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What foreign couples need to marry legally in Mexico: the civil registry, apostilled and translated documents, health tests, witnesses, and symbolic ceremonies.
To marry legally in Mexico, you have a civil ceremony performed by the Civil Registry (Registro Civil), because only civil marriages are legally valid there. You'll typically need passports and tourist cards, birth certificates with an apostille and a Spanish translation, proof any earlier marriage ended, medical tests done in Mexico where the state requires them, and two witnesses. There's no residency requirement. Many couples marry at home and hold a symbolic ceremony instead. Requirements vary by state, so confirm locally.
According to the US Embassy and Consulates in Mexico, only marriages performed by civil registry officials are legally valid in Mexico. A church wedding in Mexico is a religious blessing, not a legal marriage, so couples who want a church ceremony there also have a civil one, often the same day or the day before.
This follows the US Embassy's guidance. Other nationalities should check their own embassy, for example GOV.UK for British citizens.
An apostille is a certificate that makes a public document valid in another country that belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention, which Mexico and the United States both do. In the US, an apostille comes from the Secretary of State of the state that issued the document, not from the federal government. Order these early: processing times vary by state.
Leave plenty of time at home for certified copies and apostilles, and plan to be in Mexico a few days before the ceremony for any medical tests and to meet the registry. Some registry offices take appointments well in advance, so contact them once you have a date. If the window is tight, a symbolic ceremony removes all of this. For the bigger picture, see how far in advance to plan a destination wedding and how much a destination wedding costs.
You'll receive a Mexican marriage certificate in Spanish. To use it at home, you'll usually need an apostille from the Mexican state where you married and a translation. Check your home country's requirements, especially for name changes.
Plenty of couples sign at a courthouse at home and then hold a symbolic ceremony in Mexico. There are no apostilles, translations or tests, you can marry at any time and place, and anyone can officiate. Guests usually can't tell the difference.
Many couples, especially those with Mexican family, include the lazo (a cord placed around the couple), the arras (13 coins) or padrinos who sponsor parts of the day. See Mexican wedding traditions and Mexican wedding food for ideas, and Mexican-American wedding traditions for blending two cultures.
Mexico has direct flights from much of North America, which is part of its appeal. Tell guests early, send a destination wedding guest guide, and track who's coming to which event. Forever Farrah keeps the guest list, per-event RSVPs, meal choices and seating chart together.
No. According to the US Embassy in Mexico, only civil marriages performed by the Civil Registry are legally valid. Couples who want a church wedding usually have a civil ceremony too.
The US Embassy lists a blood test and X-rays taken in Mexico as requirements, but rules depend on the state. Ask the civil registry where you're marrying which tests, if any, they still require.
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