Institutionally, the Civil Register is unique. In accordance with Article 10 of the Civil Register Law, the Civil Register is made up from Municipal Registers by a first instance judge, assisted by the secretary; for Consular Registers, by the Consuls of Spain abroad and by the Central Civil Register.
 
Each consular area has a Civil Registration office. This body is divided into four sections: births and general, marriages, deaths, and guardians and legal representatives. It is made up from Municipal Registers by the first instance judge, assisted by the secretary; the Consular Registers, by the Consuls of Spain abroad, and the central Civil Register. The offices of each consular district submit a duplicate of the records made locally to the central Civil Register.
 
The most common procedures that Spanish citizens living abroad carry out in Consular Civil Registers are those relating to births, marriages, deaths and nationality:
 
Births
Births of Spanish citizens abroad are registered in the Consular Office Civil Register of the district where they occur.
 
Registration in the Consular Register is normally performed by transcribing the certificate issued by the local Civil Register in the place of birth.
 
However, when a Consular Registration is appropriate and when the promoter is living in Spain, they must first register in the Central Register and then afterwards, by transfer, in the corresponding Consular Register.
 
The form that must be completed and presented in the consular offices to register a newborn child is the Data Declaration Sheet (Hoja declaratoria de datos), that can be downloaded here.
 
Name and surnames and changes to these
 
Emancipation and recognition of rights
 
Judicial modifications of the capacity of an individual, as well as declarations of insolvency, bankruptcy and suspension of payments
 
Declaration for legal purposes of a person's absence or death
 
Nationality and domicile
Information on Spanish nationality can be found in the Spanish nationality section.
 
Parental authority, guardianship and other representations recognised by law
 
Marriage
Any Spanish citizen may be married inside or outside of Spain:
 
- Before a judge, mayor or civil servant indicated by the Civil Code
- In a legally recognised religious ceremony
 
They may also be married outside of Spain in the way established by the Law in the place where the ceremony is held. Marriages of Spanish citizens held abroad are registered in the Consular Register corresponding to the place where they occur.
 
The registration is performed by transcribing the marriage certificate issued in accordance with the law of the area, or directly if performed by a person appointed by the Consular Civil Register.
 
A consular marriage may only be held when at least one of the parties is Spanish and if the laws and regulations of the receiving state do not oppose consular marriages.
 
The form that must be completed and presented in the consular offices to register a marriage is the Data Declaration Sheet (Hoja declaratoria de datos), which can be downloaded here.
 
Death
Deaths of Spanish citizens occurring abroad must also be registered in the Civil Register of the competent Consular Office of the location where they occur.
 
The document that must be presented to this office is the Data Declaration Sheet (Hoja declaratoria de datos), that can be downloaded here.