The mouthwatering food, amazing weather, beautiful beaches, warm people, incredible resorts, lively culture, and unrivaled cultural experiences make Cancun the perfect destination. Not only is it ideal for vacations, but it also serves as a top choice for wedding locations. And since it has so much to offer, you can have your honeymoon here, too! We show you how to get married in Cancun as a U.S. citizen:
How to Get Married in Cancun As a U.S. Citizen?
Picture saying “I do” on the ivory beaches along the Yucatan Coast as you gaze at the turquoise waters while bathing in the warm sun. It’s possible – and all it takes is following the steps below:
1) Select a wedding option: You can get married in a civil, religious, or symbolic wedding. If you choose a symbolic wedding, legal requirements will not apply to you as the ceremony will not be legally binding. But people getting married in a civil ceremony or a religious ceremony followed by a civil process must complete all the legal paperwork before tying the knot. Moreover, you must confer with your wedding celebrant regarding your venue, date, and preliminaries.
2) Hire a wedding planner: Planning a wedding in Cancun involves many processes which can be overwhelming to you. The best approach is to hire someone who can work with vendors on your behalf so you can focus on the wedding requirements. The planner can also handle some of the paperwork for you.
3) Choose a wedding venue: With so many beautiful wedding locations, you should have enough options to meet your preferences. However, since Cancun is popular for weddings, venues sell out fast. It’s best to choose one early on after liaising with your wedding celebrant. For example, people who choose civil ceremonies must confer with the civil registrar regarding their location.
4) Prepare your documents: You will need a valid passport, a residence permit, and a birth certificate to register your marriage. Additional documents may be necessary. For example, previously married people must have death certificates or divorce decrees to establish the end of their marriages.
- Get an apostille: Your documents, e.g., birth certificates, will only be valid in Mexico if they have an apostille. This certification verifies the stamps, seals, and signatures on the document, validating it for use internationally.
- Translate the documents: Mexico uses Spanish as its official language. Thus, all your English documents will require Spanish translations done by certified translation services.
Travel Visa Pro offers notarization, apostille, translation, and passport services to ensure all your documents meet the marriage requirements. We can have your documents ready in a few days.
5) Get medical tests: You must get a blood test before marriage, which detects diseases like HIV and syphilis. You may also be required to get a chest x-ray. These tests must be done no more than 15 days before the wedding date and must take place in an approved Mexican clinic. You cannot use test results from the U.S.
6) Find witnesses: You will need two witnesses per person. They must be at least 18 years old and should have valid IDs.
7) Present paperwork to the civil registrar: You must provide the document requirements and pay the marriage license fee to register your marriage. The waiting period for a license can be anything from an hour to a few days, though you can always have your planner speed up the process.
8) Get married: Cancun allows couples to get married in a civil or religious ceremony. If you choose the civil ceremony, you can have it at the local registry or any other venue that the local registrar has approved. Religious ceremonies typically take place in the church. You must follow through with a civil ceremony to validate the marriage.
9) Obtain a marriage certificate: Once your marriage has been recorded, you can apply for the marriage certificate through the local registry office where you registered the marriage.
If you get married in Cancun, is it legal in the U.S.? Married people get a marriage certificate (Acta de matrimonio), which is valid in Mexico and the U.S. To ensure you can use your marriage certificate in the U.S., you should have it apostilled. You can then use it to prove your marital status, change your name, acquire joint assets, etc.
What are the Different Types of Marriage in Cancun?
A U.S. citizen getting married in Cancun can choose between civil, religious, and symbolic ceremonies. Of these, only a civil marriage in Cancun is legally binding. Thus, anyone who wants a marriage certificate must also have a civil ceremony. We look at all the options for wedding in Cancun:
1. Civil Ceremonies
Per Cancun marriage laws, only these ceremonies are legally binding. They take place under Mexican marriage laws and are officiated by a civil registrar at the local registry office or a pre-approved venue. If you want to have such a wedding, below are the steps:
- You must prepare sufficient documentation to prove your eligibility for marriage,
- Pass the blood tests and x-rays and present the certificate to the local registry office,
- Present the documents to the local registry office,
- Get a marriage license, and
- Exchange vows at the local registry office or another approved venue.
This simple process allows you to obtain a marriage certificate, which allows you to live together as a married couple.
2. Religious Weddings
While many religions exist in Cancun, many people choose Catholic weddings. Under these, you must still meet the requirements for a civil ceremony. Moreover, you will be subject to preliminaries and wedding rites as follows:
- You should have permission from your local church,
- You must present your baptism and confirmation certificates – if one of you is not Catholic, you can get an exemption,
- You should attend pre-marital classes, and
- You must pass an interview conducted by the priest.
Afterward, you can have the wedding ceremony, which comprises hymns, readings, and prayers, before exchanging your vows. You should follow through with a civil ceremony for the marriage to be valid.
3. Symbolic Weddings
This option appeals to couples who want to commit to each other while enjoying flexibility in their ceremony. For example, many people hold a simple civil ceremony and follow it up with a symbolic wedding where they have control over the venue, timing, and vows.
