Deep bureaucracy: that’s why Gibraltar is overrun with couples willing to marry



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Gibraltar is experiencing a wedding boom: as bureaucratic rules and Corona measures are less strict than elsewhere, couples from all over the world are currently being drawn to Gibraltar to say ‘I do’ there.

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Couples from all over the world flock to Gibraltar to get married.

Couples from all over the world flock to Gibraltar to get married.

REUTERS

Reason: the registry offices are still open and the bureaucratic obstacles are very low.

Reason: the registry offices are still open and the bureaucratic obstacles are very low.

REUTERS

A bride is led to the altar in Gibraltar.  Wedding celebrations are even easier to do in Gibraltar than anywhere else.

A bride is led to the altar in Gibraltar. Wedding celebrations are even easier to do in Gibraltar than anywhere else.

REUTERS

  • Gibraltar is becoming a reference point for weddings.

  • As the registry offices elsewhere are closed due to Corona, girlfriends and sweethearts from all over the world travel to Gibraltar.

  • Local event managers can hardly keep up with wedding planning.

Gibraltar is not exactly known as a travel destination. The British Overseas Territory is just under seven square kilometers and is home to just under 35,000 people.

But now Gibraltar is becoming a hotspot for travel. A very specific type of tourist is attracted to the Strait of Gibraltar: couples who want to get married, but cannot do so due to the Corona situation. The “Guardian” reports.

The fastest way to get married

One such couple are Bruno Miani and Natalia Senna Alves de Lima from Dublin. Since the registry offices are closed just like all other authorities due to the Crown provisions, they would have had to wait a long time for a wedding date.

It wasn’t an option for her, says Miani: “Right now, going to Gibraltar is the fastest way to get married,” she said. “We love each other very much, we already live together as a married couple. This makes it official now. “

“He’s absolutely crazy”

In fact, Gibraltar requires a minimum of bureaucratic effort to get married. Gibraltar also has fewer entry restrictions than other states or regions. Both together made Gibraltar a veritable wedding hotspot during the pandemic.

There is a reason why many are looking forward to getting married. Many countries allow only close family members to enter another country. Spouses are included, people who live “alone” in a relationship are not.

Wedding planners can barely keep up with the question: “This is absolutely crazy. We don’t have enough appointments and rooms, ”says Leanne Hindle, Marry Abroad’s wedding event manager at The Guardian.

Less severe than in Spain

Many Spaniards have also recently decided to say ‘I do’ to Gibraltar. Reason: For a later wedding party, the rules in Gibraltar are much less strict.

Gibraltar has now responded to the growing demand for marriages. The daily wedding dates at the registry office have been synchronized more closely and outdoor locations have been created where the ceremony can take place.

Gibraltar Prime Minister Fabian Picardo is happy with the race: “It is fantastic that Gibraltar is perceived as a place of love and not a place of separation”.



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