Legal Ceremony in Mexico

This type of ceremony also referred to as a Civil ceremony is only performed by a Judge and is available 7 days a week except on Mexican holidays. Although civil marriages performed in Mexico are legal in Mexico, you must legalize your marriage at your local court if you want it to be recognized as legal in your in your country of birth/residence. You do this by registering your marriage certificate at your local City Hall. Legal ceremonies can also be combined with a religious one if you choose. This service is performed in Spanish and translated to English by a member of our wedding team.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A LEGAL CEREMONY IN MEXICO

VALID PASSPORT: Passports are required to enter Mexico and are also mandatory for a legal wedding to be performed. Passports must be presented to the On-Site Wedding Team at the time of the wedding consultation.

TOURIST CARD: These are provided on the airplane prior to arrival into the Cancun International Airport. Names on the tourist card and passport MUST be the same.

ADVANCED HOTEL STAY: Bride and Groom must arrive at their hotel three business days prior to the legal wedding ceremony date in order to complete the blood tests and process the necessary documents. Saturday and Sunday are not considered working days.

CIVIL CEREMONY FORM: A civil ceremony form must be completed (available through your Wedding Designer) indicating witnesses name, age, nationality, home address and occupation.

DIVORCED GROOM: If the groom is divorced no additional documentation is needed.

DIVORCED BRIDE: If the bride is divorced (must be at least one year in order to remarry) and her passport is in her maiden name no additional documentation is needed. If the bride is divorced and her passport is under her ex-husband's last name, then she must present her Birth Certificate and Divorce Certificate translated into Spanish by an Official Translator and with an Apostille Seal. The Apostille Seal is necessary when issuing a document from one country to another for legal purposes. For information on how to obtain the Apostille Seal, please contact the Secretary of State Office or visit: http://travel.state.gov/law/judicial/judicial_2545.html

The United States Department of State requires that all Weddings Certificates from ceremonies performed in the Caribbean, including Mexico, have the Apostille Seal. This procedure can be done by our Wedding Department for an additional fee of $250 USD. By requesting this service you receive: an extra copy of your wedding certificate, the apostille seal, translation into English and FedEx delivery to your home address, usually within 60 days after the ceremony.

DECEASED FORMER SPOUSE: If a bride or groom's former spouse is deceased then a copy of the Death Certificate is required.

HEALTH CERTIFICATE: Mexican laws require a Health Certificate for all legal wedding ceremonies. Blood tests are done to determine blood type, HIV and STD status. Tests must be taken at the resort and results are ready within 24 hours. Approximate cost is $279 USD per couple (unless stated as an inclusion in your wedding package).

WITNESSES: Legal wedding ceremonies require four witnesses. The hotel can provide witnesses at no extra cost. If the wedding couple provides their own witnesses the following is needed from each witness:

  • Valid passport or driver's license
  • Tourist Card
  • Witnesses must arrive at the hotel three business days prior to the legal wedding ceremony date in order to complete the l legal document process and be present during the onsite meeting with the wedding team.
  • Witnesses must be at least 18 years of age at the time of the ceremony