Marriage requiremens in Mexico

The following are the requirements for marriage in Mérida, Yucatán. However, marriage requirements may vary in the thirty-one states of Mexico. Please consult with the Registro Civil (Civil Registry) in the area where you plan to marry for specific requirements.

In México, only civil marriage is recognized as legal. Persons wishing to do so may also have a religious ceremony, but this is without legal effect, and in no way replaces the obligatory civil marriage. A civil wedding in México is fully valid for legal purposes in the U.S., but a religious ceremony without the civil ceremony is not, as U.S., law only recognizes marriages which are valid in the country in which they take place. This point is an especially important one for couples planning on applying for an immigrant visa for one of them who is not a U.S. citizen. Without the civil ceremony, an application for a visa on the basis of the marriage will not be accepted.

For an American Marrying Another American
For an American wishing to marry another American in México, follow the information provided for obtaining a marriage license.

For an American Marrying a Mexican National
An American or other foreigner wishing to be married in México with a Mexican National must first request permission to marry from the Delegación de Servicios Migratorios (INM) located at:

Ave. Colon y Calle 8
Col. García Ginéres
Mérida, Yucatán
Tel. (999) 925 4553 and (999) 925 9937

The office is opened from 8 A.M. to 1 P.M. The application must be made in person. This process may not be started more than 30 days prior to the actual wedding. The permission received is valid for only 30 days.

Some of the documents that may be required include:

 An application completed by the American
 Copy of current passport
 Original and copy of current migratory document ie., FM3, tourist visa, etc.
 Letter of financial solvency. American men wishing to marry Mexican women must present proof of their ability to support their wives. This proof of economic solvency may be a letter from the employer stating position, salary, seniority, etc., or equivalent proof in the cases of self-employed persons. It should be notarized in the United States; the notary’s signature must be authenticated by a Mexican Consul in that state; it must be translated by an official translator in México, and the Mexican consul’s signature authenticated by the Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores. Bear in mind that the Mexican authorities at INM will decide whether or not proof of solvency is sufficient, and it is the applicant’s responsibility to meet their requirements. The U.S. Embassy cannot in any way certify the individual’s economic solvency, either by examining documents presented to it or by contacting banks, employers, etc., even at the citizen’s expense.
 Job letter
 Birth certificates for both applicants. American birth certifies must have an apostille and be translated and authenticated by an official translator.
 Photo ID
 Letter from each applicant, in Spanish, stating approval of the marriage
 Copy of proof of domicile
 Letter signed by both parties stating that all items are true and that both are single.
 Proof of fee payment (Minimum $2,132.00 pesos)

All documents from the U.S. except for the valid U.S. passport, should have the apostille from the State Secretary of State where they originated. Information for obtaining an apostille can be obtained through the State’s Secretary of State Office. You should allow plenty of time to get your documents. In some cases, it can take as long as a month or more to receive the apostille.

Documents should be translated by an official translator, then taken along with the translation to the INM officer or the Mexican Consulate in the United States. The list of Mexican consulates in the U.S. can be obtained from the Citizens’ Assistance Unit of the American Consulate.

The official translator in Mérida is:
Carlos T. Goff Rendon.
Address: Calle 35 No. 518
Phone: (999) 925 2921
Please allow at least 2-3 days for service.

When permission is granted, the American applicant will receive 2 copies of a letter from INM granting approval of the marriage and 2 copies of the “Application for Migratory Procedure”. A copy of each document will have to be turned in to Registro Civil when applying for a marriage license.

Blood Tests
You will need to have your blood tests done at one of the approved clinics. The blood tests are valid for exactly 15 days, so it is important to have them done no more than two weeks before the wedding. Both bride and groom must have blood work done. You will need to take 2 “infantile” – size photos of each person. Cost is approximately $700.00 pesos for both tests. Normally, you receive the results same day. The results must be turned in with your application for your marriage license.

Obtaining Your Marriage Licence
Fifteen to eight days before the wedding, applicants must fill out a written application at the office of the Registro Civil in the district where you plan to marry, which will include a statement as to whether they wish to marry under the system of joint or separate property. This application must be accompanied by those documents listed below which apply to the circumstances of the applicants.

 Original and copy of birth certificate for both parties. American birth certificates must have an apostille and be translated and authenticated by an official translator.
 Original and copy of photo ID for both parties
 Results of the blood work
 Four Mexican witnesses (18 years or older) and copies of photo ID for all four
 Persons previously married must present proof of the termination of that marriage in the form of a divorce decree or death certificate. If the divorce or death took place outside of México, it must be authenticated and translated in accordance with the information given previously. Divorced persons cannot marry in México until one year after the finalization of the divorce.
 Proof of payment. For ceremonies at the Registro Civil office, prices start at $80.00 pesos. For ceremonies at another location, prices star at $2,000.00 pesos
 Permission form INM to marry (if marrying a Mexican National)
 Original and copy of current passport
 Original and copy of migratory form. Americans are not subject to a residence requirement.
 For Mexican men, a copy of la cartilla de servicio militar nacional
 2 photos of each person

Persons under the age of eighteen cannot be married without the consent of their parents of legal guardians. If the parents of guardians cannot be present at the marriage, they must grant a power of attorney to another individual to exercise the parental consent at the ceremony. This power of attorney must be authenticated and translated. Under no circumstances can males under the age of sixteen, or females under the age of fourteen, be married in México.

The Ceremony
Civil marriages are performed by the Registro Civil. The address of the main office of the Registro Civil in Merida, Yuc., is:

OFICINA DE REGISTRO CIVIL
Calle 65 entre 64 y 66
Colonia Centro
Mérida, Yucatán
Phone: (999) 928 0200 or 924 0007
From 8 A.M. to 1 P.M. and 4 P.M. to 8 P.M.

There is also an office of the Registro Civil in each delegación (sub-city hall). Persons applying at a delegación must do so at the delegación which corresponds to the neighborhood in which they are planning to marry. Persons staying at a hotel can ascertain this without difficulty from the hotel management. American consular officer are not empowered to perform marriages, nor is permission given for marriages to be held on the premises of the U.S. Embassy.

After the Ceremony
Over the years, there have been numerous instances of fraudulent practice with respect to marriages and divorces in certain states of México. In these cases the marriage or divorce has never been recorded in any state even though a lawyer or broke may have given his client a document in Spanish purporting to be the actual marriage certificate or divorce decree, or an English-language “receipt” purporting to represent registration of the document and/or having had the marriage or divorce effected by proxy in another state.

Certain Mexican government officials have informed this office that a marriage or divorce occurring in one state cannot legally be registered within another sate or the Federal District, and if purportedly so registered should be assumed to be fraudulent. They have further stated that only documents authenticated by the Gobernador (Governor) of the state where it occurred, by the Secretario General de Gobierno del Estado (Secretary General of Government of the State) and/or by the state’s Oficial Mayor de Gobierno (Executive Director of Government) may be given credence.

For your marriage certificate to be valid in the US, you will need to apply for the above-mentioned authentication with the local authorities in Mérida.

Find out more about getting married in the Yucatan:

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