The official translation into English of a Spanish marriage certificate will be needed for many reasons. For example, a British couple may marry in Spain, and the wife will have to submit the official translation to the British Passport Office and banks to change her surname if she is taking her husband’s surname.
In addition, the official translation of the marriage certificate may be necessary to prove that a person married in Spain, also divorced in Spain. When a person marries and then divorces in Spain, the divorce will be recorded by the Spanish Registry Office and annotated on the existing marriage certificate. If one of the ex-spouses is going to remarry in the UK, he or she could request, from the relevant Spanish Registry, an up-to-date marriage certificate with the annotation regarding the divorce. The official translation will confirm that he or she is now divorced. In this case it may not be necessary to submit the official translation of the Spanish divorce decree.
In many aspects, the Spanish marriage certificate is similar to the English marriage certificate because it provides the personal particulars for the groom and the wife. However, the Spanish marriage certificate will also include any recorded further information related to any future change in the spouses’ civil status.