Marriage in Madeira

Is it possible, as citizens from another country, to have a marriage on the island of Madeira?

In this case the question came from the Netherlands. I enquired the Dutch consul here in Funchal and also a few hotels. They informed me that for Dutch citizens to be able to marry (civil marriage) in Madeira – Portugal, is only possible if one person from the couple lives in Portugal (with a minimum of 3 months).

To have the ceremony here in a church you will have to go through a very long and expensive procedure, which it may not be worth it … except if you have the time and money for it. The best way would be to have the church ceremony held in a hotel. There are (5 star) hotels that have already organized such events.

If you whish to have a marriage here on Madeira, and you are citizen from outside Portugal, I would suggest that you contact your country’s embassy or consulate in Portugal, and ask them for more information.

For a marriage ceremony in a hotel I would suggest that you make a (short) trip to Madeira and pay a visit to some of the hotels. If you need any help on this, feel free to ask.