Legal Requirements to Get Married in Mexico

Consent

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 Getting Married to Foreigners

You don't need to be resident in Mexico in order to get married there, you'll just need a passport and your tourist permit, plus some other paperwork (see below). If you plan to get married to a Mexican in Mexico, you will need additional documentation - read the section just ahead...

Chest X-rays and Blood Tests

These must be done locally in Mexico, as the results of the blood tests and the X-ray documentation must be in Spanish and the tests need to be done within a certain time frame of the Marriage Application Form being completed.   Not all Mexican States require the Chest X-rays: Check locally or ask your wedding planner.

Four Witnesses

You will need to have 4 witnesses present at the legal ceremony, and they must have valid identification (Passport).

Validity Outside of Mexico

Your Marriage Certificate will be valid world-wide, BUT you should get your certificate 'legalized' in Mexico to ensure it is legally accepted when you get back home. The process is the reverse of getting your native documentation legalized by the necessary authorities (e.g. Foreign Office / State Department) for marriage in Mexico (see below); The registry office in Mexico will tell you where this can be done locally or if you hire a wedding planner, he/she will advise.