To have a “catholic Wedding” in Portugal, you need to fulfill catholic requirements and provide paperwork listed below. Please note:
A Catholic Blessing Wedding can only happen when you are already legally married. You will need to bring your original wedding certificate to show to the priest that will hold your service.
A Catholic Blessing Wedding with a Portuguese priest generally has to take place in a church. The wedding will be registered by the catholic church.
Catholic documents required:
1. A formal letter from your parish priest granting permission for the wedding to be performed in the church of __________________.
This letter is required by the Portuguese Curia to show that you have received permission from your parish priest to have your wedding ceremony performed. It should certify that your priest knows you and allows you to get married at the Portuguese Church of XXXXXX at the date XXXXX. This letter needs to be written on the letterhead paper of your Parish.
2. Your priest should also secure a letter from the Bishop of the parish stating the same as in # 1 and this letter should also be written on letterhead.
The Bishop’s permission to the wedding is one of the most important requirements for the Portuguese Curia. It must certify that you have no impediment to get married at the Portuguese Church of XXXXXX (name of the church) at the date XXXXX (the date you are asking). This letter needs to be written on the letterhead paper of your Bishop’s office. This letter shows that approval has been given by the authority over the priest who has written the letter referred in # 1.
3. The letter from the priest must also state that you have fulfilled all PRE CANA procedures, and should include the certificate (if a certificate was done) showing that you attended the premarital classes.
4. The Original prenuptial inquiry form has to be issued by your parish and be on formal church letterhead of your Parish.
The prenuptial inquiry form is not just the certificate but rather a type of signed questionnaire with church seals/signatures. Moreover this document must be stamped by the local Bishop’s office (NOT just your priest).
A PRENUPTIAL INQUIRY is issued by the archdiocese of your city/town. It is the prenuptial investigation that includes your dates, names and general religious data which your priest completes together with you. Your priest completes the questionnaire stating it has been approved so you can get married, signing the document as final approval. Then this document has to be sealed by your local Bishop, so the Portuguese Curia has the proof that it has been definitely approved by a higher member of the Catholic Church in your country.
5. ALL certificates of baptism, first communion and confirmation must be sent together with the Prenuptial inquiry form and letters mentioned in # 1, # 2 and must also be stamped by the local Bishop’s office.
All these sacraments have to be received in order to have the Catholic wedding performed. Ask your Parish who performed these sacraments to provide these certificates. If you have problems obtaining the originals, ask for copies that have to be sealed by your local bishop. The seals of the bishop, are required on these documents by the Portuguese Curia.
6. Original of the civil wedding certificate, (in event the Portuguese priest will not perform the civil part of the marriage the civil ceremony must be performed prior to the religious ceremony and that original certificate must be presented to the Portuguese priest)
This would apply if you are not asking to be civilly married at the same wedding ceremony in Portugal or in case that the Portuguese priest should not be able to do the civil and religious wedding together).
Please note: Not only the wedding licence (issued in USA) but the original certificate that you are legally married.
7. If one of you are not Catholic you will be required to obtain another document such as “Permission of mixed religions” to testify that the wedding celebration can be performed by the Portuguese Church.
Generally this document is issued by the local Bishop of your country. Ask this information to your Parish, so they can help you to obtain this special permission.
All the documents mentioned (excluding # 6) MUST have been sealed or stamped by the Bishop’s parish office.
NOTE: The Portuguese priest or Curia has final say on granting official permission for the wedding to move forward after seeing the paperwork.
The above refer to a couple that has never been married previously. If you have been divorced from a wedding in the Catholic church and your marriage was not officially annulled you cannot marry in the Catholic church. Please advise if you have had your marriage annulled.
Documents should not be done more than 3 months in advance or they expire. (exception of the baptism, holy communion and confirmation, that are issued when you received these sacraments).
Procedures
6 months before your wedding you will need to go to your priest and explain to him your intention to marry in Portugal. Print the above list of documents and ask your wedding planner for details such as name and location of church, name of priest, address of diocese. Your priest will help you with all of the above paperwork. When completed the paperwork has to be sent to Portugal. It should be checked if it has arrived and if the bishop is permitting your wedding in Portugal.
It must be checked that the priest receives the documents from the diocese.
Some of our Wedding Planning Packages include this service.
Witnesses
You can choose to have witnesses. Some priests ask you to have witnesses. You will need to provide witnesses names, address and civil status.
Translators
It will be best to ask an english speaking priest to hold your ceremony. It may however be a solution to hold a ceremony with a translator.
Your wedding planner will be able to advise on english speaking priests and book the service for you.
