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Marriage in Mexico

Marriages in resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean are becoming more popular. However, each country has different requirement for marriage.  If you are a Canadian citizen and wish to be married in Mexico, below are the required documents that must be presented to Mexican authorities. Please note that there are different requirements and procedures if you are marrying a Mexican citizen or a non-Mexican citizen. Immigroup can guide you by helping you obtain, prepare, and submit all the required documents. Our fees are $400 + disbursement and government fees.
The following are the documents required by Mexican authorities to be married in Mexico to a non-Mexican citizen:

1. Completed Application (to be filled in Mexico)
2. Property Agreement signed by both parties
3. Certified copies of couple’s birth certificate
4. In case of divorce, certified copy of the divorce decree.
5. In case one of the parties is widowed, a certified copy of the death certificate.
6. Physician’s certificate.
7. Witness statements.

If you wish to marry a Mexican citizen, you must present the documents listed above along with the following documents to be married in Mexico:

1. Permit from National Migration Institute
2. Original and photocopy of valid migratory document of foreign citizen
3. Original and photocopy of the valid foreign passport or birth certificate.
4. Certified copy and original copy of the Mexican citizen’s birth certificate or certificate of Mexican Nationality
5. Payment of the proper Migratory service fees.

Please note that anyone under the age of 18 will need a legalized letter of consent from their parents or guardians.

How Immigroup can help:

Immigroup can help you obtain required identity documents before you travel to Mexico: Long Form Birth Certificate, Divorce or Marriage Certificate, Statutory Declaration, Affidavit, Canadian Citizenship Card, Permanent Resident Card, Passport, and Visitor Visa Application to Canada.

Service for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who wishes to sponsor their spouse:

If you recently got married to a non-Canadian resident and would like to bring your spouse to Canada, Immigroup can help you submit a sponsorship application to allow your spouse to immigrate to Canada. Our fees for this service are $3000 + government fees.

The following information is taken directly from the Embassy of Mexico in Ottawa

Marrying another Canadian Citizen or Non-Mexican in Mexico

According to international law, a marriage performed in Mexico is valid in any other country unless the parties were deliberately evading restrictions imposed by their own national laws. Therefore, a Mexican marriage will be valid in Canada if there were no Canadian impediments.

1. Only an officer of the Registro Civil (the Mexican equivalent of the Registrar General's Office) can legally perform a marriage ceremony.
   
   
2. A religious wedding may be performed after presenting proof of a civil marriage (an authenticated or legalized certificate of the civil marriage must be presented as proof).
   
   
3. Non-Mexicans are not subject to a residence requirement, but will have to identify themselves with their passport (for some nationalities, a certified copy of a birth certificate and a photo identification card will suffice when travelling) and tourist card and/or visa (the document that shows their entry to Mexico).
   
   
4. Marriages are performed for a small fee at the Oficina del Registro Civil, but they may be performed elsewhere for an additional fee, which will be determined by the Registro Civil. There are Oficinas del Registro Civil in each city or small town in Mexico. When staying at a hotel, the address of the Oficina del Registro Civil can be obtained from hotel management.
   
   
5. If a foreigner intends to marry a Mexican citizen, the Mexican National Migration Institute (Instituto Nacional de Migración) must grant a permit; processing of this permit takes approximately two weeks and the application must be submitted by the couple intending to marry or by the Mexican citizen. For more information on this matter, see the section entitled Marrying a Mexican Citizen in Mexico.
   
   
6. In some States of the Republic, divorced persons cannot marry in Mexico until one year after the divorce order has been issued by the judge, unless otherwise indicated in the divorce decree.
   
   
7. Persons under 18 years of age cannot marry without the consent of their parents or legal guardians.

REQUIREMENTS:

As marriage is a matter of local law, please consider that the following requirements generally apply to all 31 States of the Republic and the Federal District (hotel management or the civil registry office can provide you with specific requirements).

Documents that must be presented to the Oficina del Registro Civil:

• A completed application form (provided at the local Civil Registry Office).
  
  
• An agreement prepared by the parties indicating whether their marriage will be contracted under the system of community or separate ownership of property. Mexican law states that marriage certificates must indicate the property system chosen by the couple.
  
  
• A certified copy of their birth certificates (long version) previously legalized by the Mexican Consular Office having jurisdiction over the region where the birth certificate was issued.
  
  
• In the case where one of the parties has previously been divorced, the couple must present a certified copy of the divorce decree legalized by the Mexican Consular Office having jurisdiction over the region where the divorce decree was issued (for some countries the apostille applies - see below).
  
  
• In the case where one of the parties was previously widowed, the couple must present a certified copy of the death certificate legalized by the Mexican Consular Office having jurisdiction over the region where the spouse died (for some countries the apostille applies - see below).
  
  
• A physician's certificate stating that according to the blood tests and thorax X-rays taken in Mexico, neither applicant suffers from any contagious disease.
  
  
• A statement from each of two qualified witnesses (over 18 years of age, who personally know the applicants and who must be present at the ceremony) swearing that the applicants do not have any legal impediment to marry.

