Mexico has such beautiful beaches, rich cultural heritage, and delicious food that many people prefer it as a vacation destination. And more recently, people have realized that holding weddings in this beautiful country is one of the best ways to tie the knot. If you also dream of saying “I do” as you gaze at the turquoise waters, read on for how to get married in Mexico as a U.S. citizen.
How to Get Married in Mexico As a U.S. Citizen?
Getting married in Mexico is seamless if you follow all the right processes. Below is the standard marriage process for U.S. citizens:
- Choose a venue: You can get married at the local registry office for free. Or you can book another venue at an added cost, e.g., a hotel, beach, etc. Since venues are often in demand, choosing one early will help you sail through the other steps.
- Determine the best marriage ceremony: You can choose between civil and religious marriages. The preceding steps and requirements vary, and you must assess the one that best fits your values and preferences. Moreover, you should note that Mexico only legalizes civil weddings.
- Prepare your legal documents: All partners will require a valid passport, a birth certificate, and a death certificate/ divorce decree (if applicable).
- Translate and apostille the documents: Mexican authorities will only accept U.S. documents if they have an apostille. You can get your birth certificate and divorce decree/ death certificate (if applicable) apostilled at the Secretary of State. Note that you can only get the apostille from the state that issued the document.
- Visit the local registry in Mexico to get the marriage application form: You must present apostilled and translated documents as you embark on this process.
- Get the medical tests: All states require bloodwork before you get married. These tests check for HIV and syphilis, and you must pass the tests to get married in Mexico. Additionally, the tests can only be done in Mexico for the results to be acceptable to the authorities. In some states, you must also get a chest X-ray done at a local clinic.
- Apply for a foreign marriage permit: This step applies to U.S. citizens marrying Mexican nationals. Moreover, it only applies to some states, as some will not request this document.
- Pay the marriage license fee: You can now apply for a license which should be ready within a few days or up to two weeks. With a wedding planner helping you, the license can be out in a day.
- Get married: The ceremony can then take place, after which you will get the Acta de matrimonio, a certified copy of the marriage certificate. See? Getting married in Mexico for foreigners can be this easy!
So, is a marriage in Mexico recognized in the United States? The U.S. acknowledges all legal marriages if they are legal in the country where they were conducted. And since the Acta de matrimonio is proof of your marriage, you will remain legally married even in the U.S.!
What are the Different Types of Marriage in Mexico?
You can hold different kinds of weddings in Mexico, from civil to religious to symbolic. But regardless of your choice, you should know that only civil marriages are legal. So, if you perform a church wedding and fail to follow up with a civil ceremony, your marriage will not be legal. Below are your options:
1. The Civil Ceremony
These are the only legal weddings in Mexico. You can hold such a ceremony on its own or combine it with a symbolic or religious element. Moreover, you can have it at the local registry or have the Justice of the Peace lead the process at your chosen venue. This marriage ceremony requires all the marriage requirements in Mexico outlined for U.S. citizens in a later section. Moreover, if any of the partners have been adopted, adoption papers are necessary for a civil marriage in Mexico.
2. Symbolic Weddings
A symbolic wedding is an excellent choice if you don’t need a legal wedding. You can also have it atop the civil ceremony. Since Mexican laws do not recognize this wedding, it is not legally binding. Additionally, you do not need to get legal paperwork from the local registrar, do medical exams, or even inform the local registry.
3. Religious Weddings
Catholic weddings are the most common religious ceremonies. While they typically occur in a church, you can have the ceremony at a resort, beach, or other venue. Additionally, you can combine these and legal weddings, ensuring the marriage is legally binding. In addition to all the requirements for a U.S. citizen getting married in Mexico, you should also abide by the following:
- You must inform the local church of the marriage plans and the venue,
- You must present copies of your baptism, communion, and confirmation certificates,
- You must seek permission to have the ceremony if one of you is not a Catholic,
- You must complete the pre-cana program in your local church, and
- You must provide approval to get married from your local parish.
These weddings cannot take place on Sundays.
4. Same-Sex Weddings
Mexico marriage laws allow same-sex couples to tie the knot in most states. Many others have also taken steps to change their laws to comply with the Supreme Court Ruling. You should abide by the civil marriage requirements to qualify for such a marriage which should also be legal in the U.S. once you have legalized your marriage certificate.
Marriage Requirements in Mexico for U.S. Citizens
Arranging a marriage in Mexico requires you to meet the conditions below:
- Age: How old do you have to be to get married in Mexico? You can only get married if you are 18. If you are younger than 18, Mexican law allows you to marry as young as 14 (for girls) and 16 (for boys) if your parents consent.
- Witnesses: All marriage ceremonies require four witnesses to be valid under Mexican law. The witnesses must be able to enter legal contracts and present at the ceremony with legal ID.
- Marrying a U.S. Citizen: U.S. citizens do not need to reside in Mexico to get married. However, they must complete the paperwork mentioned before, have valid passports, and obtain entry permits at the port of entry to qualify for a legal marriage.
- Marrying a Mexican: If you want to marry a Mexican national, some states require you to get an additional foreign marriage permit. The need for this document depends on the district where you will hold the ceremony. Thus, you should confer with the local municipality or your wedding planner.
- Bloodwork and Chest X-Rays: All U.S. citizens getting married in Mexico must undergo medical examinations in Mexico. While all states require bloodwork, some will not need X-rays. Thus, you should check with your state or ask your wedding planner if these tests are necessary. Note that you must submit the test results within the marriage application timeframe.
- Apostilles and Translations: Official documents (save for your passport and entry permit) issued in the U.S. are only recognizable in Mexico if you get them apostilled. You can do this at the Secretary of State that issued the documents after getting them notarized before the nearest Mexican consulate. Additionally, since Mexico uses Spanish as the national language, English documents are unacceptable. Instead, you must have them translated using a professional service. TVP offers apostille and translation services to help you kill two birds with one stone.
