# Getting married in Portugal: the legal routes, step by step

Source: https://www.lovebirdsweddings.com/guides/getting-married-in-portugal/

Getting married in Portugal starts with choosing where you want the legal ceremony to happen. LAW: foreign couples need identity, birth and freedom-to-marry evidence, and normally have 6 months to marry after approval; ADVICE: agree the documents with the registry before paying for translations or booking services that depend on the legal date.[1](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275)[2](https://irn.justica.gov.pt/Servicos/Cidadao/Casamento/Organizar-o-casamento)[3](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275)

Last updated 2026-11-12 · By Mia

| Route | Legal basis | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Registry ceremony | LAW: Portuguese marriage file[12](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275) | Appointment and reception timing |
| Venue ceremony | LAW: registrar agreement[13](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275) | Confirmed place and time |
| Catholic marriage | LAW: civil transcription[14](https://dcjri.ministeriopublico.pt/sites/default/files/documentos/instrumentos/concordata_santa_se.pdf) | Parish and registry coordination |
| Home marriage | LAW: symbolic event adds no marital status[11](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/lexionario/termo/casamento-inexistente) | Home legal requirements |

| Service | Official fee | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary registry | €120 | Process and registration[9](https://irn.justica.gov.pt/Custos-dos-servicos) |
| Specified ceremony | €200 | Outside registry, out of hours or weekend/holiday[9](https://irn.justica.gov.pt/Custos-dos-servicos) |
| Marriage certificate | €10 / €20 | Online / paper, general purposes[27](https://justica.gov.pt/Servicos/Pedir-certidao-de-casamento) |

## Questions and answers

### Can a foreign couple start the file without travelling together?

LAW: a representative holding special powers can initiate the marriage process. ADVICE: ask the registry to confirm the necessary authority and which later steps require your presence before booking travel.[4](https://irn.justica.gov.pt/Servicos/Cidadao/Casamento/Organizar-o-casamento)

### Is Portugal's online marriage application open to every nationality?

LAW: no; the online initiation service is limited to eligible Portuguese citizens and Brazilian citizens with the stated equal-rights status. ADVICE: foreign couples should confirm their registry or authorised representative route.[5](https://justica.gov.pt/Servicos/Iniciar-processo-de-casamento)

### Is there one deadline for all wedding paperwork?

LAW: the capacity-certificate validity rule and the 6-month period after registry approval are separate. ADVICE: keep the issue date, submission date, approval date and ceremony date in distinct fields.[6](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275)[3](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275)

### Are witnesses compulsory at a Portuguese civil wedding?

LAW: 2 to 4 witnesses may participate but are generally optional for the ordinary ceremony. The code requires 2 in the specified case where identity cannot be established through the prescribed identification methods.[7](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275)

### Is the old under-18 permission rule still current?

LAW: Law 39/2025 made being under 18 an impediment to marriage in Portugal. Some service pages retain older wording, so use the current statute rather than that outdated paragraph.[8](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/lei/39-2025-913223399)

## Sources

1. [Diário da República — Código do Registo Civil, consolidated](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275) — accessed 2026-11-12.
2. [IRN — Organizar o casamento](https://irn.justica.gov.pt/Servicos/Cidadao/Casamento/Organizar-o-casamento) — accessed 2026-11-12.
3. [Diário da República — Código do Registo Civil, consolidated](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275) — accessed 2026-11-12.
4. [IRN — Organizar o casamento](https://irn.justica.gov.pt/Servicos/Cidadao/Casamento/Organizar-o-casamento) — accessed 2026-11-12.
5. [Justiça — Iniciar processo de casamento](https://justica.gov.pt/Servicos/Iniciar-processo-de-casamento) — accessed 2026-11-12.
6. [Diário da República — Código do Registo Civil, consolidated](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275) — accessed 2026-11-12.
7. [Diário da República — Código do Registo Civil, consolidated](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275) — accessed 2026-11-12.
8. [Diário da República — Lei n.º 39/2025, article 2](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/lei/39-2025-913223399) — accessed 2026-11-12.
9. [IRN — Custos dos serviços: marriage tariffs 3.1–3.5](https://irn.justica.gov.pt/Custos-dos-servicos) — accessed 2026-11-12.
10. [IRN — Organizar o casamento](https://irn.justica.gov.pt/Servicos/Cidadao/Casamento/Organizar-o-casamento) — accessed 2026-11-12.
11. [Diário da República Lexicon — Casamento inexistente, Civil Code articles 1628–1630](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/lexionario/termo/casamento-inexistente) — accessed 2026-11-12.
12. [Diário da República — Código do Registo Civil, consolidated](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275) — accessed 2026-11-12.
13. [Diário da República — Código do Registo Civil, consolidated](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275) — accessed 2026-11-12.
14. [Ministério Público — Concordata Portugal / Holy See (2004)](https://dcjri.ministeriopublico.pt/sites/default/files/documentos/instrumentos/concordata_santa_se.pdf) — accessed 2026-11-12.
15. [Diário da República — Código do Registo Civil, consolidated](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275) — accessed 2026-11-12.
16. [British Embassy Lisbon — Marriage in Portugal notice, June 2025](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685d236df85b4b993fd7528d/Notice_-_Marriage_in_Portugal_Jun_2025.pdf) — accessed 2026-11-12.
17. [Irish DFA — Marriage and civil partnership abroad](https://api.ireland.ie/en/dfa/overseas-travel/consular-services/marriage-and-civil-partnership-abroad/) — accessed 2026-11-12.
18. [US Department of State — Marriage abroad](https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/living-abroad/marriage.html) — accessed 2026-11-12.
19. [Diário da República — Código do Registo Civil, consolidated](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275) — accessed 2026-11-12.
20. [Diário da República — Código do Registo Civil, consolidated](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275) — accessed 2026-11-12.
21. [Diário da República — Código do Registo Civil, consolidated](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/legislacao-consolidada/decreto-lei/1995-34525275) — accessed 2026-11-12.
22. [Justiça — Iniciar processo de casamento](https://justica.gov.pt/Servicos/Iniciar-processo-de-casamento) — accessed 2026-11-12.
23. [Diário da República — Lei n.º 9/2010, de 31 de maio](https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/lei/9-2010-332460) — accessed 2026-11-12.
24. [GOV.UK — Getting your foreign marriage or civil partnership certificate](https://www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships-abroad/register-your-marriage-or-civil-partnership-abroad) — accessed 2026-11-12.
25. [Irish DFA — Marriage and civil partnership abroad](https://api.ireland.ie/en/dfa/overseas-travel/consular-services/marriage-and-civil-partnership-abroad/) — accessed 2026-11-12.
26. [US Department of State — Marriage abroad](https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/living-abroad/marriage.html) — accessed 2026-11-12.
27. [Justiça — Pedir certidão de casamento](https://justica.gov.pt/Servicos/Pedir-certidao-de-casamento) — accessed 2026-11-12.