It is easy to imagine why it is increasingly common for couples to want to say “I do” in Mexico. They are looking for the wonderful and unforgettable settings Mexico offers, such as beautiful beaches with golden sands and turquoise waters, colonial cities, cobbled streets, magical cenotes, magical towns, and even modern and fancy hotels in its major cities.
READ: Guide: The 16 Best Wedding Venues in Los Cabos for 2024
All these attractions make American, Canadian, and British couples dream of getting married in this beautiful country and, truth be told, there are no legal or technical constraints that prevent them from doing so.
So, if you are thinking of a Cabo destination wedding and are wondering how to get married in our beautiful country, I’ll share with you some useful tips.
Keep in mind that you should plan your ceremony, gather some documents, fill out forms, and pay some fees.
However, if you consider all this “paperwork” complicated, bulky, or undoable due to lack of time, you can hire a professional wedding planner to take care of all the documentation, so you can fulfill your dream of marrying in a country that, for centuries, has been considered a place of abundant beauty.
It is important that you know you do not need to be a Mexican resident, nor be Mexican, to get legally married in Mexico.
American or foreign citizens who wish to marry in Mexico can do so. The involved parties must present to the corresponding Civil Registry Office the documents detailed below. It is important that all documents, except for the passport, are apostilled (certified by an authority in your country, or we can provide this service too), in the country where they were issued.
The ceremony must be carried out in Spanish, but you can always hire a professional translator so your guests can follow.
How to get married in Mexico: legal requirements
Getting married in Mexico is easy. There are just a few legal requirements you will need to fulfill:
Birth Certificates
Must be apostilled by a legal authority of your country or Mexico.
Legal Translations
Both birth certificates must be translated by a legal authority in your country or Mexico.
Fill out an Application at the Civil Registry Office
As wedding planners, we take care of this. We’ll send you the forms to complete and confirm the judge receives them. Please consider that the entire legal process to get married in Mexico takes at least 2 months, as the Civil Office should receive the application within this timeframe.
Certificate of Single Status
This is requested by the local City Hall to La Paz (Capital of BCS) when the judge has the marriage request ready, along with the birth certificates and IDs. The last certificate is requested and La Paz City Hall will validate the documents.
Present a Blood Test
Issued by the Centro de Salud (Goverment Hospital) in Mexico, stating that neither of the partners suffers from diseases that may impede marriage. The clinical analysis must be in Spanish and be done within 3 days before the wedding day.
Present Your Official ID
The couple must identify themselves with their FMT Tourist Cards and valid passports (valid for at least 6 months), plus a photocopy of their birth certificates.
Visa
You will need a tourist visa, which will be handed to you by the migration service upon your arrival in Mexico.
Present Four Witnesses
The bride and groom must be accompanied by 4 witnesses (2 each) who have to be present at the legal ceremony. Each one will have to show a valid ID, which can be a passport or any other form of government-issued identification.
Civil ceremonies must be performed by a Mexican judge and conducted in Spanish. We highly suggest considering a translator so everybody can enjoy the ceremony.
Is same-sex marriage legal in Mexico?
Since October 2022, equal marriage has been legal throughout Mexico. Tamaulipas, in the northwest of the country, was the last state where same-sex marriage was approved.
This way, you can fulfill your wish of getting married in Mexico everywhere in the country.
READ: Celebrate Your LGBTQ Destination Wedding in Los Cabos!
Religious and symbolic ceremonies
If you want to get married under man’s and God’s laws, it is possible in Mexico. Undoubtedly, it is an exceptional idea because Mexico is full of beautiful churches, details, and mystical environments.
You and your partner should know that religious weddings and other symbolic ceremonies are possible but will not have legal recognition (only civil weddings are legally recognized).
If you want to get married through the Catholic Church, you can do all the paperwork in the country where you live and process a transfer letter, which allows the wedding planner to carry out the procedures in Mexico so that you can get married and your marriage is valid all over the world.
You need to request the language in which you want the ceremony to take place. Also, please consider that Catholic priests usually do not perform ceremonies in places other than the church. If a symbolic wedding is your wish, it is possible to do it in Mexico. Just give notice regarding where you will celebrate it.
You may want your best friend to officiate the ceremony. You can choose a sand ceremony, a candle ceremony, plant a tree, share a cup of wine, paint a canvas, tie the knot, etc. Our work as wedding planners is to arrange everything so your ceremony runs smoothly and matches your vision.
Some extra tips
- For matters related to the certification and legalization of the documents required for the marriage and questions about marriage in Mexico, contact your nearest Mexican consulate.
- If you plan to marry a Mexican citizen in Mexico, you may need to apply for a permit and process a document of non-existent marriage.
- After the marriage, your wedding planner will help you get a certified copy of the marriage certificate from the Civil Registry office. We recommend you also get the apostille of your marriage certificate for procedures that you want to carry out outside of Mexico. Check this directory of Mexican Consulates Abroad.
Hire a wedding planner
If you want to get married in Mexico but you do not have enough time to put together all the documentation, you might need someone to help you obtain the necessary forms, schedule the blood tests at local clinics, and make any arrangements with local hotels, churches, and other venues for your marriage. You can hire a Wedding Planner to do all this for you.
READ: How to communicate effectively with your wedding planner
If you are considering a beach wedding in Los Cabos to celebrate your big day, we, as wedding planners, will be happy to help you sort out all the legal aspects of your celebration. Schedule a complimentary consultation today.
0 Comments