Request the marriage certificate (literal, extract or multilingual)

What you need to have ready

1. Cl@ve PIN/Permanente, certificado digital or DNIe (if you want immediate download).
2. Full names of both spouses: exactly as they appear in the Registro.
3. Date and municipality of the marriage. If you have tomo/folio/año, gold.
4. Registro Civil where it was registered (Municipal, Central if it was registered abroad, or consular).
5. Type of certificate: literal, extracto or plurilingüe (choose language of the Convenio de Viena).
6. Email and postal address in case they send it by post.

Documentation

• Electronic ID: Cl@ve or certificado digital/DNIe.
• Basic registry data of the marriage.
• If you act for someone else: autorización simple and a copy of DNI/NIE (for in-person collection/delivery if needed).
• If you plan to use it outside Spain: choose plurilingüe (if the country is in the Convenio) or literal to legalise/apostille.

Step by step

1. Go to the sede: https://sede.mjusticia.gob.es/es/tramites/certificado-matrimonio.
2. Click “Tramitación online”. Choose:
   • Acceder con Cl@ve/certificado if you want immediate download.
   • Sin certificado if you don’t have a signature: it will be processed and sent by post.
3. Fill in the spouses’ details, date and municipality. Indicate the Registro Civil. If unsure, add observations.
4. Choose type of certificate: literal / extracto / plurilingüe (select the language if plurilingüe).
5. Tick if you want notas marginales (divorce, annulment). If you don’t need them, don’t request them.
6. Check, submit and save the receipt with the CSV. If the entry is digitalised, download the PDF with signature. If not, wait for the postal delivery from the Registro.

Tricks that save you time

• If you have tomo and folio, include them: searches in busy registries are much faster.
• For EU/Convenio countries, use plurilingüe and skip translations/legalisation in many cases.
• If the sede misbehaves, try Chrome or Firefox. Safari sometimes won’t load the button.
• If your local office is slow, request literal online and, if it’s not digitalised, consider asking the Registro Civil Central when appropriate (marriages abroad registered there).
• If they’ll ask for a “recent” certificate, don’t get it months in advance: many procedures require it to be under 90 days.

Common mistakes that can mess up the process

1. Requesting extracto for extranjería or notary use: they’ll reject it; ask for literal.
2. Asking for notas marginales without need: extra checks and delays.
3. Trusting the plurilingüe without checking the country: if it’s not in the Convenio de Viena, it won’t be accepted and you’ll need to apostille/legalise.
4. Entering incomplete data (wrong date, wrong municipality): the Registro can’t find it and it drags on.
5. Trying to download without Cl@ve/certificado: without identification there’s no PDF; only a procedure for postal dispatch.
6. Going to the Registro without checking if you need a cita: wasted trip (many require one).