Current Mexican Marriage Laws

People under the age of 18 may not get married in Mexico without parental consent. With parental consent, boys have to be at least 16 and girls need to be at least 14 years of age.

Foreigners are not subject to residency requirement, but will have to identify themselves by presenting their tourist cards and/or visas as well as a copy of their passports.

In the case of two non-Mexicans, the civil marriage process is designed to eliminate undue delay. However, if one of the spouses is a Mexican national, permission must be given by the Secretaria de Gobernación; this request may require several months to be processed.

At the time of entering into the civil marriage, the couple must declare that they are being married either: (a) with all goods and property in common (all goods held as “assets shared”) or (b) under the regime of “assets divided” which means that each individual will maintain ownership of their pre-marriage property.

If one or both individuals has previously been married to a person still living, then proof of a legal divorce must be provided.

If the divorce or death took place outside of Mexico, it must be authenticated and translated into Spanish. Divorced people cannot marry in Mexico until one year after the termination of the divorce. If either party is widowed, the death certificate of the deceased spouse will be needed as part of the documentation requirements.

Witnesses - You will need to have 4 witnesses present at the legal ceremony, and they must have valid identification.

Validity Outside of Mexico - Your Marriage Certificate will be valid worldwide, but you should get your certificate legalized in Mexico to ensure it is legally accepted when you get back home.