Is It Legal To Get Married In Mexico For A U.S. Citizen?

Dreaming of a destination wedding in Mexico?

Or have your wedding plans changed due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, and now you want to elope in Mexico instead?

Whatever your reasons, a destination wedding in Mexico can be relatively stress-free compared to planning a big, traditional wedding at home. But there is one pretty important question to address before jumping in head first:

Can a US citizen get married in Mexico?

The short answer to this is Yes.

However, as an American getting married in Mexico, only a civil wedding ceremony will be considered legally binding. Of course, to have a civil ceremony, you will need to jump through a few hoops before saying “I Do!”

Thankfully, we are here to help!

Read on for everything you need to know about getting legally married in Mexico.

What documents will I need to get married in Mexico?

Do you hope that planning a destination wedding in Mexico will be a cakewalk?

Wedding Wire warns that you should do your homework before you send out Save-the-Dates.

Lucky for you, we are here to help to streamline the process for you!

For a civil, or legal wedding ceremony, this is what you need to provide for marriage in Mexico:

• current valid passports for both of you (and hopefully they say you are both over 18-years-old!)
• tourist visa cards (this will be tucked into your passport at the Cancun airport)
• 4 legally qualified witnesses (over 18 years of age) with their passports and tourist visas
• an application stating that you wish to marry (given to you by your wedding coordinator)
• divorce certificate if applicable (your divorce must be finalized at least one year before remarrying)
• medical certificate and blood test results, (done in Mexico no more than 15 days before the wedding)

And then – everything except your passports needs a Spanish translation by a certified translator and notarization by the Mexican consulate.

Are the legal requirements for marriage in Mexico making your head spin a bit?

Deep breaths. Your wedding coordinator will hold your hand through this process by taking care of all of the nitty-gritty details – except the giving blood part, of course!

*Need help finding a fabulous, professional wedding planner? Contact us here now. We work with the best!

(Check out Nadine & Ryan’s Tulum wedding)

Can we use our own marriage officiant?

Do you hope that your best friend, uncle, or super funny cousin will be able to marry you?

As special as it would be, unfortunately, it would not be considered an official wedding in Mexico. You are welcome to have a friend or family member perform your wedding ceremony, but even if they are ordained, it will not be recognized as a legal union. These are called symbolic or religious ceremonies and do not replace legally binding civil marriage.

An officiant from the civil registry of the local municipality of Mexico must perform your ceremony if you want a legal marriage in Mexico.

We have read accounts of trying to get around this, but they all involve getting legally married in the States first, followed by even more legal paperwork to fill out, so really, what’s the point?

Need help finding a qualified, reputable marriage officiant? We can help. Contact us now!

Will my marriage be recognized as legal in the U.S.?

Although you will receive your marriage certificate right after your wedding ceremony, it needs to be legalized before it is recognized in the United States.

Not to worry!

Your wedding planner can take care of this for you, and the process takes about a month because it needs to be done in the state capital. (Welcome to Mexico!)

Expect to receive your legally recognized marriage certificate between 6 weeks to 4 months following your wedding in Mexico.

*Note: Certain states will also require your marriage certificate to be translated into English to be recognized as legal. Is your home state one of them? Click here to see the list.

(From our Details & Decor Portfolio)

So, now you know how to get legally married in Mexico.

Obviously there are a few extra hoops to jump through, with a few extra fees to pay, but honestly, destination weddings are big business in Mexico, and having a civil ceremony is easier than you might think.

Listen, if you prefer the total ease of a Vegas-style wedding, where you just hop on a plane and you’re married by sunset, you can always have a symbolic destination wedding in Mexico instead! Then you just pop down to your local City Hall to make the paperwork official.

And none of your guests would ever have to know…

For more on the requirements for getting married in Mexico, read this next.

And if you’re also on the hunt for the best Playa del Carmen wedding photographers for your beach wedding, then contact us here today! We are Fun In The Sun Weddings, the best Riviera Maya wedding photographers from Cancun to Tulum.