Legal Requirements
Before you go, make sure you fully understand the legal requirements when getting married abroad. Legal requirements vary from country to country. If you are in any doubt you should contact your tour operator for clarification. This should be done soon after reserving your wedding, becuase in many cases you are required to present certain doccuments wel in advance of travel.
As a guide, the legal requirements for all countries are as follows:
- Passports required with at least six months remaining
- Birth Certificates for both the Bride and Groom
- A decree absolute if either the Bride or Groom has been married before
- Spouse’s death certificate if either the Bride or Groom is widowed
- Adoption certificate if either the Bride or Groom are adopted
- Parental consent if either the Bride or Groom are under 18 years of age
- A statement of personal details, including address, occupation, full names.
In many cases, doccuments such as your birth certificate will need to be translated by an approved translation company prior to you leaving the UK. For more information on translation please see our doccument translations section.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
hi ther we thinking of getting married at mexico cancun next and was wondering what we need to take. and somebody we no is going this year and they say you have to pay to get a blood test when you get ther, i would be gratful if you could reply to me soon as possible. many thanks
Hi Jamie,
Cancun is a wonderful resort and a wedding there would be sensational.
With regards to docummentation we always recommend discussing the requirements and the cost with your travel agent BEFORE making a reservation. The costs can be significant and can blow your budget. They also vary dramatically by destination.
Blood tests and a Chest X-Ray are required in Mexico and must be done in resort when you arrive. The results must be in Spanish. If you book with one of the big tour operators they will be able to co-ordinate this for you when you arrive.
For a bit more info on other legal requirements for Mexico please have a look on our dedicated Mexico Weddings page.
Good luck with your planning and do let us know how you get on.
Liz
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hi there,
we are planning to get married next may and i was looking at spain and italy but it seem to be almost impossible to get married in spain. could you give me some more information as to what the legal requirements would be for spain (majorca)
many thanks
lynne
Hi Lynne,
Getting married in Spain is not straightforward. Basically, you need to be a resident in Spain for at least 12 months.
I attended a wedding in Majorca myself last year – the UK couple married in a UK registry office prior to heading off to Majorca. They then had a renewal of vows service which was held more like a wedding. It genuinely felt like a wedding when we were there, but their official wedding date is the day in the UK registry office.
I hope this helps!
Liz
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