Finding your Grandparents in the Spanish Civil Registry: A newbie's Guide
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Practical guide for Spanish descendants in search of family history
If you are a Spanish descendant and are in the process of obtaining Spanish nationality, building your family tree, or simply want to learn about your roots, accessing Spanish Civil Registry documents can be a key step in advancing your family research.
What records can you find in the Spanish Civil Registry?
The Spanish Civil Registry contains fundamental documents related to the vital facts of people. Since its official creation in 1870, you can find:
Birth certificates
Marriage certificates
Death certificates
These documents usually contain information beyond the registrant's name. They usually include:
Parents' names and surnames
Date and place of event
Occupation of parents
Grandparents' data (in some cases)
Marginal notes updating important data (name changes, nationality, marriages, etc.)
Marriage certificates are especially valuable, as they often include information for up to 14 people, including the bride and groom, parents and grandparents.
How to obtain documents from the Civil Registry of a Spanish ancestor?
1. Gather the minimum necessary information
Before requesting any document, make sure you have this information:
Ancestor's name and surname
Type of event: birth, marriage or death
Date exact or approximate
Location and province where the event occurred
If you do not have all the data, you can consult family records, old photographs, obituaries or contact my team of genealogists!Access to the Ministry of Justice web site
The official portal for requesting these documents is the E-Office of the Spanish Ministry of Justice:
Entering the web site:
Go to the “Formalities” section
Choose the type of certificate you need:
Birth Certificate
Marriage Certificate
Death Certificate
Complete the application form
In the process, you can choose to:
Online application with CL@VE (if you have Spanish digital ID)
Request without electronic identification
Select the option “without identification” and access the online form. You will have to indicate:
If the document is for you or a third party
If the registered person is deceased
What is your family relationship with the person
Also, you must specify the locality and province where the event occurred. If you do not know the exact location, you can research in digital atlases or online maps.
Choose the document delivery and format
You can request shipment by:
Postal mail (regular mail)
Your e-mail address
Important: Always ask for a literal copy of the acta. It is the only valid format for legal procedures such as Spanish nationality or the processing of an inheritance.
Obtaining documents from the Spanish Civil Registry is an essential step for those seeking to reconstruct their family history or initiate nationality by descent procedures. Although the process may seem complex at first, with the right data and this guide at hand, you will be closer to finding the key pieces of your past.