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Marriage Requirements in Foreign Countries

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Countries:

The Bahamas
Barbados
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
England & Wales
Fiji
France
Greece
Hawaii
Italy
Jamaica
Mexico
Scotland
St. Maarten
Tahiti
Thailand
United States Virgin Islands

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THE ISLANDS OF THE BAHAMAS

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: 24 hours

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Passports; birth certificates; proof of divorce or death certificate of former spouse/s (if applicable); declaration certifying both parties are unmarried U.S. citizens, sworn before a U.S. Consul at the American Embassy in Nassau; a marriage license from the Commissioner's Office on other islands; proof of arrival in the Islands of the Bahamas.

NOTE: Both parties must apply in person.

MORE INFO: Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, (888) NUPTIAL, or http://www.bahamas.com

BARBADOS

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: None

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Passports or certified birth certificates; proof of divorce or death certificate of former spouse/s (if applicable); letter from officiant performing the service

NOTE: Both parties must apply in person at The Ministry of Home Affairs in Cheapside, Bridgetown.

MORE INFO: Ministry of Home Affairs, (246) 228-8950, or http://www.barbados.org/weddings.htm

BERMUDA

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: None

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Passports and a "Notice of Intended Marriage" form from Bermuda's Registrar General's Office (The form is available by phone request or at  http://www.bermudatourism.com. Fill it out and mail it along with a cashier's check or bank draft made payable to the Accountant General, Hamilton, Bermuda, in the amount of US$210 to the Registrar General. Your license will be valid for three months and can be picked up at the Registrar's office either by you or a designated person.

NOTE: "Notice of Intended Marriage" must be filed 2 weeks before the wedding

MORE INFO: Bermuda's Registrar General office, (441) 297-7709 or -7707; the Bermuda Department of Tourism office nearest you; or http://www.bermudatourism.com

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: None

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Passports or certified birth certificates; proof of divorce or death certificate of former spouse/s (if applicable)

NOTE: Publishing banns may be necessary for church weddings. Make plans with appropriate clergy.

MORE INFO: BVI Registrar's Office, (284) 494-3701 ext. 5001/2/3; BVI Tourist Board, (800) 835-8530, or http://www.bviwelcome.com

CAYMAN ISLANDS

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: None

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Passports; birth certificates; proof of divorce or death certificate of former spouse/s (if applicable); return or ongoing tickets; proofs of entry (Cayman Islands International Immigration Department pink slips or cruise-ship boarding passes); letter from authorized officiating marriage officer

MORE INFO: Cayman Islands Government Information Services, (345) 949-7900, or http://www.caymanislands.ky

ENGLAND & WALES

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: 7 days; 15 day waiting period

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Passports or certified copies of birth certificates; proof of divorce or death certificate of former spouse/s (if applicable)

MORE INFO: Visit Britain, (800) 462-2748; British Consulate General, (212) 745-0200; or http://www.britainusa.com

FIJI

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: None

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Passports; birth certificates; notarized letters of paternal consent if under 21 must be signed by father unless he is deceased; proof of divorce or death certificate of former spouse/s (if applicable).

NOTE: Registration formalities take about 15 minutes (you both must appear) but paperwork processing takes one working day. Other requirements vary by church.

MORE INFO: Fiji Visitors Bureau, (800) 932-3454, or http://www.bulafiji.com

FRANCE

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: 30 days prior to declaring "banns", 10 days after

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Passport; birth certificate (certified); certificate of celibacy signed before an American consular officer in France; an Affidavit of Law stating you are legally able to wed (must be done by an attorney who can practice in both France and the US); a medical certificate; and proof of domicile (to show you've been in France long enough).

NOTE: All weddings in France must be performed civilly (a religious ceremony can be performed after), and they must take place in the "Mairie" or City Hall.

MORE INFO: French Embassy or Consulate nearest you. Go to http://www.ambafrance-us.org/intheus/index.as

GREECE

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: None

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: It is possible to use an American marriage license - but only if it meets certain requirements; passports; certified birth certificates; proof of divorce or death certificate of former spouse/s (if applicable); certificate from U.S. Consulate in Athens or Thessaloniki, stating that there is no impediment to the marriage; two announcements in local Greek newspaper (one announcement for each person)

NOTE: Greek tourism officials advise that gathering and preparing required documents could take a few months. All documents must be translated into Greek by the Greek consulate in your area. The Greek National Tourist Organization, (212) 421-5777, will help in arranging weddings for foreigners. Greek law does not provide for religious ceremonies for certain interfaith marriages such as Christians to non-Christians or Jews to non-Jews. Proof of religion, such as baptismal certificates, may be required.

