REQUIREMENTS

Legal Requirements For A Civil Ceremony

Please note that our Wedding Romance Packages ONLY include the Symbolic/ Non-legal Ceremony, however should you choose to have an upgraded Civil Ceremony ($) please see the LEGAL Requirements below. The Wedding Couple is responsible for the acquisition of all needed paperwork. Please contact your closest Consulate or Embassy of the country you are to be married in for further information.

No Warranty/ Limitation of Liability
The Resort does not warrant that the local authorities will perform the legal Wedding Ceremony. The Wedding Couple acknowledges and agrees that the Resort is not responsible for acquiring the legal requirements for the Wedding Couple and the Resort is not responsible if the local authorities do not perform the Wedding for any reason whatsoever.

 

Please have all paperwork in order prior to your arrival at the resort

All medical certificates and blood work can be done at the destination you are to be married in, should it be a requirement of the destination. See details below:

 

The Dominican Republic
Mexico
Costa Rica

 

THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

The following documents are all required by the Dominican Republic law to Foreigners wishing to be legally married in the Dominican Republic.

Birth Certificates
Couples birth certificates have to be translated & legalized by the Dominican Embassy or Consulate in your home country

Couples Certified Declaration of Single Status
Couples statutory declarations cannot be valid for more than tree (3) months prior to your intended wedding date.

• Translated & Legalized by the Dominican Embassy or Consulate in your home country

 

Absolute Divorce Decree
If either party has been divorced, then proof of absolute divorce decree is required with a court stamp. If the Bride has been divorced, then the absolute divorce decree must have been issued at least 10 months prior to your intended wedding date.  This is not applicable for gentleman.

• Translated & Legalized for the Dominican Embassy or Consulate in your home country

 

Photocopy of Couple’s & Witnesses’ passport (2 witnesses)

• One copy per witness is required

 

In case of Widow / Widower
A death certificate of the ceased spouse is required with a copy of the Wedding Certificate

• Translated & Legalized by the Dominican Embassy or Consulate in your home country

 

The couple must each bring their original documents and must also have the translated and legalized documents at the Resort for the meeting with the Romance Manager. Please note that there charge by the Consulate and embassy for these services- you can contact then directly.

Please ensure all original documents are hand carried with you to Punta Cana, plus a photocopy of each document.  ALL names & spellings of names must correspond exactly in all documents including your passports.

Being the judge an outside service provided by Dominican Government, the resort will not be held responsible for any delay or made by the judge.  The judge will legalize the marriage license and the resort will then send the wedding certificate to the couple’s mailing address, this may take up to 90days to do.  The couple will then have to legalize their Marriage Certificate in their home country through the Dominican Republic Consulate or Embassy.

The Civil Wedding is celebrated in Spanish.  The resort can provide translators upon request. Witnesses are also available upon request.  3 full Business Day Residency in Punta Cana is recommended.

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CANCUN, MEXICO

Required Legal Documentation for the Civil Marriage

The Mexican civil marriage is a fairly straight forward matter, easily arranged and not as bureaucratic as it sounds. The Mexican government has gone to considerable lengths to render the language of the ceremony romantic and memorable. The words of a 19th century poet are recited and justice allows for the saying of personal vows (CCV provides an English languages translator who simultaneously interprets the ceremony). Blood tests are required for a civil marriage (blood type, RH factor, venereal disease, HIV) this can be done in Cancun.

REQUIRED ORIGINAL DOCUMENTATION FOR BRIDE AND GROOM

• Valid passports
• Valid birth certificates
• Certified copies of the birth certificate WITH THE APOSTILLE SEAL ON THEM.
• Mexican entry visa (issued upon entering the country) tourist card
• Blood test results (must be done in Mexico)
• Medical certificate (must be done in Mexico)
• Divorce decree or death certificate (if applicable, you must bring certified copies with the apostille seal on it and its translation from English to Spanish).
• Four witnesses (if they are foreigners, passports & copies of the passports are required).

The Hague Convention of 1954 established an international system for verifying the authenticity of official documents that might travel from one country to another.  This guarantee of authenticity is called an apostille- a French word meaning "certification."  It is a governmental act by which a designated public official certifies to the genuineness of the signature, seal and the position of the official who has executed, issued, or notarized a document.  

Typically after a document has been notarized, it is sent to a state office where the signature and seal of the notary is verified, and the apostille is issued.  The apostille may be attached as an annex to the document or placed on the document itself by means of a stamp.

For many years the apostille was largely ignored, but with the rise of international terrorism, and especially since 9/11, many countries, including Mexico are now requiring official documents to have an apostille.

When you need to have an apostille for a document, ask at your county clerk's office; they will know the procedure for your state.  And your notary may be able to direct you.

This website by the US State Department gives more details about an apostille including state-by-state addresses of the authority responsible for issuing apostilles.  You can also select other countries to find out where to get an apostille in that country.
 
http://travel.state.gov/family/family_issues/divorce/divorce_591.html#states
In Canada the procedure is different.  Canada is not a signatory of the Hague Convention; thus it does not issue apostilles.  You will need to take your Canadian documents to a Mexican consulate in Canada where they will issue the necessary papers for you.
There is a residency requirement of 3 full business days prior to your civil wedding ceremony date.

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COSTA RICA

1-Current passports for each one of you.

2-Birth Certificates for each one of you (dispensable*) 3-Single or divorced certificates for each one of you (dispensable*) 4-If any one of you has been married previously, a photocopy of the final Judgment executing the divorce (dispensable*) 5-In case the bride has been divorced from previous marriage during the previous 10 months from the wedding date, certifications issued by two official Costa Rican Physicians stating that she is not currently pregnant. 6-Two witnesses at the ceremony. Anyone can serve you as witnesses even your close family, the hotel employees our the Attorney will provide this service.

It is not necessary to stay in Costa Rica for any period of time before getting married. The documents you bring here do not need to be translated into Spanish, and you don’t need to bring the originals.

* When I say "dispensable" it is because I can substitute all the documents with a sworn declaration by the two of you that I prepare based on the information you give me.

People think that getting married in Costa Rica is a complicated matter but We can perform your wedding with just your identification and We take care of the rest.

Our Attorney is specialist in weddings and you don’t have to worry about doing complicated paperwork and bureaucracy at Consulates or any other public offices.

All we need from you to prepare the legal documentation is that you fill out the form below and bring required papers.
FORMULARY: Will be sent by the lawyer

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