If you get married in Mexico, is it legal in the U.S.? If you comply with all the legal requirements above, you will get a marriage certificate that is valid not just in the U.S. but also worldwide. However, to effect this validity, you must get the document legalized before heading back to the U.S. Additionally, you must translate the document as you did when preparing your U.S. paperwork for use in Mexico.
What Documents Do I Need to Get Married in Mexico?
Before getting married in Mexico, you must prove that you are free to marry and have documents to prove you are who you say you are. Different states request different documentation as the laws differ. As such, check with the state or ask your wedding planner to list all the requirements. Generally, you should have all the documents below:
- Marriage Application Forms: These documents are available at the local registry office in the state where you will hold the ceremony. When filling them out, include whether you want a joint or separate property marriage, which will be effected in the legally binding marriage certificate.
- Passports: Even if you plan to arrive in Mexico by land or sea, ensure you have a valid passport with at least six months of validity and good condition. You should also include passport copies. If your passport has expired, needs replacement, or you don’t have one, TVP can help you get one in days!
- Entry Permit: While U.S. citizens do not need visas to enter Mexico, you must get an entry permit at the point of entry, showing that you are legally in the country. Even if you enter by road or sea, ensure you get one, as you must present this when applying for marriage.
- Birth Certificates: You and your partner must present your original birth certificates, which should have apostilles and translations as explained in the previous section.
- Death Certificates and Divorce Decrees: If you or your partner were previously married, you must prove that you are free to marry and that the previous marriage is nonexistent. You can do this with a copy of the divorce decree or death certificate. The laws on previously married partners differ per state. In most cases, previously married people must wait a whole calendar year before applying for marriage. But you can waive this if the woman proves she is not pregnant from the previous marriage. You can check with the state or your wedding planner to ensure you don’t fall short of the requirement.
- Adoption Papers: Anyone planning to hold a civil ceremony must have adoption paperwork if they have been adopted.
- Bloodwork Results: All partners must get bloodwork done and should present the test results. The tests must be done in Mexico to be acceptable to the Mexican authorities.
- Chest X-Rays: Some states require that partners get chest X-rays and present the plates. Like bloodwork, the tests must take place in Mexico. Else, if they are a requirement and you had them done in the U.S., you would have to redo them.
- Foreign Marriage Permit: This document applies to U.S. citizens marrying Mexican officials. However, it is only necessary in some states, and you may not need to get one.
Mexican authorities require the above documents to be apostilled and translated. Ensure you do this to avoid any delays.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Get Married in Mexico?
Under the laws of marriage in Mexico, you must be at least 18 years to marry. However, with parental consent, girls can marry as young as 14 and boys as young as 16.
How Much Does It Cost to Get Married in Mexico?
Besides booking a venue, hiring a planner, getting florists, and choosing accommodation, you must also account for arising costs during registration. So, how much does it cost to get married in Mexico? The cost is not linear as it depends on the factors below:
- Getting a passport,
- Applying for an apostille for your birth certificate and death certificate/ divorce decree (if applicable),
- Having your documents translated,
- Doing an x-ray in a Mexican clinic (dependent on the state),
- Getting bloodwork,
- Getting a foreign marriage permit (if applicable)
- Applying for a marriage license, and
- Having the marriage certificate apostilled.
These processes fall under different authorities and incur costs ranging from tens to hundreds of dollars per process. Moreover, some have standard and expedited processing, e.g., passports and apostilles, and your choice determines the overall cost. For a good cost estimate, consult your wedding planner on what you need and where you will get it.
How to Choose a City and Wedding Venue in Mexico?
Whether you have a religious, civil, or symbolic wedding, you need not settle on the primary venue. Mexican marriage laws allow you to choose your preferred venue, which you can do by considering the factors below:
- What kind of ceremony do you want? Some people prefer intimate weddings in indoor settings with a few guests. Others love extravagant weddings by the beach with all their loved ones around. The style you want for your wedding will ultimately affect your wedding venue.
- Is the venue accessible to you and your guests? When choosing a venue, you must think of how you will access it. Do some guests require special features to access the space? Is the venue close to your booked destination? How many guests can it hold?
- What is your budget? Mexico has amazing wedding venues for everyone, which allows you to work within your budget. Look for venues that fall within your cost limit to avoid spending too much on the venue, yet other costs will arise. For example, areas like Punta Cana and Riviera Maya are big and easy to access and thus have lower pricing. But when you opt for smaller islands, the costs increase.
- What are the terms? The wedding venue’s terms should align with your preferences. Find out about the pricing, whether you can have extra guests, the inclusions in the package, if you can have outside vendors, and the kind of entertainment you can have.
These factors help you narrow your list to a few options you can review and choose the one that best matches your wants.
How to Find a Wedding Planner in Mexico?
Finding a good wedding planner is vital in a destination wedding, as you want someone who can give you concrete answers to questions like, “What do you need to get married in Mexico?” As such, consider the factors below:
- Do they have experience in planning weddings for foreigners? While a wedding planner may understand the ins and outs of local weddings, you want someone who has dealt with cases like yours.
- What reviews do they have? Finding a planner whose clients rave about their services is always advisable. You can ask your friends and family for referrals before going online to review your options.
- What services do they offer? Some couples need a planner who does all the heavy lifting, while others just need someone who will bring their concept to life.
- What is their style? Only a planner who aligns with your style can execute your idea how you want. Thus, review their work and only choose planners whose work you admire.
Of course, the pricing also matters. And you can use it as the last factor when weighing your options.
