Legalities for marriage in Mexico

[aimesmiles]

Hi everyone 

 

I have read numerous things on numerous websites and been told by people but do any of you who have been married in Mexico from the UK  know exactly the paperwork needed to get married i.e birth certificate, statutory declaration,visa etc

 

I read that you need your birth certificate legalizing by a solicitor, translating to Spanish and Notarizing by the Mexican consulate at a cost of £125 per document!!!

 

can anyone tell me about their experiences??

 

thanks 

[conosur]

Hi,

 

I got married in the US before my destination wedding. I also know personally some other brides who have done the same. If you want to make things easy for you and fiance this is the way to go. You save time and money in paperwork that is not necessaryly. If you decide to get legally married in Mexico  most probably you will need to validate or register the mexican documentation in your country of origin anyways. Check with your local courthouse so you can decide what is best for you!

 

Here is a section of my book "fly to my wedding" about legalizing your marriage. I hope it gives you some insights..

 

 

Making It Legal

 

Please keep in mind this is not professional or legal advice, but is only for purposes of information and illustration. It is recommended to contact an attorney or your local courthouse for legal information.

 

Getting legally married is a quick and simple process. The truth is that it takes minutes to legally get married.  Here is descriptive way to understand the steps.

 

Step 1: Go with your future husband to the local courthouse in your place of residence and fill out the marriage license. Some simple proof of identity and age needs to be provided. Please check with your local courthouse about the requirements, since they differ per state and country. This usually cost less than $100 in the United States.

 

Step 2: Then, you are given a marriage certificate. This is the document you will give to your officiant or person authorized by the U.S. law to marry you. Then the officiant, you and your fiancé sign it. This document is valid anywhere between 60 to 90 days, depending on your place of residence. If no one sends the signed certificate to the courthouse or registrar’s office during the timeframe, then your marriage is not registered and you may appear like not married. In this case, you need to start the process all over again.

 

Step 3: Take the signed marriage certificate to the courthouse and register it. That’s it...it’s done and you are legally married.

 

Note: In some locales, once a marriage license is signed and filed with the county clerk, the license becomes the marriage certificate. In other cases you need to wait several weeks to get the marriage certificate by mail.

 

 

When you marry overseas, you don’t have to sweat it about learning and complying with the destination country legal requirements. You can have the event in the destination of choice but don’t have to comply with the local laws. In any case, even if you do everything to have a recognized marriage in both your destination and origin country, the truth is that the U.S. won’t recognize your marriage as legal until you register yourself and fiancée and an accepted marriage certificate in your state of residence. Here comes the best advice you can get:

 

Get legally married at home either few days before you leave or after you return from your destination wedding. This way you save time, money (local fees) and avoid additional work with the local requirements.

 

Many couples decide on taking this approach because it is easy and simple. For the couples that decide to fly the officiant to the destination, you can bring your U.S. marriage certificate, so you sign it the day of your wedding. Keep in mind that the officiant needs to be authorized by the U.S. or your country’s law to marry you. Then, once you are back to your place of residence, do Step 3. Take it to the courthouse.

 

The Truth About Legalizing Your Marriage In The Destination Country

 

First thing you need to realize is that the legal requirements differ on a country-by-country basis. Some countries are pretty straightforward and easy; some others are more complex. Once you have decided on a country, the best sources to find information from are:

 

• The hotel that will be holding your event
• The destination country’s Consulate in your country of residency.
• The destination country’s tourist office

 

These organizations should be able to explain the process and provide the latest requirements.

 

Here is a list of some considerations you need to keep in mind when you decide on having a legal marriage in your destination country. This is a general list from different sources. Some countries are easier than others.

 

• Copies and translations of birth certificates, certificates of divorce and any other document required by the local officials
• Medical certificate with testing in V.D.R.L., (Syphilis), H.I.V (Aids) and RH (Blood Type). This certificate needs to done locally.
• Medical exams performed by local doctors such as: chest X-rays, blood work
• Period of residence requirement in the destination country
• Fee for the local marriage certificate
• Fee to pay for medical exams, paper work and officiant

 

TIP: The hotel you selected should be able to provide specific information about the legalities of their country. 

[*tinkertoy*]

I'm not sure about the UK but my Fiance is from Germany (has a green card in the US though) and we were going to have to get his birth certificate translated from German to English to Spanish along with all the other stuff.

 

We decided to get married here in Texas before leaving for the wedding in Mexico. We're aren't saying vows, exchanging rings or kissing at the courthouse and won't tell people we did it legally before the actual wedding.

 

You might check to see if you can just get married in the UK first then do a "symbolic" ceremony in Mexico.

 

Good luck!

[conosur]

Yes, its true. I got legally married in the kitchen table at home with no exchange of vows or anything. It was just the legal stuff. It was very funny because it was friday night when we decided to sign the marriage certificate on the next day. We knew we needed to do it before the destination wedding so we just picked a random time and day..We were alone with the pastor and two friends that wanted to be there. We did not tell anyone because we decided to sign the paper work at the last minute. Believe it or not was very special and romantic. We had some wine and stayed in a hotel 10 blocks from where we lived. Even though, I was legally married I did not feel married until the day of my wedding or as I call it the spiritual ceremony and reception with family and friends. It was even funnier that 1 year later we both forgot our legal anniversary day because we had decided to keep our wedding date the day we exchange vows and rings with family and friends. Then, after my wedding destination I felt married and totally in love...