What is the Central Civil Registry?

Central Civil Registry: Functions and Competences

The Central Civil Registry, under the Ministry of Justice, is responsible for registering a variety of facts and acts for which there is no specific competence assigned to other registries. Its main functions include:

Registration of events not assigned to other registries: It handles those events that do not correspond to Municipal, Consular, or other specialised registries.
Duplicates of consular registrations: It registers duplicates of consular registrations, including births, marriages, and deaths that have been recorded in Consular Registries but must be registered in Spain according to current legislation.
Duplicates of birth registrations: Includes registrations of births that, although they occurred abroad, have been registered in Municipal Registries according to legal provisions.
Judicial modifications and guardianship appointments: It handles duplicates of registrations related to the modification of legal capacity, the establishment and modification of guardianship appointments, the extension or restoration of parental authority, and judicial measures regarding the custody or administration of incapacitated individuals and minors not subject to parental authority. It also includes records of protected estates and the designation and modification of their administrators, according to the Law 1/2009 of 25 March.
Secret marriages: It registers marriages that are kept secret, ensuring their correct documentation and treatment in accordance with the regulations.
Procedure in case of consular competence: When a consular registry is competent, but the applicant resides in Spain, registration must first be completed in the Central Civil Registry and subsequently transferred to the relevant Consular Registry.

This registry centralises and coordinates the registration of civil events and acts that require special monitoring or that cannot be managed by local or consular registries, thus ensuring the integrity and accessibility of relevant civil information

Do you wish to apply for a certificate registered in the Central Civil Registry?

If you wish to engage the professional service of remote management of official certificates offered by RegistroCivil.es, below you will find links to the procedures you can book through our portal:

Birth certificates / birth record (Go to birth form)
Marriage certificate / marriage record (Go to marriage form)
Death certificate / death record (Go to death form)

What events are registered in the Central Civil Registry?

Central Civil Registry: Functions and Responsibilities

The Central Civil Registry, which operates under the supervision of two magistrates and with the support of two judicial secretaries, is composed of officials from the Administration of Justice. This body has specific competences in the registration of various crucial events related to individuals' civil status. The main functions of the Central Civil Registry include:

Births of Spaniards abroad: Registration of the births of Spanish citizens that occurred outside Spain.
Births of foreigners acquiring Spanish nationality: Registration of births of foreigners who acquire Spanish nationality.
Births and adoptions abroad: Registration of births and adoptions that take place outside the country, provided they involve Spanish citizens or occur in the context of acquiring Spanish nationality.
Changes in nationality and residency: Updating records related to changes in nationality and residency of individuals born abroad.
Marriages celebrated abroad: Registration of marriages between Spaniards or of individuals who obtain Spanish nationality after the marriage, provided the marriage took place outside Spain.
Secret marriages: Registration of marriages kept secret for specific reasons.
Deaths of Spaniards abroad: Registration of deaths of Spanish citizens that occurred outside the country.
Deaths of foreigners in the service of the Spanish Armed Forces or Security Forces: Registration of deaths of individuals of foreign nationality who died while serving in the Spanish Armed Forces or Security Forces, provided the death occurred during a mission or operation outside Spain.

These registrations ensure the correct documentation and legalisation of important events in individuals' lives, both within and outside the country, and facilitate the updating and maintenance of relevant data in the civil sphere.