Getting Married in Mexico

etting married in Mexico is not very different than getting married anywhere else in the world, other than the obvious cultural differences.

In Mexico, you have three options: you can have a legal, symbolic or religious ceremony. Sometimes, couples choose to have more than one type of ceremony at the same time, for instance, a legal and a religious ceremony, or a religious and a symbolic ceremony.

A legal ceremony carries with it certain legal requirements:

If you are a foreign citizen (non-Mexican) and want to be united with your fiancé legally, there are certain paperwork requirements. You Cabo Dream Weddings planner can handle these for you in advance.

First, we need to reserve the wedding date with the Judge’s office. Judge is the title of the head person at the Registro Civil (Civil Registry) office here. Once the date is reserved, an application needs to be completed and submitted along with the following documents:

• Photocopies of birth certificates or naturalization cards for both Bride and Groom.
• Photocopies of photo IDs and passports.
• Your tourist visas, which you receive at the airport on arrival here.
• First and last pages of any divorce decrees or death certificates of prior spouses (if applicable)
• Photocopies of adoption papers or any document that justifies any change in your last names. (if applicable)
• Photo IDs of four witnesses. Aside from your parents, anyone 18 years or older can be a witness as long as they have photo IDs.
• Results of blood tests done in Mexico after your arrival to show your blood type and VDRL exam results.

While this might seem overwhelming, your Cabo Dream Weddings planner can handle all of the details for you. We will ask you to provide scanned copies of the necessary paperwork in advance, and when you arrive, we will arrange for your blood tests to be done in the convenience of your hotel or in our office.

Special requirements if marrying a Mexican national

When you are marrying a Mexican citizen, you must request permission from Mexican Immigration officials.  While the process can be time-consuming, it’s very simple, and Cabo Dream Weddings can handle this for you, as well.

The following items are required:

• A marriage request on Mexico’s official form with an extra copy.
• A letter signed by you in which you formally petition Immigration officials for their permission to marry a Mexican national. Addressed to:
  
  Secretaria de Gobernación
  Instituto Nacional de Migracion
  Attn: Delegado Regional Lic. Ricardo Garcia Soto
  Delegado Local Martin Segovia Ibarra

In your letter, in Spanish, you need to explain that you want to marry (fiancé’s name), and you would like their permission to do so.

To accompany your letter, you need the following documents

• Copy of your passport
• Copy of your Mexican Visa – FM3 or tourist visa
• Copy of your birth certificate
• Letter of support
• Copies of your last three bank statements or other proof of income.
• Letter from your employer indicating your position and income.
• Two witnesses with ID.
• Receipt for payment of the official fee at a local bank.

Making sure all of the requirements are met for a legal marriage in Mexico can be difficult if you’re not familiar with the rules, and especially if you don’t speak Spanish. At Cabo Dream Weddings, we are bilingual and knowledgeable about all of the requirements. We would be happy to handle this for you!