So I am trying to get a civil marriage here, but I am having some problems with my paperwork. I need to get a document saying that it is not necessary to publish the fact that I am getting married in my country, or something to that effect. I phoned the american consulate the other day and asked for something like that, they promptly sent me a letter that they said would take care of that. The letter says something to the effect that the american consulate will do nothing, but doesn´t really talk about marriage. Did they send me the wrong letter or is this what they meant to send me? Anyone have any ideas

They sent you the wrong letter. Its a cheesy form letter that you fill out.. I have it at home, I'll post later (hopefully tonight before I forget) and give you more details about the letter. Don't worry! We'll get you fixed up! But the one they gave you may do. In the states its not posted like it is over there (its to basically make sure you're not already married.) another option is go to the registro civil, show them what the embassy gave you and ask if thatt's ok, or if they need something else, but there is a different letter (but it may have changed since I got my hands on the one I have... which was a couple of years ago.)

So, when is the big day?!

Isn't Espe3 great!?? Before long she'll have us all married to Spaniards (if we're not already Spanish, that is).

Roe, I'm afraid I don't know if that letter is the correct one - I think you should ask the Spanish side if it will work, like Espe says. But I just wanted to warn you that the US consulate in Madrid (I'm assuming that's the one you're dealing with) is not at all reliable when it comes to doing the right thing. My experience has been that they can issue passports correctly, and mess up everything else. I won't go into lengthy anecdotes (I'll just say that I finally had to go to the US to un-do all their wrongdoings dealing with US social security - it was hopeless in Madrid), but be aware that they can give you a harder time than any Spanish office can. They will insist they're right, but that doesn't mean much - they're often wrong. And, as anywhere, some of the people who work there are much more informed than others, so you have to hope you got the right contact. I don't want to scare you - I'm just hoping to give a "heads up" in case things don't go smoothly. You may have to contact them more than you originally planned to in order to get what you need.

Good luck!
Diana (whose nightmares take place in a place that looks suspiciously like a certain building on c/ Serrano... )

Hahaha! Diana! So sorry you have so much trouble with them! When I walk into that building I become a full fledged american and pretty much TELL them what it is that I'm needing/doing. For exactly what you said, some people know more than others... and you never know! Roe it may be easier to take a trip to madrid and get what you need in person. They can give you all that they're capable of from there. (except of the apostille of the hague seal I think!-you may need that done stateside, I think so!)

Thanks MM, just pitching in wherever I can!

When I got the letter I never actually read it, I just assumed it was what I needed. It wasn´t until I brought to the offices that they told me that it wasn´t the right document. Does anyone know if the people at the consulate in Barcelona are any more competent than Madrid?

Roe,
I got the information.

It states: Proof of freedom to marry. This only applies if there was no previous marriage. For Spaniards, the Civil Registry has a document for this purpose. Since there is no equivalent document in the U.S., a sworn statement to the effect that the parties are single and free to marry, signed before an American Consul, is sufficient.

In other words, you're going to have to make a trip to the Embassy in Madrid, or the Consulate in Barcelona, with the document (which you type up) in hand, and leave lines where both you, the consul have spaces to sign. And that's supposed to work.

Hope it helps. Let me know!

No, I already got that letter. There is some other requirement that says that I need a letter from the consulate that says that I don´t need to publish the fact that I am getting married or something like that. I wonder about how the laws are different in the different provinces/Autonomous communities because I think that Chica posted one time that she just needed her birth certificate, passport and a letter from her bank. If only it were that easy here...

Roe, I am really sorry to hear that this process is so complicated for you!

Anyway, with regards to my marriage. We got married in the USA in the state of Pennsylvania. Curiously enough, my husband never had to present any documentation (such as a letter stating singlehood, etc). I am not familiar with the letter that the consulate is asking of you.

Before our church wedding, we for a brief moment in time, considered a civil ceremony in Spain, so I scurried about collecting the due documentation. In digging through my paperwork, I have found the list of documents that I was told I would need in order to have a civil ceremony in Spain (Madrid).

1. Birth certificate. Original, translated in Spanish with the Apostille seal. (Latiguillo de la Haya).

2. Proof of residency. Produced by the township where I lived at the time, translated with the Apostille seal. In place of this document (letter) copies of electric bills, or bank statements (to establish proof of residency) bearing the address where I was claiming residency.

3. Certificate of Civil Status. The letter of "singlehood" (married, single, divorced, widowed, etc.)...Translated to Spanish and with the Apostille Seal. In absence of this document, a sworn statement before the judge (of my township) with the Apostille Seal would suffice.

4. Passport...my valid, current USA passport.

With these docs, we could go to the Juzgado here in Spain to present the paperwork and complete the solicitud and make our sworn statements. All the documentation would then be reviewed by the Fiscal and Juez and within a period of 30 days, would inform us of their approval at which time we could set a date for the civil service. At the civil service we would have needed to attend with 2 witnesses.

Considering your situation and the fact that you are living here in Spain. Perhaps the document that they are asking you for is in lieu of document #2 above. Would be hard to prove residency in the USA if you have been here for an extended period of time.

However, there could be away around that for you if you claim residency in the USA. In my case, for doc #2, I was not really living in the township where I applied for the paperwork. I was actually living in the city of Philadelphia. However, to avoid big city beauracracy, I processed all the paperwork through my parents´ address -- a smaller township (my childhood address), where I was still registered to vote, and my drivers´ license still reflected that address. The township had record of the deed of my parents´ house, and proof of their tax payments. That along with my drivers´ license and I was able to esblish residency in the township where they produced a letter stating as much.

If you have family that lives in the USA and you can somehow establish residency at their address, then perhaps you can supply doc #2 above, instead of what the consulate is asking you for. Otherwise, I would imagine that there must be a way for you to make a sworn statement at the consulate to the fact that you have been residing in Spain for xxx amount of time.

If you are interested in more details about some of my paperwork, email me and I will send you scanned copies.

Good luck!

Another thought just occurred to me. You said that they are asking you for a letter saying that it isn´t necessary for them to publish the fact that you are getting married in Spain. Could this possibly be with regards to proving that you do not have a criminal history? That perhaps you are not trying to run away from the US law enforcement? That there aren´t "WANTED" posters with your face plastered all over the USA?

Just a thought!

Arriba Pensilvania! Go Philly!