If You Marry in Mexico Is It Legal in the Us

In general, marriages legally contracted and valid abroad are also valid in the United States. Enquiries about the validity of a marriage abroad should be directed to the Attorney General of the state where you live. However, if you plan to marry a Mexican resident, you may need to apply for a foreign marriage license. If you want to get married in Mexico but want someone else to go all the way so you can gather the necessary legal forms and paperwork, schedule your X-rays and blood tests with local clinics, and make arrangements with local hotels, churches, and other venues for your wedding, You can hire a wedding planner to do it for you. You can find wedding planners by location by doing a Google search, for example: Wedding Planner Mexico [change the word «Mexico» to where you want to get married once you`re on Google] My boyfriend is looking for a symbolic ceremony as they are getting married here in Canada, but want a reception in Mexico for a party of 10 to 15 people Is this possible and what would be the cost? Thank you if you are getting married in a state that requires a national marriage license to get married, the permit costs about $180. Once you`ve gathered this merry mix of paperwork and official documents, you`ll have to pay your marriage license fee (about $30*), let the waiting time pass (between 30 minutes and a few days, depending on the state of Mexico where you`re getting married), then the ceremony can take place and the wedding will be legal. You may think that getting married legally in Mexico is very complicated and not worth the extra effort? Persons wishing to marry must complete a written application with a registry office containing a statement as to whether they wish to marry under the joint or separate property system. This application must be accompanied 15 days before the marriage by a certificate from a Mexican doctor attesting that both are free from diseases that constitute obstacles to marriage. A blood test and X-rays in Mexico are required. As soon as the civil marriage is over, you will need a certified copy of the marriage certificate (Acta de Matrimonio). This will prove that you have been legally married according to Mexican law, and the marriage will be recognized almost anywhere in the world where it can be, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom/European Union, Australia, etc.

Persons under the age of 18 may not marry without the consent of the parents or guardian. Under no circumstances may men under the age of sixteen or women under the age of fourteen be married in Mexico. How much will a legal marriage cost you, I hear you say? In Sonora, only civil marriage is recognized as legal. People who want to get married in Mexico can also have a religious ceremony, but this religious ceremony has no legal implications. 4. If one of the parties has already been married, he or she must provide a certified copy of the divorce decree or: a certified copy of a duly translated and legalized death certificate as described above. If you are getting married in Mexico, you must follow the rules and laws of Mexico. U.S.

citizens must have a valid passport and a tourist permit or residence permit for Mexico. In Mexico, foreigners who wish to marry a Mexican citizen must obtain permission from the Mexican Institute of Immigration. For more information, please contact: Previously married persons must provide proof of the dissolution of this marriage in the form of a divorce decree or death certificate. If the divorce or death took place outside Mexico, it must be certified and translated according to the information provided for in the second paragraph. Divorced persons may not marry in Mexico until one year after the divorce ends. This article on Wikipedia gives a summary of the current legal situation according to the Mexican states. In Mexico, only civil marriages are recognized as legal. A civil marriage in Mexico is fully valid for legal purposes worldwide. If you want to get married in Mexico, nothing legal or technical will stop you from doing so. But you will have to plan ahead and gather a few documents, fill out a few forms and pay a few fees.

This guide will guide you through the maze. Most tourists legally marry at home and come to sunny Mexico to celebrate the event with a symbolic ceremony. If you need to apply, you can apply for a permit from the Mexican Ministry of Interior for the state where you want to get married (it would be Quintana Roo if you are planning your wedding in Cancun or Riviera Maya). Since 2015, same-sex marriage is also legal in Mexico! ? 6. Two qualified witnesses (over 18 years of age) who must be present at the ceremony. They must have 4 witnesses present at the legal ceremony, and they must have a valid ID: usually a valid passport is used, but other forms of government-issued ID are accepted. In 2015, Mexico`s Supreme Court decided to change the legal definition of marriage to include same-sex couples, and since then, several Mexican states have performed same-sex marriages, and others have begun ratifying their laws and legal procedures to comply with the Supreme Court ruling. Your marriage license will be valid worldwide, BUT you should have your certificate «legalized» in Mexico to ensure it is legally accepted when you return home. The process is the opposite of the apostille of your domestic documents for Mexico by the necessary authorities (e.g., the Ministry of State) for marriage in Mexico (see below); The registration office in Mexico will tell you where it can be done locally or if you hire a wedding planner, he/she will advise you. 2. Valid passport and migration form obtained at the airport/residence permit to prove legal status in Mexico. In addition to all the documents listed above, depending on the state you want to get married in, you may need to get permission from the local immigration department, where you will need to obtain a permit to marry a Mexican citizen for a fee of around $200.

The document is known as the «Permiso para contraer matrimonio con un nacional». You should have your Mexican marriage certificate apostilled in Mexico to ensure that it is accepted as an authentic document in your home country. This is the reverse process where documents from your home country are legalized by your home country. Ask your local registrar or your wedding planner for details on how to proceed. Tiing the knot for life in a holiday paradise is a great way to start a wedding. However, it won`t be such a happy experience if your marriage isn`t recognized when you get home. Before you book your wedding, it wouldn`t hurt to talk to a family law attorney in your area to make sure you don`t have a legal headache with your wedding. For questions related to the legalization and legalization of the documents required for marriage, as well as for general questions regarding marriage in Mexico, contact the nearest Mexican consulate. Only civil marriage is recognized as legal in Mexico. You don`t have to participate in a religious ceremony, but if you skip the civil ceremony, the marriage is not legal. Most Mexicans have two marriages: civil (legal) and ecclesiastical (religious).

If a U.S. citizen plans to marry in Mexico, he/she must follow all applicable Mexican rules and laws. A marriage is recognized in the United States as long as it is apostilled and translated. Only marriages contracted by civil registrars (non-religious leaders) are considered legal and valid in Mexico. Getting married legally in another country can be complicated, so read on for a helpful introduction to marriages for U.S. citizens. As in the United States, each state in Mexico determines the marriage and divorce procedures for that state. You should contact the registry office (Registro Civil) of the jurisdiction where you wish to marry for complete information on the requirements. Please contact the consulate for more information about a specific registrar. A marriage that is properly consummated in Mexico is valid and legal in the United States.

Created by FindLaw`s team of writers and legal writers| Last updated November 16, 2018 Getting married on the sandy coastal beaches of the Caribbean or under a canopy of roses at the Château de Français or even on a mountain in New Zealand may seem heavenly, but you`ll need to check the country`s local (foreign) laws to make sure your marriage is legal when you return to the United States. In Australia, the Department of Legalization and Apostilles, Department of Foreign Affairs, handles the legalization of documents. So, what are the requirements you need to meet to get married legally in Mexico? Persons under the age of eighteen may not be married without the consent of their parents or legal guardians. If parents or guardians cannot be present at the wedding, they must send a written power of attorney apostilled by the state from which they came. The written power of attorney must be translated in accordance with the instructions in the second paragraph. Under no circumstances may men under the age of sixteen or women under the age of fourteen be married in Mexico. All civil law countries require proof of legal capacity in the form of a certificate from the competent authority attesting that there is no obstacle to marriage to conclude a marriage contract. There is no such document in the United States. Unless foreign authorities authorize such a declaration before one of their consular officials in the United States, parties to a potential marriage abroad must make an affidavit to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the country where the marriage is contracted, stating that they may marry freely.