Are you an Australian citizen and thinking of getting married in Portugal?
Portuguese requirements
If you are an Australian citizen marrying in Portugal, you must contact the Portuguese Civil Registry office in the area you intend to marry to obtain information regarding the requirements.
Alternatively, you can contact the Portuguese Civil Registry office via:
- Tel: +351 211 950 500, between 9h and 17h (Portugal mainland time), from Monday to Friday.
- Email: [email protected]. It is preferable to send your enquiry in Portuguese for a prompt response.
In order to marry in Portugal, you will need to present:
-
an original birth certificate (accompanied by a translation into Portuguese)
-
your Australian Passport OR Residency Card (if you reside in Portugal)
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a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (see information below)
| All documents must have at least six months validity |
It takes a minimum of four weeks for your application to be processed and once approved, the marriage must occur within a three month period.
These requirements are subject to change by local authorities . We therefore, suggest you recheck the above marriage requirements with the Portuguese Civil Registry office.
If you are required to submit your original divorce papers to the Portuguese authorities, the papers may require an Apostille of the Hague to confirm authenticity. You can obtain an Apostille from the Embassy. You will need to make an appointment.
Further information can be obtained at Get married by the civil registry (eportugal.gov.pt)
Obtaining a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (CNI)
Lodging in person at the Embassy
A Certificate of No Impediment can be issued by the Australian Embassy in Lisbon.
You will need to complete an application form, sign it and have it witnessed by a Consular Officer at the Embassy or a local notary public.
To obtain the Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage, you will need to present the following:
- a completed CNI application form
- your current Australian passport OR your Australian birth certificate (together with a form of photo identification)
- if you or your partner have previously been married, the original divorce papers (which states Decree Absolute)
- if you are widowed, your deceased partner's Death Certificate.
- your partner's original identification (a Portuguese identify card or foreign passport)
- payment of the fee.
If lodging your application at the Embassy, you must present all original documents.
For further information on obtaining a CNI, visit the Smartraveller website.
Lodging by mail
If you are unable to lodge your application in person at the embassy, you can send your CNI application form and documentation via the post.
You will need to have your CNI form witnessed by a local notary public. You do not need to send original documents. However, you must include photocopies of your documents which also need to be notarised by a local notary public.
Our postal address is:
Australian Embassy
Av. da Liberdade, 200-2
1250-147 Lisbon
The current notarial service fee applies.
Once the Embassy receives your documentation, the consular officer will verify if the documentation are acceptable for the notarial services. If the original documents are acceptable, the consular officer will contact you, to proceed with the notarial service payment details.
Important: If you are an Australian citizen visiting Portugal and plan to marry an Australian citizen or non-Portuguese resident, you need to contact the Portuguese Civil Registry Office for further information or seek the services of an English speaking lawyer to assist with legal procedures in order to marry in Portugal.