The Law | General Conditions for Marriage and Documents Required | Making an Appointment for Marriage
Subsequent Formalities | Fees | Attendance in Person | The Marriage Ceremony | Immigration Requirements | Further Enquiries

CIVIL MARRIAGES IN GIBRALTAR FOR NON-RESIDENTS

1. THE LAW

In Gibraltar, the marriage between a man and a woman is provided for under the Gibraltar Marriage Act.  Under its provisions it is possible, by means of a Special Licence granted under Section 13 of the Act, for non-residents to marry in Gibraltar without needing to comply with any statutory residential requirements.  It also enables civil ceremonies to be conducted at approved locations outside the Registry outside working hours and at weekends.

If you are resident in Gibraltar and your intention is to be married in a place of worship or in the Marriage Registry without a Special Licence, you will need to give notice of your intended marriage either to a Minister of the religious community to which you and your future spouse respectively belong or to the Marriage Registry, whichever is applicable.  You will need to give at least 21 days notice, in the case of a Registry wedding or allow for the publication of the banns on three, Sundays or Holy days or 3 Jewish Sabbaths (in the case of members of the Jewish community), if you are to be married in a place of worship.

2. GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR MARRIAGE AND DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

In order to get married in Gibraltar at the Marriage Registry or by means of a Special Licence, you must be able to satisfy the Registrar that you are free to marry.

(A)  SINGLE PERSONS

This may be done by obtaining a single status certificate or a certificate of no impediment from the authorities of your country of origin or normal residence.
Where this cannot be obtained, formal confirmation from the relevant authorities to the effect that such certificates are not issued is required.
This is currently not applicable to UK Nationals.

(B) WIDOWS AND WIDOWERS

If you are a widow or widower, you must furnish:-
(1)  your birth certificate;
(2) the death certificate of your spouse;
(3) if the death certificate does not name you as the widow or widower of the deceased, it is also essential that you produce your marriage certificate.

(C )  PERSONS WHO HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY MARRIED

If you have been previously married, you must submit:
(1) Your birth certificate
(2) Your previous marriage certificate/s
(3) Your final and absolute divorce decree/s or certificate/s of annulment of your previous marriage/s certificates.

(D ) CHANGE OF NAME

If you have changed your name by deed poll or in some other way, you should produce your change of name deed.

(E) OTHER DOCUMENTATION

IRRESPECTIVE OF YOUR STATUS YOU MUST, IN ADDITION, PRODUCE YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE AND PASSPORT (NATIONAL IDENTITY CARD IN THE CASE OF E.U. NATIONALS).  THE REGISTRAR, IN HIS DISCRETION, MAY ASK YOU TO PRODUCE OTHER DOCUMENTS, WHICH HE MAY CONSIDER NECESSARY. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU ARE A NON-EEA NATIONAL RESIDING IN THE EEA, HE MAY ASK YOU TO PRODUCE YOUR RESIDENCE DOCUMENT.

(F)   MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES

If you are a member of the armed forces you will also need to produce your Commanding Officer’s consent in writing. 

(If you were born / or married in the United Kingdom or your spouse passed away in the United Kingdom and you do not have copies of the relevant birth, marriage or death certificates you should contact the General Register Office (GRO) at www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ )

3. MAKING AN APPOINTMENT FOR MARRIAGE

To initiate the process you will, in the first instance, need to make a provisional booking for the marriage ceremony.  You may do this either by attending our offices if you are in Gibraltar, by telephone or in writing. 

Our offices are open to the public:-

Mondays to Fridays  09:00 to 12:45 (mid September to mid June) and
09:00 to 13:00 (mid June to mid September)

If you telephone, our office hours are:-

Mondays to Thursdays 8.45 – 13.15 and 14.15 – 17.30 - mid September to
Fridays - 8.45 – 13.15 and 14.15 to 17.15  ) mid June

Mondays to Fridays     8.00 – 14.30 - mid June to mid September

Gibraltar time is GMT+1 (winter) and GMT+2 (summer)
Our contact numbers and email address are as follows:-
Tel 00 350 20072289
Fax 00 350 20042706
Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 
A provisional booking may be made for ceremonies to be held within a maximum period of one year from the date of the booking.

