How Foreigners Can Wed in Mexico
IN MEXICO THERE IS A COMPLETE SEPARATION OF CHURCH and state - so you cannot be legally wed by a priest; all marriages are civil and weddings can take place anywhere except in a church. Same sex unions are legal here.
When you marry in Mexico you must indicate whether the marriage will be of separate or joint property (bienes mancomunados). In a separate property union, the property of each spouse remains his or her own, to administer as they wish, the same as if they were not married. In this case, neither partner is responsible for the other’s debts. Most couples nowadays choose the separate property option.
To get a marriage license, a foreigner must go to the Registro Civil of the municipio where the wedding is to take place for the application form (solicitud). The Registro Civil of the San Pedro side of Puerto Escondido is in the Agencia Municipal. The Registro Civil for Colotepec (including Zicatela and the Punta) is in the town of Santa María Colotepec.
Other required documents include
- The original of your birth certificate (and divorce decrees and death certificates if appropriate) with a certified translation. (Your embassy may be helpful in obtaining these documents.) These documents must be notarized with an apostille stamp.
- The original and copy of your passport, as well as the appropriate visa. A tourist visa is acceptable. The passport must be valid for at least six months.
- A pre-nuptual medical certificate. (You don’t want to give your future spouse a sexually transmitted disease, do you?)
Each partner must also have two witnesses with legal identification, like a passport.
It takes eight days to process the application at the Agencia Municipal of Puerto Escondido.
A wedding planner can help you with the paper work, like Virginia López, Paraíso Wedding, +52 557 669 4236.
