Legal Paperwork? Freaking!

[YLANMUI]

Hey girls --

 

So I'm supposed to be getting married NEXT WEEK,and a friend just sent me this little blurb from the State Dept. Web site:

 

I am an American citizen planning to get married in Mexico and have been told that I need a copy of my birth certificate with an "apostille." What is an apostille, and how do I get one?

An apostille is a certification that is valid for use in a foreign country. Information regarding authentication or legalization of documents, including how to obtain an apostille, is available at http://travel.state.gov/law/notarial...ntication.html

 

Ummmmmm, tell me why I had never heard of this before? Maye is my wedding coordinator, and she is supposed to be taking care of all of the legal paperwork!!!! She never ONCE mentioned this to me. She says it's because it's not required in all states, but um, don't you thikn she should've told me long ago to check I didn't give much thought to all the paperwork because I figured she was handling it (which is why I hired her, right?). But now I'm worried that she's missing things (like the apostille) and all my paperwork won't be in order.

 

I read one site that also said that our birth certificate has to be translated into Spanish Along with all other important documents except for our passports? And the site said that our blood work had to be done in Mexico, and Maye says we need to do it here in the U.S.!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Anyone know anything definitive about anything??

 

Trying to breathe ...

 

Ylan

[TammyB]

Wow some of this is new to me.. However I'm getting legally married in Mexico as well and our wedding coordinator has already booked our bloodwork to be done on the Monday before our wedding. Also I already knew about the translation of documents and that's part of the wedding coordinator fee. However I will have to pay an additional 60.00 to have the marrige license translated into English and authentacated.

 

Is it possible that Maye is taking care of some of this stuff without you knowing about it?

[Sarah]

By what I'm reading on the link you posted regarding and apostille, it looks like it's something that can be done by a notary- they can be found many places, particularly a courthouse or township hall. Please let us know what you find out- we want to do a legal wedding too. Good luck...

[YLANMUI]

Hey girls, fyi:

 

http://portal.sre.gob.mx/was_eng/ind...=page&SubMenu=

 

This is from the site of the Mexican Consulate in D.C. It is possible that Maye is taking care of some of this stuff ... HOWEVER, she has not informed me that she is! I mean, I wrote her an e-mail freaking out about it and asked her to explain everything to me, and she just said that I needed to send her our blood type. That does not make me feel better, as she's been careless several other times regarding our invoices. (Double-charging me for tax, forgetting to put things on the invoice, making some updates but not others, etc.) I have to double and triple check it every time she gives me a new one.

 

So that makes me dubious that all of the details are being taken care of in regards to the legal paperwork. And then when she never mentioned the apostille to me AT ALL -- a friend sent me the link from above -- well of course I started to question everything.

 

Also, apparently, you're supposed to have your marriage certificate authenticated in Mexico after the wedding. Who knew

 

*sigh*

 

I'll let you guys know if I hear anything else from Maye.

[TammyWright]

Ylan,

 

not to upset you but it has been posted all over this forum and the previous forum about the legal requirements to get married in mexico so this information about getting your birth certificate notarized is not new.

 

http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/htm/hotspots.htm

 

this is stuff that needs to be done on your end. i don't know how maye would be able to do it unless you sent down your birth certificate...

 

where are you located? i am in sf and have gone to the mexican consulate and they are very helpful. make an appt. to go in and have your birth certificate translated and notarized.

 

for other brides that do not know what the legal requirements are the link is above.

[YLANMUI]

Yes, of course I see the posts now! I figured that Maye was taking care of everything and didn't realize there was stuff that needed to be done on my end, and she never mentioned anything about it. When I first signed up with her, at the very beginning of planning, I asked her what I needed to do to make everything legal. She just sent me a little form to fill out and said she needed copies of my birth certificate and passport. Nothing else!!!! So I thought I didn't need to worry, but now I'm realizing that I do!

[TammyWright]

it's ok...you can do this. call the local consulate and set up an appt. right away...explain your situation.

 

many years ago, when i was 18, i did not know you needed a birthcertificate or passport to fly to mexico. i had gone to tijuana with just my drivers license. i had a passport because i had been to mexico, jamaica many time before BUT it was in my parents possession and i was going to mexico with friends w/o their permission.

 

so being the dumb 18 year old, instead of somehow getting my passport from my parents i just figured i would wing it and talk the airline into letting me on...i know, dumb teenager...well, when i called 2 days before they said i could not board w/o passport, birth certificate, or notarized tourist card from mexican consulate...so i called the consulate and they got me in THAT day and took care of me.

[Sarah]

Here is a link to a list by state of where you can get an apostille certificate on a document:

http://travel.state.gov/law/legal/tr...83.html#states

 

(I was reading wrong- it isn't just ANY notary, but specific ones)

[YLANMUI]

Ok, weird -- Anyone else using Maye that could shed some light on this?

 

I just talked to her and expressed all of my concerns. She said that I did NOT need to get my birth certificate apostilled. () And that the judge would take even a photo copy of my birth certificate! She also said that my birth certificate did NOT need to be translated. (more ) And she said that I could just tell her my blood type and the doctor would make an official certificate saying what it was. She said that she would translate and apostille my marriage certificate if I wanted to.

 

All this sounds a little shady to me as it is contrary to what I've read on the Mexican consultate Web site and (just today) on this board and in other places. At least it explains why Maye said I didn't need to do anything else!!!

 

Any one else have thoughts on the discrepancies here?

[TammyWright]

not to sound flippant, but it is mexico maybe she will has an "arrangement" with the judge to have him overlook the process and just sign the docs. if you are still uncomfortable, just be straight with maye...

 

i would say: maye, you said i do not need these documents notarized/translated BUT the website on the mexico consulate and the us consulate says i need it. why the difference? what will happen if i get to the US and the marraige is not legally recognized.