portuguese speaker, I prepare documents that I know will be accepted because I’ve been through this process myself.

Wedding interpreter. If either of you doesn’t speak Portuguese, I act as your certified interpreter at the civil ceremony. I coordinate with the Conservatória in advance, brief you on the ceremony format, and make sure you both understand every word on your wedding day.

Get in touch

If you’re planning to get married in Portugal or need to transcribe an existing marriage, send me a message on WhatsApp. Tell me your situation – your nationalities, whether you’re marrying here or transcribing, and roughly when you’re aiming for – and I’ll let you know exactly what you need and what it will cost.

Message Duda on WhatsApp →