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Marrying in Mexico Last update 24 June 2014 |
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Foreigners who live in México and tourists who are visiting can marry in Mexico. This article will describe the rules and procedures. A Foreigner Marrying a Mexican |
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General Information In Mexico, only civil marriage is recognized as legal. If you want to have a religious ceremony, you can; but it has no legal standing.. A civil wedding in Mexico is valid in most other countries. Civil marriages are performed by the Civil Registry (Registro Civil). There is one in each municipality. Marriage application forms are available from the Registry office. Most states require a blood test; some require a chest x-ray, and some require a health report from a specified doctor or clinic. The Civil Registry office will have a list of their specific requirements. People under the age of 18 may not get married in Mexico without parental consent. With parental consent, boys must be at least 16 and girls at least 14 years of age. If either party was previously married, copies of the marriage certificate and divorce decree or death certificate are required. If these are foreign documents, they must be apostilled and translated into Spanish by an official translator. If you've been married/divorced more than once, you will need documents for each marriage/divorce. The Registry office can tell you where to find an official translator. You cannot make the translation yourself. Some states have slightly different laws regarding when previously married couples may re-marry. Most places require that you must divorced for at least one full year before re-marrying. You'll need to check with the local authorities in the state where you plan to get married if you have not been divorced for at least a year. You will need to have 4 witnesses present at the ceremony -- two for you and two for your spouse. They must have valid identification. Usually a valid passport or visa card is used by foreigners. Voter ID cards are typical for Mexican citizens. Other forms of government-issued identification may be used. The least expensive option is to have the ceremony performed at the local Registry office. For an additional fee, you can arrange for the ceremony to take place elsewhere (hotel, beach, colonial mansion, etc). Church weddings are sometimes difficult to arrange and are not legally binding, although many people have a church wedding following the civil ceremony.. Some couples prefer to have a religious ceremony of their own creation with family and friends. At the civil wedding, the judge will have no problem with a minister or lay person being present and speaking at the ceremony. Your Marriage Certificate will be valid world-wide, but you must get it registered in Mexico to ensure that it is legally accepted everywhere, including in México. This is another service of the local Registry office. |
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Foreigner + Mexican A foreigner wishing to marry a Mexican citizen must present these documents to the Civil Registry where the wedding will take place: Passport valid for at least 6 additional months and a copy. Original and copy of the tourist permit (Visirante) or Residente visa card. Birth Certificate If either party was previously married, copies of a divorce decree or a death certificate are required as stated above in the General Information section. Some additional documents may be required by the Civil Registry office (blood tests, x-rays, health report, etc).. They’ll have a list. All foreign documents, except the passport, must have an apostille and be translated into Spanish by an official translator. The Registry office will tell you where to find the translator. In the past, permission from the INM was required. This is no longer the case. |
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Foreigner + Foreigner Foreigners wishing to be married in Mexico must present these documents to the Civil Registry where the wedding will take place: Passport valid for at least 6 additional months and a copy. Original and copy of the tourist permit (Visitante) or Residente visa card. Birth Certificate: If either was previously married, copies of a divorce decree or a death certificate are required as stated above in the General Information section.. Some additional documents may be required by the Civil Registry office (blood tests, x-rays, health report, etc).. They’ll have a list. All foreign documents, except the passport, must have an apostille and be translated into Spanish by an official translator. The Registry office will tell you where to find the translator. |
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Same-Gender Marriage The list of states were these marriages are performed keeps changing as more court actions occur. As of this writing (24 June 2014) Same-gender marriages can be performed in México City and the states of Q. Roo Oaxaca and Colima. Those marriages are recognized as valid in all the states of México. While traditional marriages performed in México are valid in almost all the world, same-gender marriages from México are not so widely accepted. That list also keeps changing. The requirements and procedures for same-gender marriage are the same as for traditional marriage as described in the previous sections, with only one small difference – the application form. The Civil Registry office will have three types of application forms marked el y el (he and he) or ella y ella (she and she). Heterosexual couples get one marked el y ella (he and she). |