The following are the requirements for marriage in Mexico. However, marriage requirements may vary in the thirty-one states of México. Please consult with the Registro Civil (Civil Registry) in the area where you plan to marry for specific requirements.

In México, only civil marriage is recognized as legal. Persons wishing to do so may also have a religious ceremony, but this is without legal effect, and in no way replaces the obligatory civil marriage. Please check with your own country to see whether a civil wedding in México is fully valid for legal purposes there. Most countries recognize marriages which are valid in the country in which they take place.

MARRIAGE BETWEEN MEXICANS

1. Marriage application required by the Civil Registry judge.

2. Original and copy of birth certificate for each party.

3. Original prenuptial medical certificate with test results of syphilis, HIV, and Rh factor (blood type). This certificate should have been issued within the last 15 days.

4. Agreement about the hereditary system that they will submit to by free will and maintain throughout the marriage.

5. Copy of official identification, with photo, of each party.

6. Proof of residence.

7. If either party is widowed or divorced, they must present an official document of proof.

8. If either party is underage, both parents or guardians must be present with their official identification. Otherwise, the party must present a notarized letter giving permission to marry or a matrimonial exemption issued by the Secretary of the City Hall.

9. Originals and copies of the official identification of two witnesses.

PREREQUISITES FOR MARRIAGE BETWEEN A MEXICAN AND A FOREIGNER

1. Original and copy of birth certificate for each party. The foreigner’s birth certificate must be translated into Spanish by a proficient authority.

2. Original and copy of the Mexican’s official identification with photo.

3. Foreigner’s passport.

4. Permission from the Migration Office of the Secretary of the Interior.

5. Original prenuptial medical certificate with test results of syphilis, HIV, and Rh factor (blood type). This certificate should have been issued within the last 15 days.

6. Originals and copies of the official identification of two witnesses.

PREREQUISITES FOR MARRIAGE BETWEEN TWO FOREIGNERS

1. Each party’s “Tourist Card” that is given at the airport upon arrival.

2. Original and copy of birth certificate for each party.

3. Original prenuptial medical certificate with test results of syphilis, HIV, and Rh factor (blood type). This certificate should have been issued locally within the last 15 days.

4. Passports of both parties.

5. Divorce or death certificate, if either party is divorced or widowed.

6. Originals and copies of the official identification of two witnesses.

Blood Tests

You will need to have your blood tests done at one of the approved clinics. The blood tests are valid for exactly 15 days, so it is important to have them done no more than two weeks before the wedding. Both bride and groom must have blood work done. You will need to take 2 “infantile” – size photos of each person. Normally, you receive the results same day. The results must be turned in with your application for your marriage license.

The Ceremony

Civil marriages are performed by the Registro Civil. The address of the main office of the Registro Civil in Mérida is:

OFICINA DE REGISTRO CIVIL

Calle 65 x 64 y 66 Colonia Centro

Phone: (999) 928 0200 or 924 0007

From 8 A.M. to 1 P.M. and 4 P.M. to 8 P.M.

There is also an office of the Registro Civil in each delegación (sub-city hall). Persons applying at a delegación must do so at the delegación which corresponds to the neighborhood in which they are planning to marry. Persons staying at a hotel can ascertain this without difficulty from the hotel management.

After the Ceremony

Over the years, there have been numerous instances of fraudulent practice with respect to marriages and divorces in certain states of México. In these cases the marriage or divorce has never been recorded in any state, even though a lawyer or broker may have given his client a document in Spanish purporting to be the actual marriage certificate or divorce decree, or an English-language “receipt” purporting to represent registration of the document and/or having had the marriage or divorce effected by proxy in another state.

Certain Mexican government officials have advised that a marriage or divorce occurring in one state cannot legally be registered within another state or the Federal District, and if purportedly so registered should be assumed to be fraudulent. They have further stated that only documents authenticated by the Gobernador (Governor) of the state where it occurred, by the Secretario General de Gobierno del Estado (Secretary General of Government of the State) and/or by the state’s Oficial Mayor de Gobierno (Executive Director of Government) may be given credence.

Read more about Wedding Ceremonies in Yucatán:

Esta entrada también está disponible en: ES