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Legal Requirements by Destination

Below are the current requirements to have a legal wedding in the most popular Destination Wedding locations

Mexico
These are general requirements and can vary depending on which resort you work with. Costs will also very depending on the resort

The following requirements are for legal marriages only. The Wedding Coordinator must receive the following documents to begin the application for marriage in the Civil Registry Office.

  • Bride, Groom & Witnesses must arrive 3 business days prior to the wedding day (Saturdays, Sundays & Holidays do not count). Symbolic and non-legal ceremonies allow flexibility for arrival date.

  • Valid passports. If the Bride is divorced and kept her married name on her passport, please contact your Wedding Coordinator for more information.

  • Tourist Card (Received upon arrival at the airport)

  • The names, addresses, nationalities, ages, occupation, relationship, copy of a tourist card and a valid identification of the four witnesses. The Wedding Coordinator will fill out the legal form. The witnesses can be relatives, friends or anyone who has a valid passport.

  • $300 USD + taxes (per couple) fee for blood test must be taken in Mexico. To be considered valid, the test should not be taken more than 14 days prior to the ceremony. The blood will be tested for HIV, STD’s (sexually transmitted diseases) and blood type. The results will be ready in 24 hours together with a certificate of the blood test. Your Wedding Coordinator will make those arrangements for you, usually early morning the day after arrival.

  • Judge’s transportation fee. Round trip from the city is $80 USD + taxes.

  • $500 usd + taxes for the city hall court fees and application process.

  • 4 Witnesses with valid passport & tourist card. The names, addresses, nationalities, ages, occupation, relationship, copy of a tourist card and a valid passport of the 4 witnesses. Wedding Coordinator will send you the legal form. The witnesses can be relatives, friends or anyone with a valid passport. If you don´t provide witnesses we can provide them at $25 USD + taxes each.

  • The Marriage Certificate is only valid in Mexico. To make the Marriage Certificate legal internationally, the Wedding Coordinator will send a copy of your License to the Validation Process. The fee will be $165 USD + taxes. The process will take 2-3 months. Once the document is apostilled, the resort will send all documentation to couples home address. Documents will be in Spanish but can be translated for an additional $100 USD + taxes (shipping fee is included).

None of the above mentioned services are included in our Wedding Packages. It is the couple’s responsibility to have all the documents ready before the wedding. Please discuss requirements with your Wedding Coordinator.

Jamaica
These are general requirements and can vary depending on which resort you work with. Costs will also very depending on the resort

By law, the wedding couple needs to be in Jamaica 24 hours in advance (not including the day of arrival) of their wedding. However, we would advise you to come at least three days in advance to meet with the wedding coordinator and marriage officer and go through the final details regarding the wedding. Symbolic and non-legal ceremonies allow flexibility for arrival date. Please speak with the wedding coordinator to discuss the requirements.
For legal ceremonies, a marriage officer recognized by the Jamaican government must conduct the wedding. The following original documents are required to be sent via courier to the wedding coordinator at least eight weeks before the couple’s arrival to the hotel:
• Proof of citizenship: a certified copy of their birth certificates, which includes father’s name.
• Notarized copies of the bride and groom’s official ID (passports).
• Proof of divorce, if applicable (original certificate of divorce).
• Notarized copy of death certificate for widow or widower.
• Occupation of both candidates.
• Occupation and full names of both sets of parents.
• Parent’s written consent if under 18 years of age.
• Italian nationals celebrating their wedding in Jamaica must notify their embassy and have a certified copy of their marriage
certificate forwarded to their embassy to be legalized and translated.
• French Canadians need a notarized, translated copy of all documents and a photocopy of the original French documents.
• All documents not originally in English need a notarized, translated copy and a photocopy of the original documents.
• After the ceremony, the couple will receive a copy of the marriage register that the officer will take to the Registrar General in Montego Bay to obtain your official certificate. This process takes approximately three months, and we will mail the documents to you as soon as we receive it from the Registrar’s Office.

Dominican Republic
These are general requirements and can vary depending on which resort you work with. Costs will also very depending on the resort

The following is a list of all the documentation required by Dominican law in order to get legally married in the Dominican Republic.
• Birth certificate of couple or certified copy of birth certificate. If parents’ names are not shown on the certificates, please indicate them separately.
• Notarized declaration of single status for the couple. If previously married, submit two copies of the divorce decree or death certificate. There is a mandatory waiting period for women (ten months before they are legally allowed to remarry).
• A photocopy of couple’s passport.
• Photocopies of all witnesses’ passports. They cannot be family members. If necessary, resort will provide witnesses.
• The couple must be in the country three business days prior to the wedding.
Symbolic and non-legal ceremonies allow flexibility for arrival date. Please speak with the wedding coordinator to discuss requirements.
Please note: The Dominican Republic is now a member of the La Hague Convention. Please have your official documents apostilled by your Secretary of State office. You can also contact vitalcheck.com to request apostilled documents. All documents must be translated and legalized by the Dominican consulate prior to arriving in the Dominican Republic, except for the passports. The documents should be legalized by the Dominican consulate no more than three months prior to the wedding date. It is the couple’s responsibility to have all the documentation ready prior to the wedding.

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