Register your Partnership - Pareja de Hecho - in Spain

What do you need to know about registering a partnership - pareja de hecho - in Spain?

• What is pareja de hecho and marriage in Spain?

  Spanish “pareja de hecho”, “pareja estable” or “unión civil” (civil union) is a formal recognition of a partnership of two people (which can be hetero or homosexual), it is becoming a more and more popular way to formalise the relationship of a couple without registering a marriage.

  Marriage is a formal union of two people (which can also be hetero or homosexual) that has to be registered in the Civil Registry, and affects all legal aspects of the couple’s lives, both in Spain and abroad.

• What is the difference between marriage and civil union (or pareja de hecho) in Spain?

  There are many similarities, but also many differences between the two. In general terms:

  • Partnership is a much simpler and faster way to formalise the relationship, and it is much simpler to dissolve.
  • Marriage gives more rights in many aspects, such as inheritance or tax law.

  Read more about the differences and similarities in our article on how to get married in Spain.

• How do I register as pareja de hecho in Spain?

  The partnership registration in Spain is ruled by the Autonomous Communities (regions), so different requirements apply depending on the area of Spain you live in. In general, the documents you need to provide would be the same – your ID, address registration, birth certificate and civil status certificate. However, some regions require that the partners prove their previous residence together in the same address – some regions for a minimum of 2 years (e.g. Madrid), whereas other regions allow couples to declare they have a stable relationship in front of a notary public (e.g. Catalonia). The registration is done by the Registry of Stable Couples of the region that belongs to the corresponding Regional Authorities.

• How much does pareja de hecho cost?

  As it is a regional procedure, the cost depends on the rules that your Autonomous Community applies. For example, in Catalonia the registration is free, and you only need to pay for the notary cost of making the partnership declaration if you cannot prove previous residence together or don’t have children in common. In the other regions the fee to register your partnership may vary between 30 to 80 euros approximately.

• What is a common law partnership in Spain?

  It is a contractual relationship that regularises, legally and publicly, the stable union between two people, of the same or different sex, with an interest in living together and developing a family life, but without contracting marriage.

• How do I dissolve a pareja de hecho in Spain?

  If the partnership was formalised in a notarial deed, and both partners agree to terminate the relationship, they must go before a notary and dissolve the partnership by mutual agreement, and subsequently register the deed of dissolution in the corresponding register of unmarried partners.

  It is also possible to terminate the partnership registration directly in the Registry of Stable Couples; you must follow the procedure established by the corresponding Registry of your province.

  If the break-up is contentious and there are no prior financial agreements, it depends on the specific circumstances in each case. The attribution of the use of the common domicile or, in some regions of Spain, as in Catalonia, the so-called financial compensation for work that one partner may be entitled to, or the alimony of one partner towards the other in the legally determined circumstances must be regulated. In the event that there are joint children of the couple, a custody and maintenance procedure must be carried out in which the court decides the custody of the children and the maintenance allowance in favour of the children.