LEGALIZATION OF CANADIAN DOCUMENTS (Apostille does not apply)

In order to be valid in Mexico, documents issued in Canada must be legalized either by the Mexican Consulate that has jurisdiction over the region where the documents were issued, or by the Consular Section of the Embassy of Mexico in Canada (if you have documents from different provinces we recommend that you legalize the documents through the Mexican Embassy).

Requirements for legalization by the Consular Section of the Embassy of Mexico:

1. Documents that are to be legalized must be previously authenticated by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, which will stamp them. For information on this matter, please contact the Authentication and Service of Documents Section at:
   
   Authentication of Documents Department of Foreign Affairs
   JLAC, DFAIT,
   Lester B Parson
   Tower C-7 125 Sussex Dr.
   Ottawa, ON
   K1A 0G2
   Tel (613) 995-0119
   
   
2. The consular fee for legalization is the equivalent of US$34.00 per document, which must be paid in Canadian funds (please consider that our consular fees change the first working day of the month, according to the rate of exchange between the US and Canadian dollars).
   
   
3. Your documents may be received between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and will be returned the next workday at:
   
   Embassy of Mexico Consular Section
   45 O'Connor Suite 1000
   Ottawa, ON
   K1P 1A4
   
   
4. If you mail your documents, please do not forget to send the money order in Canadian funds payable to "Embassy of Mexico" and to include a prepaid self-addressed envelope or courier order. If you address your documents to Department of Foreign Affairs, you may request in a note that once they are authenticated, they be sent to the Consular Section of the Embassy; do not forget to send the abovementioned money order and envelope.
   
   
5. Please consider that all documents issued in English or French must be accompanied by their official translation into Spanish when they are submitted to the authorities in Mexico (not for the legalization).
   
   a) If the documents are translated in Canada, the translation must be performed by a certified translator. As translators are not considered public authorities, the translation must be accompanied by an affidavit of the certified translator signed before a notary public, lawyer or commissioner of oaths (the affidavit must state that the translator is recognized by a provincial body responsible for certifying translators and interpreters, and the translation into Spanish is the most accurate rendition of the text of this English or French document). Then, both the original documents and their translations must be legalized as above.
   
   b) If the documents are translated in Mexico, the translation must be performed by a certified translator, but no legalization of translations is required, only of original documents. A list of official translators is provided by the local courts in all States of Mexico.

Legalization of documents not issued in Canada

If you were born or divorced abroad and they have documents that were not issued in Canada, you must check if the country of origin of the documents belongs to the Hague Convention Abolishing the requirements of legalization of Foreign Public documents will apply If the Country of origin is mentioned as member of the convention, please contact directly the central authority to obtain the apostille. If the country of origin of such documents is not a signing state of that convention, the documents must be legalized by the Mexican Embassy in that country. (613) 233-8988.

D) Recognition of your Mexican marriage certificate (Marriage certificate)

Following the marriage, You should keep the original certificate (the one with your fingerprints) a certified copy will be available at the Oficina del Registro Civil. The original receipt and the marriage certificate are legal documents and will be recognized in Canada, unless your marriage in Mexico contravenes Canadian Law(ei. You were not legally entitled to marry in Canada). Some Canadian entities will accept the certificate without any other requirement but others, will request legalization by the Canadian Embassy or Consulate in Mexico.

To legalize a marriage certificate issued in Mexico, follow the steps listed below:

1. The document must first be authenticated at the local government office (Secretaría de Gobierno) of the State where the marriage took place.
   
   
2. The document must then be stamped by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
   
   
3. Finally, the document must be presented to the Canadian Embassy in Mexico.
   II. Marrying a Mexican citizen in Mexico

Marrying A Mexican Citizen in Mexico.

A. Important Information:

A Canadian or other foreigner who is marrying a Mexican Citizen in Mexico must consider the above information regarding requirements established by the Registry General (Registro Civil). Please be advised that you will also need to obtain a permit from the National Institute of Migration of the Ministry of the Interior (Instituto Nacional de Migración de la Secretaría de Gobernación) in Mexico City at Ejército Nacional #862, Col. Los Morales, Sección Palmas, CP 11540, México D.F. (The National Migration Institute has offices in all states.)

B. Requirements for obtaining a permit to marry a Mexican citizen:

1. Letter submitted by the couple intending to marry, addressed to the National Migration Institute (Instituto Nacional de Migración) , in which they swear under oath that neither has any legal impediment to marry.
   
   
2. Original and photocopy of the valid migratory document of the foreign citizen (visa stamped on passport where applicable and/or tourist card).
   
   
3. Original and photocopy of the valid foreign passport or, if applicable, original and photocopy of the birth certificate legalized by the Mexican Consulate in Canada.
   
   
4. Certified copy and photocopy of the Mexican citizen's birth certificate or, if applicable, original and photocopy of the citizen's certificate of Mexican nationality and an official identification card bearing his/her photograph and signature.
   
   
5. Minors must present a properly legalized letter of consent from their parents or guardians.
   
   
6. Payment of the proper Migratory Service fees.
   
   
7. If you want to reside with your Mexican spouse in Canada, please verify with Citizenship and Immigration Canada the requirements for him/her to enter this country.