Australian Embassy
Portugal
Cabo Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea Bissau

Marrying in Portugal

Are you an Australian citizen and thinking of getting married in Portugal? 

 

If you are an Australian citizen wanting to marry a Portuguese citizen resident in Portugal, you must contact the Portuguese Civil Registry office nearest to your fiancée’s Portuguese residential address, to obtain information with regards to the appropriate requirements. Alternatively, you may contact the Registry Service Line on +351 211 950 500, between 9h and 17h (Portugal mainland time), from Monday to Friday (except on Portuguese Public holidays, Carnival Day and Lisbon's Municipality Public Holiday).  

In general the requirements * are: 
 

  • Original birth certificate (accompanied by a translation into Portuguese)

  • Australian Passport OR Residency Card (if already resident in Portugal)

  • Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (see information below) 

All documents must have at least six months validity


It usually takes a minimum of four weeks to process each application and once approval for marrying in Portugal is granted, the marriage must occur within a three month period.

Due to regular changes and updates by the local authorities on requirements * for foreigners wanting to marry in Portugal, the Australian Embassy strongly recommends that you recheck marriage requirements at the nearest Portuguese Civil Registry office.

The Portuguese Civil Registry Office also has an email contact address for further queries at [email protected]. It is advisable to enquire in Portuguese for a prompt response.


One of the requirements from the Portuguese authorities is to obtain a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (CNI), in Portuguese. This document can be issued by the Australian Embassy in Lisbon. You will need to fill out an application form, sign it and have it witnessed by a person stated at the bottom of the form (this can also be performed by a Consular Officer at the Embassy).

In order to obtain the Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage, you will need to lodge the application form at the Embassy in Lisbon with your:

  1. original current Australian passport,
  2. your original Australian birth certificate or original Australian Citizenship Certificate (if not born in Australia),
  3. your original divorce papers (which states Decree Absolute) if you have previously been married,
  4. your fiancée's original identification (Portuguese bilhete de identidade/cartão de cidadão or foreign passport),
  5. pay the fee.

Please check the current fee and payment method for the issue of the Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage.

Note:  If you are required to submit your original divorce papers to the local Portuguese authorities, the papers may require an Apostille of the Hague to certify their authenticity.  To obtain an Apostille you will need to make an appointment.

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Important: If you are an Australian citizen visiting Portugal and planning to marry an Australian citizen or non-Portuguese resident, you will have to contact the Portuguese Civil Registry Office for further information or seek the services of an English speaking lawyer to assist with the legal procedures to marry in Portugal.