Is a marriage in Cancun recognized in the United States? Only civil ceremonies are legally binding. However, couples can still hold symbolic and religious weddings before following them up with civil weddings to get marriage certificates. To ensure your marriage holds water in the U.S., consult your attorney on the best approach.
Marriage Requirements in Cancun for U.S. Citizens
The marriage requirements in Cancun differ based on the type of wedding you have, whether you have been married, whether you live in Cancun, and whether you are marrying a Mexican citizen. Below are the criteria for getting married in Cancun:
- Consent: Cancun marriage laws require boys to be at least 16 years old and girls at least 14 years old. However, while you can get married before reaching 18, your parents must consent to the marriage. The parent must accompany the minor to City Hall, where they should obtain an underage permit to present to the civil registry office.
- Waiting period: Marriage licenses are often ready within days for civil weddings in the civil registry. People holding weddings away from the civil registry should apply for their license at least two weeks in advance to allow for prior arrangements.
- Divorcees: Previously married people whose marriages ended in divorce can marry. However, women must wait at least 300 calendar days from their divorce date before getting married to avoid any paternity conflicts. If you do not want to wait, you must undergo a medical test to prove you are not pregnant.
- Relationships: You cannot marry your direct relative, e.g., child, grandchild, parent, or sibling. But the court can grant permission for you to marry an uncle, aunt, or other such relatives. You must confer with your attorney regarding the validity of such a marriage in the U.S.
- Residence: Even if you are both U.S. citizens, there is no residence requirement in Mexico. However, you will need a valid passport and a residence permit. You can get a tourist permit when entering Mexico by land, sea, or air.
- Blood tests: All couples getting married in Cancun must undergo medical tests done at an approved medical facility. The timeline for this is no more than 15 days before the wedding date. You cannot use medical tests done in the U.S.
- Witnesses: Each of you must have two witnesses aged at least 18 years. They must have valid identification documents and should submit copies of the same.
- Apostilles: Official documents issued in the U.S., e.g., divorce decrees, are only acceptable if they have apostilles that certify their stamps, signatures, and seals.
- Translations: Since Spanish is the official language in Mexico, you must present translated documents. You should have the translation done by certified translation services.
Additional requirements may apply to people getting married in religious ceremonies. For example, the Catholic Church requires couples to attend pre-marital classes.
What Documents Do I Need to Get Married in Cancun?
Anyone getting married in a civil ceremony must present sufficient documentation to prove they are free and willing to marry. So, what do you need to get married in Cancun?
- A complete marriage application form: You must fill out this form and state whether you want to marry under joint or separate property, which will apply to you in the event of a divorce.
- A valid passport: Even if you enter Cancun by road or sea, you will need a valid passport and a copy. Ideally, the passport should be valid for at least 6 months beyond your departure date.
- A birth certificate: You and your partner must provide original birth certificates and their copies.
- A medical certificate: After undergoing medical tests in approved Mexican clinics, you should present the results to the civil registry.
- A divorce decree: This document applies to people whose previous marriages ended in divorce.
- A death certificate: If your previous spouse is deceased, you should present their death certificate.
- A residence permit: You will get a visitor’s permit upon entering Mexico, which you will provide as proof of your legal status. If you live in Mexico, you can use your residence permit.
- Apostille: All official documents issued in the U.S. must have apostilles to certify their signatures, seals, and stamps.
- Underage permit: If any of you are under 18 years old, your parent must sign this document and present it to the civil registry.
Please note that the document requirements vary per civil registry. Luckily, Travel Visa Pro processes translations, apostilles, passports, and notarizations for marriage documents and can help you meet these requirements.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Get Married in Cancun?
Anyone getting married in Cancun should be at least 18 years old. Even so, some couples wed at much younger ages. So, how old do you have to be to get married in Cancun? 18 is the legal marriage age. However, the court allows girls as young as 14 and boys as young as 16 to marry if they have written parental consent. Moreover, the parent must accompany the minor to the local civil registry to register the marriage.
How Much Does It Cost to Get Married in Cancun?
Many people choose to arrange a marriage in Cancun as it allows them to enjoy luxury without spending too much money. So, how much does it cost to get married in Cancun? A wedding with 50 to 100 guests averages $5,000 to $8,000. You can reduce or increase the costs based on your preferences, e.g., reducing the number of guests or choosing an exclusive venue. Having a skilled wedding planner helps you accurately calculate the costs of your wedding.
How to Find a Wedding Planner in Cancun?
Getting married in Cancun for foreigners, while exciting, features many requirements that can overwhelm even the most prepared couples. That’s why hiring a planner is so integral to achieving the wedding of your dreams. Here is how you can find the best person for the job:
- Look for experienced wedding planners in Cancun: You can do this by getting recommendations from loved ones, reviewing planners on social media, or scrolling search engines.
- Select the planners who have worked with foreigners: They will know what legal paperwork applies to your wedding and will understand the differences in your process.
- Assess their past weddings: It’s always good to see how well planners have executed past weddings. Do you like what you see? Does their aesthetic match yours?
- Discuss terms: Choose planners whose styles match yours and learn how they work with clients. How much time do they need? How do they select vendors? What do they need from you?
- Ask questions: You want to ensure the planner understands what you want. And how better to do this than by asking related questions?
Review the contracts and choose the one that best favors your preferences and budget.