Deutsch
Catholic Wedding
Please note:
A Catholic Blessing Wedding can only happen when you are already legally married. You will need to bring your original wedding certificate to show to the priest that will hold your service.
A Catholic Blessing Wedding with a Portuguese priest generally has to take place in a church. The wedding will be registered by the catholic church.
Catholic documents required:
1. A formal letter from your parish priest granting permission for the wedding to be performed in the church of __________________.
This letter is required by the Portuguese Curia to show that you have received permission from your parish priest to have your wedding ceremony performed. It should certify that your priest knows you and allows you to get married at the Portuguese Church of XXXXXX at the date XXXXX. This letter needs to be written on the letterhead paper of your Parish.
2. Your priest should also secure a letter from the Bishop of the parish stating the same as in # 1 and this letter should also be written on letterhead.
The Bishop’s permission to the wedding is one of the most important requirements for the Portuguese Curia. It must certify that you have no impediment to get married at the Portuguese Church of XXXXXX (name of the church) at the date XXXXX (the date you are asking). This letter needs to be written on the letterhead paper of your Bishop’s office. This letter shows that approval has been given by the authority over the priest who has written the letter referred in # 1.
3. The letter from the priest must also state that you have fulfilled all PRE CANA procedures, and should include the certificate (if a certificate was done) showing that you attended the premarital classes.
4. The Original prenuptial inquiry form has to be issued by your parish and be on formal church letterhead of your Parish.
The prenuptial inquiry form is not just the certificate but rather a type of signed questionnaire with church seals/signatures. Moreover this document must be stamped by the local Bishop’s office (NOT just your priest).
A PRENUPTIAL INQUIRY is issued by the archdiocese of your city/town. It is the prenuptial investigation that includes your dates, names and general religious data which your priest completes together with you. Your priest completes the questionnaire stating it has been approved so you can get married, signing the document as final approval. Then this document has to be sealed by your local Bishop, so the Portuguese Curia has the proof that it has been definitely approved by a higher member of the Catholic Church in your country.
5. ALL certificates of baptism, first communion and confirmation must be sent together with the Prenuptial inquiry form and letters mentioned in # 1, # 2 and must also be stamped by the local Bishop’s office.
All these sacraments have to be received in order to have the Catholic wedding performed. Ask your Parish who performed these sacraments to provide these certificates. If you have problems obtaining the originals, ask for copies that have to be sealed by your local bishop. The seals of the bishop, are required on these documents by the Portuguese Curia.
6. Original of the civil wedding certificate, (in event the Portuguese priest will not perform the civil part of the marriage the civil ceremony must be performed prior to the religious ceremony and that original certificate must be presented to the Portuguese priest)
This would apply if you are not asking to be civilly married at the same wedding ceremony in Portugal or in case that the Portuguese priest should not be able to do the civil and religious wedding together).
Please note: Not only the wedding licence (issued in USA) but the original certificate that you are legally married.
7. If one of you are not Catholic you will be required to obtain another document such as “Permission of mixed religions” to testify that the wedding celebration can be performed by the Portuguese Church.
Generally this document is issued by the local Bishop of your country. Ask this information to your Parish, so they can help you to obtain this special permission.
All the documents mentioned (excluding # 6) MUST have been sealed or stamped by the Bishop’s parish office.
NOTE: The Portuguese priest or Curia has final say on granting official permission for the wedding to move forward after seeing the paperwork.
The above refer to a couple that has never been married previously. If you have been divorced from a wedding in the Catholic church and your marriage was not officially annulled you cannot marry in the Catholic church. Please advise if you have had your marriage annulled.
Documents should not be done more than 3 months in advance or they expire. (exception of the baptism, holy communion and confirmation, that are issued when you received these sacraments).
Procedures
6 months before your wedding you will need to go to your priest and explain to him your intention to marry in Portugal. Print the above list of documents and ask your wedding planner for details such as name and location of church, name of priest, address of diocese. Your priest will help you with all of the above paperwork. When completed the paperwork has to be sent to Portugal. It should be checked if it has arrived and if the bishop is permitting your wedding in Portugal.
It must be checked that the priest receives the documents from the diocese.
Some of our Wedding Planning Packages include this service.
Witnesses
You can choose to have witnesses. Some priests ask you to have witnesses. You will need to provide witnesses names, address and civil status.
Translators
It will be best to ask an english speaking priest to hold your ceremony. It may however be a solution to hold a ceremony with a translator.
Your wedding planner will be able to advise on english speaking priests and book the service for you.
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