You will need to indicate whether you wish to be married at the Registry or at one of the approved locations outside.  The approved venues are as follows:-

1. The Caleta Hotel
2. The O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel
3. The Rock Hotel
4. The Dell – Alameda Botanic Gardens (between 1 – April and 30 October weather permitting).
5. The Mount
6. Top of the Rock – Mons Calpe Suite, Cable Car Station
7. The Queens Hotel

Marriages held at the above locations may take place on any day of the week including Sundays.

Marriages held in the registry office may only take place on weekdays between 10.00 and 12.00 excluding public holidays.  However, some flexibility may be exercised, where possible, to accommodate weddings at 9.30 and 12.30, particularly during the summer months.

No marriages will be held during the period between 19 December and 3 January inclusive.

Marriage ceremonies held outside the Registry must comply with any conditions imposed by the Registrar.  For example, if the reception is to be held at the same venue, it should not be in the same area where the ceremony is to take place.  If you wish to be married at one of the above outside venues you will also need to contact the organisers direct and make the necessary arrangements yourselves.  Contact details are as follows:-

1. The Caleta Hotel – Catalan Bay – Tel 0035020076501 – Fax 00 350 200 42143 – email – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
2. The O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel – 2 Governor’s Parade – Tel -00 350 200 70500 – Fax – 00 350 200 70243 email – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
3. The Rock Hotel – 3 Europa Road – Tel 00 350 200 73000 – Fax 00 350 200 73513 – email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
4. The Dell – Alameda Botanic Gardens, Red Sands Road, P.O.Box 843 -  Tel 00 350 200 41235 – Fax 00 350 200 74022 – email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
5. The Mount – Ms Tanya Parrado, No 6 Convent Place – Tels 00 350 200 51741/00 350 200 40141 – Fax 00 350 20074524
6. Mons Calpe Suite – Cable Car Top Station  – Cloister Building 6/8 Market Lane, P O Box 554 – Tel 00 350 200 79478 – Fax 00 350 200 71608 – email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it website: www.monscalpesuite.com
7. The Queens Hotel – 1 Boyd Street- Tel 00 350 200 74000 – email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 

For further information about these locations and on Gibraltar generally, you should visit the Gibraltar Tourist Boards websites at:- www.visitgibraltar.gi |  www.gibraltar.gov.gi

4. SUBSEQUENT FORMALITIES

Once your provisional booking has been taken you will need to submit the required documentation and pay the prescribed fees. The time within which you will need to finalise these arrangements is:-

(a)  within 3 months from the date of the provisional booking, if the marriage ceremony is to take place later than 6 months from the date of the booking; or
(b)  within 1 month from the date of the provisional booking, if the ceremony is to take place within 6 months from the date of the booking.

You will be asked to pay the fees once the documentation has been examined and accepted.  The fees are non-refundable.

At this stage documents may be faxed or emailed.  Certified translations must accompany documents which are in a language other than English. However, before the marriage licence can issue and before the wedding can take place, the original documents need to be submitted to the Registrar and accepted by him.

Payment of fees (in sterling)  may be effected in person or either by:-

A sterling bank transfer into the Natwest Bank (Gibraltar) account below:-

Account Name:  Government General Account – re-Civil Status
Sort code: 60-60-60
Account No. 47658983
Iban No. GI 49NWBK060606047658983

Or by credit/debit card - details to be supplied are as follows:-
Card number
Card expiry date
Card start date
Card issue number
Security code, i.e the number printed on the signature strip
Post code
Address

If payment is going to be effected by credit card you should ask the Marriage Clerk to send you the debit / credit card details form. This must be returned to us by email of fax once we have confirmed that your documentation is in order.

FEES

1.  Registrar’s Certificate (residents only) ………………………………….    £32.50

2.  Notice (residents only) ……………………………………………………   £30.00

3.  Special Licence for Marriage  ……………………………………………   £67.50                                                       

3. (a) Ceremony and registration (in registry office) ………………………  £40.00                            
      
3. (b) Ceremony and registration – (at a venue outside the Registry Office) on weekdays ……………………………………………………………….  £140.00 
                      
3. (c) Ceremony and registration – (at a venue outside the Registry Office) at weekends and on weekdays after working hours…………………….£240.00                                                                                     

Once the fees have been paid your booking will be confirmed. However, if after the expiry of 3 months (or 1 month as the case may be) from the date of the booking, the formalities have not been completed, the provisional booking will automatically be cancelled.

