https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed It has been 20 years since Spain legalised gay marriage, so to mark the occasion, we've produced a guide for same-sex couples who want to tie the knot here, covering everything from paperwork to the rules for foreigners. https://www.thelocal.es/20250630/what-foreigners-need-to-know-about-same-sex-marriage-in-spain Mon, 30 Jun 2025 13:15:51 +0200 what-foreigners-need-to-know-about-same-sex-marriage-in-spain It's something of a nightmare scenario but one that happens to a lot of married couples. You've bought a property together, perhaps have a mortgage, but now you're getting divorced -- what happens next? https://www.thelocal.es/20231013/property-in-spain-what-happens-when-theres-a-divorce Fri, 13 Oct 2023 16:53:07 +0200 property-in-spain-what-happens-when-theres-a-divorce The paperwork and requirements, the types of unions available, the benefits, the risks of tying the knot for reasons of convenience - these are all the factors foreigners planning on marrying a Spanish national should be aware of beforehand. https://www.thelocal.es/20231011/what-foreigners-need-to-know-before-marrying-a-spaniard Wed, 11 Oct 2023 15:34:17 +0200 what-foreigners-need-to-know-before-marrying-a-spaniard Getting married in Spain is now twice as expensive as it was a decade ago, but the spike in prices has done little to slow the post-pandemic rush to the altar. https://www.thelocal.es/20230315/spain-is-the-second-most-expensive-country-in-the-world-to-get-married Wed, 15 Mar 2023 15:24:33 +0100 spain-is-the-second-most-expensive-country-in-the-world-to-get-married A prenup is typically an agreement made between a couple before they marry, stating each person’s rights to assets should the marriage fail, but what happens if you want to get one in Spain, how do you go about it and what do you need to know? https://www.thelocal.es/20230313/what-you-need-to-know-about-getting-a-prenup-in-spain Mon, 13 Mar 2023 18:18:17 +0100 what-you-need-to-know-about-getting-a-prenup-in-spain An increasing number of foreigners are attempting to gain residency in Spain through fake marriages of convenience that authorities can easily lift the lid on.  https://www.thelocal.es/20220425/fraudulent-marriages-to-obtain-residency-spike-in-spain Mon, 25 Apr 2022 17:57:40 +0200 fraudulent-marriages-to-obtain-residency-spike-in-spain The benefits and drawbacks of “pareja de hecho” or “matrimonio” in Spain depend on your personal circumstances. Here we analyse how civil partnerships and marriage can help foreigners in Spain. https://www.thelocal.es/20201012/civil-unions-vs-marriage-in-spain-which-one-is-better Mon, 12 Oct 2020 15:42:53 +0200 civil-unions-vs-marriage-in-spain-which-one-is-better Gina Lollobrigida, the iconic Italian actress, has lost her court battle to prove she was tricked into marrying her former Spanish boyfriend, who is 34 years her junior. https://www.thelocal.es/20170324/gina-lollobrigida-loses-fake-marriage-case-against-spanish-toyboy-husband Fri, 24 Mar 2017 14:53:37 +0100 gina-lollobrigida-loses-fake-marriage-case-against-spanish-toyboy-husband A couple in Madrid were forced to marry inside of an ambulance after the groom started to feel a bit faint at the weekend wedding, according to city officials. https://www.thelocal.es/20160704/couple-gets-married-in-ambulance-after-groom-passes-out Mon, 04 Jul 2016 17:00:21 +0200 couple-gets-married-in-ambulance-after-groom-passes-out Post Brexit, some British people in Spain are considering marrying their Spanish partner. Here's how to do it. https://www.thelocal.es/20160627/getting-married-in-spain-brexit-marriage-wedding Mon, 27 Jun 2016 16:00:22 +0200 getting-married-in-spain-brexit-marriage-wedding A woman has been arrested for offering to sell her under-age daughter to a 70-year-old man for €10,000. https://www.thelocal.es/20160623/mother-tried-to-sell-underage-daughter-to-70-year-old-man Thu, 23 Jun 2016 13:31:31 +0200 mother-tried-to-sell-underage-daughter-to-70-year-old-man Spain raised the minimum age for marriage from 14 to 16 on Thursday, in a reform that brings the law in line with the new age of consent. https://www.thelocal.es/20150724/spains-minimum-marriage-age-raised-from-14-to-16 Fri, 24 Jul 2015 10:40:59 +0200 spains-minimum-marriage-age-raised-from-14-to-16 More than 31,000 same-sex couples have tied the knot across Spain since a law permitting gay marriage was introduced in 2005. To mark the anniversary, here are ten of the best places in Spain to celebrate your nuptials. https://www.thelocal.es/20150630/best-spanish-gay-wedding-destinations Tue, 30 Jun 2015 15:24:47 +0200 best-spanish-gay-wedding-destinations Police have rescued an 11-year-old girl who was repeatedly raped and beaten after being sold for marriage by her parents for €17,000 euros. https://www.thelocal.es/20150527/girl-11-sold-by-parents-into-marriage-in-spain Wed, 27 May 2015 17:11:53 +0200 girl-11-sold-by-parents-into-marriage-in-spain Spain's Health Department is looking to raise the age of consensual sex from 13 — the lowest in Europe after the Vatican's 12 — to 16. https://www.thelocal.es/20130530/spain-set-to-raise-sex-age-from-13-to-16 Thu, 30 May 2013 13:24:00 +0200 spain-set-to-raise-sex-age-from-13-to-16 The Spanish government is looking at upping the legal age of marriage from 14 to 16 but makes no mention of raising the age of sexual consent beyond the current age of 13, the lowest in Europe. https://www.thelocal.es/20130405/spain-targets-raising-marriage-age-from-14-to-16 Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:29:00 +0200 spain-targets-raising-marriage-age-from-14-to-16 Spanish people are tying the knot later and less often while unions involving at least one foreigner now make up one fifth of all marriages in the country. https://www.thelocal.es/20130315/marriage-rates-halve-as-spaniards-shun-altar Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:10:00 +0100 marriage-rates-halve-as-spaniards-shun-altar