Getting married in Mexico
Most American couples marry symbolically in Mexico and legally at home — the legal route needs an in-country blood test, apostilled + Spanish-translated documents, and several business days of paperwork.
Verified June 18, 2026. General planning guidance, not legal advice — rules change and vary by region and circumstance. Confirm with the official source below and your venue or travel advisor before booking.
Required documents
- Valid passports for both partners
- Certified long-form birth certificates (apostilled + translated to Spanish)
- Tourist entry form (FMM) proving legal entry
- Civil Registry (Registro Civil) marriage application
- Blood test results from a Mexican lab
- Final divorce decree or prior spouse's death certificate if applicable (apostilled + translated)
- Witnesses (2–4 adults with photo ID, varies by state)
Residency requirement
No residency status needed, but plan to be in Mexico ~3–5 business days before the ceremony for paperwork and the in-country blood test (arrival day, weekends, and holidays don't count).
Blood test
Required. Both partners must have blood drawn at a Mexican lab (foreign results not accepted); screens for HIV/syphilis, sometimes blood type/chest X-ray. ~$100–$300/person, valid ~14 days.
Apostille & translation
US documents (birth certificate; divorce/death certificate if applicable) must be apostilled in the issuing state, then translated to Spanish by a court-certified translator. The Mexican certificate should be apostilled + translated to English afterward for US use.
Estimated fees (USD)
~$700–$2,000+ for the legal-only components (civil judge, registry, two blood tests, certified translations, post-wedding apostille). Resort 'legal upgrade' packages commonly ~$1,000–$1,600.
Processing time
Paperwork done on the ground over the 3–5 business days before the ceremony; the official acta de matrimonio (apostilled + translated) typically follows within a few days to ~2 weeks.
Legal ceremony or symbolic?
Symbolic in Mexico + legal at home is the common American choice — the Mexican legal route adds cost, mandatory blood tests, and apostille/translation on both ends. A Mexican civil marriage is valid in the US once apostilled and translated.
Source: Marriage — U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico
Last verified June 18, 2026 · we re-check quarterly
Note: Requirements vary by Mexican STATE (Quintana Roo, Jalisco, Baja California Sur each differ on documents, blood-test windows, fees, witnesses). Re-verify with the local Registro Civil.