How to Elope in Spain – Ultimate Guide

Are you planning to elope in Spain? Imagine this: you and your partner taking a magical and adventurous tour around one of Spain’s magnificent cities, drinking a cool glass of delicious wine while appreciating the breathtaking view of the Spanish landscapes, enjoying the tasty food, and laying on the beautiful beaches in Barcelona, Marbella, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza or Gran Canaria. Wishing it to become true? If so, you need to discover our ultimate guide on how to elope in Spain and you will also recieve a list of beautiful places to elope in Spain. Here we will include all the details and answers to your questions regarding this unique moment. Some of them might surprise you! Updated for 2025 and 2026 Spain Elopements.

Elopement or a Wedding in Spain?

What’s the difference between getting married and to elope in Spain?

Both traditional weddings and elopements incorporate the same concept – celebrating the love-centered, lifetime commitment you and your partner are vowing to each other. However, it’s the experience, the adventure, and the journey that makes them incredibly different. Traditional wedding ceremonies focus on various factors apart from the loving couple. They involve creating an entertaining experience for the guests, including customary elements to the ceremony, and ensuring the event itself is magical and perfect for everyone. It takes a high amount of time, money, people, planning, and choices to make. On the other hand, elopements are way simpler than weddings, having fewer costs, rules, obligations, and expectations. They are more personal and intimate as they focus solely on the couple and their desires, making it just more fun. You can actually also elope with no officiant in Spain – simply ask your friends to do it!
The best part is that they are not limited to a location. And, don’t get me wrong on this – Spain does have a great number of beautiful wedding venues, but eloping venue options are far away from ordinary beauty. You can elope in Spain in the middle of a beautiful landscape lost in an island cliff, in a square of a small Spanish town, surrounded by the magnificence nature of a national park, standing on a beach, or even on the top of the Teide volcano. The choices are endless!

Can you Elope in Spain?

If you are a foreigner wanting to legally elope in Spain, you must submit a variety of records, such as birth and marriage certificates. It is of utmost importance to be aware that non-multilingual documents must be legalized by the Apostille of The Hague or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diplomatic Representation of Spain in that region. As well, a translator recognized by the Ministry must translate these documents into Spanish. As for religious or civil ceremonies, legally eloping in Spain is unfortunately not a choice for non-residents. If neither partner is a Spanish citizen, they must prove they have a legal residency of at least two years. However, the pure beauty of eloping is celebrating “symbolic ceremonies.” A wide variety of couples go through all the proper paperwork in their home country without celebrating a civil ceremony and then come to the beautiful, historical, and magnificent Spain for a symbolic engagement, where they can exchange their vows and uniquely render wedding rituals. We strongy recomend this second option for your Spain Elopement.

Top 10 beautiful places to elope in Spain

1. Basque Country

Situated north in the border between Spain and France, the Basque Country is a veritable hidden gem far from any major city. It is full of history, culture, and incredible nature and traditions. It is a memorable location to elope due to its beauty and originality.

2. Galicia

The Galician province is famous for its uncrowded beaches, outstanding seafood, and overall beautiful scenery. The awe in its picturesque buildings and houses, the greenery in its fields, and the silver in its sea make Galicia a monumental jewel as an elopement destination.

3. Barcelona

The cosmopolitan city of Barcelona is home to several Gaudí architectural treasures, incredible travel adventure, renowned gastronomy, and vanguard culture. The city promises one of the most unique, romantic, Mediterranean style elopement.
Please make sure to check this beautiful Barcelona Elopement.

4. Balearic Islands

The Balearic Islands, such as Mallorca and Formentera, hide in its lands picturesque cliffs, dramatic mountains, rugged coastlines, and sparkling seas. These wonderful landscapes are perfect backdrops for any elopement celebration.
Please make sure to watch this amazing Mallorca Elopement.

5. Madrid

Stylish and trendy Madrid is the perfect scenario for cosmopolitan couples who want an elopement that combines tradition and modern style. Celebrating your custom elopement in Madrid, combining an intimate symbolic ceremony, allows couples to enjoy the excitement of a real wedding, without the burden of planning a big event at home.

6. Valencia

Sunny and warm Valencia is a beautiful city located on the eastern coast. It is home to a mesmerizing historical neighborhood, full of towers and churches, as well as a waterfront with beaches, bars, and restaurants. It is optimal for an elopement full of history, sun, and ocean.

