What exactly do you need to make it official? Here are some tips and suggestion to help you make sure that your destination wedding overseas is legit.
1. Cover your Basics
If you are marrying outside the United States, you will need a valid US Passport, a certified copy of your birth certificate and if either of you have a former spouse, divorce or death certificates. While Puerto Rico is part of the United States, you will still need the same documents, except the passport.
2. Know Your Country Must Have
When it comes to marriage be aware that each country have differences on the way the do marriage. For example, I recently did the wedding of a couple from bermuda. They chose to get married in Puerto Rico instead which was odd for me, so I asked them why. Well, if you plan to marry in the Bermuda you will be asked to supply a Notice of Intended Marriage (along with a payment of $243, the legal fee to be married there) which has to be published on a local newspaper for 15 days and if on one object you will be issued a marriage license that is goof for 3 month. In the Bahamas you will need a a notarized letter declaring that you are both unmarried US Citizens and proof that you have been in the Bahamas for at least 24 hours.
And do you know that you have to reside in France for 40 days before you can legally get married? This makes it almost impossible to get legally married in France due to the country’s strict 40 days residency requirement. In cases like this you may want to get married legally in your country and perform a symbolic ceremony.
You may want to hire a wedding planner that specializes in particular areas of the world.
For requirements to be married in Puerto Rico read this article. Remember, you do not need a passport to come to Puerto Rico.
3. Get in Touch with the Officials
The best place to get the wedding related legal info is the Tourism office for the country which can point you toward required forms, wedding officiants, and any government agencies that need to be involved. Some countries have tourism offices in the US. It is also a good idea to contact the U.S. Embassy and tip them off in case anything goes awry.
The U.S. State Department is good source of travel information. Visit their page here. you may also want to register your travel plans with them, specially if you are going into an exotic place. You can register your travel plans with the State Department through a free online service at https://travelregistration.state.gov. This will help us contact you if there is a family emergency in the U.S., or if there is a crisis where you are traveling. In accordance with the Privacy Act, information on your welfare and whereabouts will not be released to others without your express authorization. For more tips visit here.
If you want more information or need help to set up your wedding in Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic give us a call or send us an email and we will be delighted to help you out, or at least point you in the right direction.
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