The ‘Must Have’ Documents to Marry Abroad

Wedding dress or Tuxedo – check

Shoes – check

Guest list – check

Plane tickets – check

Apostilled Affidavit of Eligibility to Marry – huh?

Getting married in another country is exciting! You have your wedding and honeymoon all wrapped up into one beautiful location. There may be more work involved in a destination wedding, but many couples feel the extra work is worth the effort.

What Paperwork Is Needed?

There are some standard documents that you will most certainly need to have authenticated before you leave, and there are some documents that you may not have known are required. Each country has slightly different rules that need to be followed to ensure your marriage is valid in that country (and here at home too).

You can often find the marriage requirements online – but we recommend contacting the US Embassy of your destination country to verify what documents are needed and what timeline is to be followed.

     3 documents you must have:

• Affidavit of Eligibility to Marry – also called Single Status Declaration, Single Status Affidavit (or a variety of similar names) – this document certifies that you are legally free to enter into marriage. You can obtain this form at the US Embassy or Consulate of your destination country.

• Birth Certificate – an authenticated birth certificate will identify who you are. It will also establish that you are of legal age to marry in that country.

• Valid Passport – many countries require your passport to be valid for at least 6 months following your arrival date into their country.

     3 documents you will possibly need:

• Divorce Decree – if you or your future spouse has been previously married, you will need to show your divorce decree. Some countries will also require you to have your initial marriage certificate as well.

• Death certificate – if your previous spouse has passed, you will need to show their death certificate to ensure a legal marriage.

• Marriage license – a marriage license from the US may be required to marry in the destination country.

Apostille the Documents

 

Simply having the required papers is not enough; you must also attach an apostille to each one.  An apostille verifies the authenticity of the document. Depending on the document, each must be sent to the State or Federal government to receive the apostille.

If English is not the official language of your destination country, you will also need to have each document translated.

Several steps are required for each document to be apostilled and translated, and as you see, not all of the steps are the same; this is where we come in.

Let One Source Process Help

You have enough to worry about when planning for your wedding, much less your wedding in another country. We are here to apostille all documents for you. We have worked with just about every country and will have your documents quickly apostilled or authenticated.

Once you have gathered all the necessary documents, simply begin by filling out the Order Form here.

** Plus**  we offer professional translation services. Both the document and the apostille will be translated into the correct language. Having it all done with us saves you time and money.

Please Contact Us if you have any questions, we are here 7 days a week to walk you through this process. We look forward to working with you… and congratulations!