MORE INFO: Greek National Tourist Organization, (212) 421-5777, or the Greek Consulate, (212) 988-5500

HAWAII

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: None

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Driver's license or passport; no proof of divorce is necessary, but those who are divorced must be able to provide the date, state, and county (or country) where the divorce was finalized

NOTE: Licenses must be filed with the state health department office in Honolulu, or call the department for listings of agents in rural communities. Forms require the names of parents and their places of birth. Both parties must appear in person.

MORE INFO: Hawaii's Department of Health marriage licensing office or (808) 586-4544; or http://www.gohawaii.com

ITALY

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: None

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Passports or armed forces ID cards; certified copies of birth certificates; proof of divorce or death certificate of former spouse/s (if applicable); declarations "atto notorio" sworn to by four people before an Italian consulate officer attesting that they know of no reason to object to the marriage under the laws of the couple's home country; declaration sworn to by both parties that there are no obstacles to the marriage under U.S. law

NOTE: Certain documents must be translated into Italian with special "apostille" seals from the secretary of state from the state from which the documents originated. Additional requirements apply if one of the parties is an Italian citizen or resident of Italy. Requirements may vary by region and city. It is highly recommended that you work with a wedding planner to help you fulfill all requirements properly. A translator may be required to attend the wedding if neither the bride nor the groom speaks Italian.

MORE INFO: Italian consulate nearest you; the Italian Government Tourist Board Office, (212) 245-5618; the local U.S. Embassy or Consulate in Italy, http://www.usembassy.it

JAMAICA

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: 24 hours

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Certified copies of birth certificates that include father's name; proof of divorce or death certificate of former spouse/s (if applicable)

NOTE: Application must be made 48 hours in advance of trip by calling the Ministry of National Security at (876) 906-4908.

MORE INFO: Jamaica Tourist Board, (800) 233-4582, or http://www.jamaicatravel.com

MEXICO

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: None

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Certified copies of birth certificates previously "legalized" and translated by the Mexican consulate with jurisdiction over the place of filing; driver's licenses or passports valid for at least 6 months; certified proof of divorce or death certificates of former spouse/s (if applicable) previously "legalized" by the Mexican consulate with jurisdiction over the place of filing; judge's form; tourist cards; Mexican performed blood test results and X-rays

NOTE: The marriage requirements in Mexico vary from city to city and judge to judge. The Mexican Ministry of Tourism recommends that you allow two to four days to complete all requirements. It is recommended that you work with a wedding planner to help you fulfill all requirements properly.

MORE INFO: Mexico Tourism Board, (800) 446-3942

SCOTLAND

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: None

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Passports or certified copies of birth certificates; proof of divorce or death certificate of former spouse/s (if applicable); certificate of no impediment

NOTE: Notice must also be sent to the registrar at least 15 days (but no longer than three months) in advance of the wedding. Either the bride or groom must also meet with the registrar in advance.

MORE INFO: Visit Britain, (800) 462-2748; British Consulate General, (212) 745-0200; or http://www.britainusa.com

ST. MAARTEN

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: 10 days

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Passports; original, "apostillized" birth certificates and two photo IDs; if applicable, "apostillized" proof of divorce or death certificates of former spouse/s; names of parents, maiden names of mother, place and dates of birth

NOTE: Requests must be made 14 days in advance. You must be at least 21 years of age to marry in St. Maarten and divorced women may not marry until 306 days have passed since getting their divorce finalized. The French side of the island, St. Martin, has prohibitive residency requirements.

MORE INFO: Office of Civil Registry, (011) 5995-22457

TAHITI

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: 30 days for at least one spouse

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Passports; certificate of celibacy to prove never have been married; proof of divorce and/or death certificate for former spouses/s (if applicable); pre-marriage medical certificates issued no more than two months prior to marriage, certificate of residency for one spouse.

NOTE: All birth certificates and other documents need to be translated in to French and marked with the translation date within three months prior to the wedding application.

MORE INFO: http://www.yourtahitihoneymoon.com/weddings.htm

THAILAND

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: None

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Passports; proof of divorce and/or death certificate for former spouses/s (if applicable); "Letters of Certification" from the embassy of those getting married, translated and certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

MORE INFO: U.S. Embassy in Thailand at fax (011) 66-2-205-4103 or http://www.thai-la.net

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: None

NECESSARY DOCUMENTS: Driver's licenses or passports; proof of divorce or death certificate of former spouse/s (if applicable); letter accompanying application for marriage stating date of visit, length of stay, and preferred wedding date if having ceremony performed by a judge

NOTE: Application must be received at least 2 weeks prior to wedding.

MORE INFO: USVI Division of Tourism (800) 372-8784; Territorial Court, St. Thomas and St John, (340) 774-6680; Territorial Court, St. Croix, (340) 778-9750; or http://www.usvitourism.vi

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