5. ATTENDANCE IN PERSON
  
Where the booking is confirmed, the next stage will be for you to attend our offices not later than 10.30 on any working day prior to the date of the ceremony to complete the paperwork and apply for a Special Licence.  This may be done as early as a maximum of 3 months in advance, or as late as the day before the date of the ceremony. The office is open to the public between the hours of 9.00 and 12.45 ( mid September to mid June) and between the hours of 9.00 and 13.00 (mid June to mid September).

At this stage you will need to produce the ORIGINAL of all the documents previously submitted. In the case of a copy of a certificate, it must bear an original seal of the court or registry that issues the certificate, or be certified as a true copy of the original by a notary public, British Consul or other person entitled in law to certify the authenticity of the document.

You will be required to complete affidavits and sign them before a Commissioner for Oaths or Notary Public of your choice in Gibraltar.  You should remember that the Commissioner for Oaths or Notary Public will charge you for his services.

You may make arrangements to order marriage certificates which you will need to pay for.  The fee is £3.50 per certificate.  If you wish certificates to be posted to you to an address outside Gibraltar, there is a further fee of £5.00.

It is also possible to legalise (apostille) marriage certificates, under the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 on legalisation of documents.  If you wish to apostille your marriage certificate, you should make arrangements for this at the time you order your certificate.  The fee for this service is £15.00 per certificate.

6. THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY

Couples will need to make arrangements for themselves and their guests to be at the marriage venue before the ceremony is to take place. If the marriage is to take place at an outside location, they will also need to arrange for transport to convey the Registrar to and from the marriage venue.

Before the ceremony commences, you will be asked for identification (ie your passport or national identity card).  You will also need to provide two witnesses for the marriage.  Your witnesses may be related to either of you and/or to each other.  They may be friends or colleagues but they must be able to speak and understand English and be over the age of 18.

The ceremony is conducted in English.  If you do not speak English, you must arrange for and provide your own interpreter.  The Registry can help you with this.  You should advise the Registry before the marriage booking is confirmed that you need the services of an interpreter.

If you wish, you may arrange for a photographer to be present at your wedding.  The Registry can provide you with the contact details of the different photographic studios in Gibraltar.  It can similarly provide you with the details of florists in Gibraltar.

7.  IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS

If you do not reside in Gibraltar and you are not an EEA national you may require a visa to enter Gibraltar.  The Registry will be able to advise you on whether or not a visa is required.  If you do require a visa, you will need to apply for one at the British Embassy in your country of normal residence.  If you are in the UK, you will be able to obtain a visa from the visa section, Identity & Passport Service, Globe House, Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1PN.  You must bear in mind that unless you have guaranteed returnability to either your country of normal residence or your country of origin, the issue of a Gibraltar visa cannot be authorised.

You should also be aware that, like the United Kingdom, Gibraltar is not part of Schengen.   Therefore if you intend to travel to Gibraltar through Spain and return the same way, you should ensure that if you require a Schengen visa, this is valid for more than one entry.
    
Non EEA nationals who are to marry British Citizens and intend to settle in the United Kingdom with their spouses will need to obtain settlement visas in order to do so irrespective of whether they are visa requiring nationals. Non-EEA nationals in the same situation may also obtain such a visa. You should apply for the visa at the British Embassy in your country of normal residence.  If you are already in the UK, you should contact the Border and Immigration Agency of the Home Office at www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk for information on your immigration status.

8. FURTHER ENQUIRIES
 
The Registry staff will endeavour to assist you as much as possible.  You may address any further enquires to:-

The Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages
Civil Status & Registration Office
Joshua Hassan House
Secretary’s Lane
Gibraltar
Tels (00350) 20072289 | (00350) 20051725(switchboard)
Fax (00350) 20042706
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