7. Granada

Nested in the heart of Andalusia, Granada is the birthplace of flamenco music and dance. You will be seduced by Granada’s energy as this city holds the perfect balance between nature and culture. This location will be a stunning setting for elopement photos as it is situated at the foot of the Sierra Nevada.

8. Cordoba

Being another mystical place in Andalusia, Cordoba is an exquisitely romantic location with vibrant feels and narrow streets. It is also home to the stunning Mezquita, one of the most famous ancient mosques in the world. It is a mesmerizing place that will showcase its beauty to any elopement.

9. Seville

Seville is southern Spain’s creative, educational, and financial capital. It’s a city full of tradition, architecture, and vibrant life where you can try as many tapas flavors as possible. If you are looking to elope in Spain in an ancient and beautiful city, this city is such an adventurous and perfect spot. 
Make sure to check this gorgeous Seville Elopement.

10. Canary Islands

Down southwestern Spain, the Canary Islands have an exquisite environment for a romantic elopement destination. Overlooking the glittering waters of the Atlantic, couples can recite their vows in a spectacular outdoor atmosphere, as it has all types of geographical wonders. For us the Canary Islands are truly magical, and love to shoot Spanish Elopements on the islands.
Please make sure to check this mind blowing Elopement in Gran Canaria.

When to elope in Spain?

Spain is a very differentiated country located in the south of Europe with many distinguished regions. Most of them are most beautiful from early April up to late November, but actually there is one where you can elope all year long. Do you want to celebrate your Spanish elopement ceremony during wintertime without actually having to deal with the cold weather? No issue at all in Spain! You can travel to the coast of northwestern Africa and elope at the Spanish Canary Islands, where the summer never ends. Generally, the Canary Islands
(with my favorite Gran Canaria) are a popular destination for winter getaway trips due to its fantastic climate. Their closeness to the African coast provides them over 300 days of sunshine and an average temperature of 22 degrees Celsius throughout the year. Thus, this makes the islands the perfect spot for elopements all year long.

How much does it cost to elope in Spain?

Are you wondering what are the elopement packages in Spain? And how much does a wedding in Spain cost? According to Statista, traditional weddings in Spain had an average cost of 22 thousand euros. And, depending on the couples’ taste and financial means, it can blow up to 32 thousand euros or lower to 12.4 thousand euros. On the other hand, planning an elopement ceremony is less expensive, running its costs between 800 euros and 12 thousand euros at highest. As well, these ceremonies are often paid for as packages. The specific design of elopement packages provides all the necessary elements to pull off a memorable ceremony. This kit contains everything you will need to legally tie the knot for one price. The venue, wedding planner or your trusted wedding videographer and wedding photographer (it can be us!) – will handle the majority of the logistics, and the couple will only have to turn up on the big day.
Its efficacy is a huge advantage as well, as it makes the stress go away and it can help the lovebirds to simply enjoy your special Elopement in Spain. And you know what? We can help you too with organizing many things – just CONTACT US.

How do elopements in Spain look like?

If you want to have a visual example of how an elopement ceremony in Spain looks like, here’s some examples of my recent eloping couples and the beautiful and touching wedding photography and videography – I’ve prepared for amazing couples that decided to elope in Spain. Please find below some inspiration on how to elope in Spain, with real life examples.

Elope in Spain – Gran Canaria Elopement with Alba & William

Cat & Max – a beautiful Seville elopement in Hotel Alfonso XVIII

Elope in Spain – My personal opinion

If you made this far it probably means that you are super interested to elope in Spain. First of all thank you for taking your time in reading my ultimate guide on eloping in Spain. I really hope this was helpful to you and remember that you can always CONTACT us if you need help organizing your elopement in Spain, or if you are looking for videography or photography to elope in Spain, you can count on us.
As we travel around the globe to weddings, we have honestly “seen it all”. But you know what? Spain is the country where me and my family decided to move and live and build our new home. If you are planning your destination wedding in Spain, I totally get your motivation and emotions, as I have chosen Spain not only to elope with my wife but also live and watch my kids grow up.
I believe that Spain has simply something magical, maybe its the people, maybe its the colors or the music – but most definitely there is something about Spain that makes you want to elope.