Documents for Weddings in Spanish Speaking Countries

Documentation for weddings in Spanish-speaking countries:
Clicking on most bolded titles will link you to more details on the subject

The personal documents required for a civil matrimony in Spanish-speaking countries have certain commonalities; but also several differences, sometimes even between states, provinces or regions within the same country.

Canadian documents generally required
The documents required vary per country, but in general are some or all of the following:

  • Birth Certificate (Long form): Mandatory in almost every country.
  • Birth Certificate (Short Form): Accepted in very few countries and some Mexican states.
  • Proof of eligibility to contract matrimony. Required by most countries.
    • Affidavit of Single Marital Status in case never married in any jurisdiction.
    • Death Certificate of previous spouse. Some counties also require the certificate of that marriage.
    • Certificate of divorce or Court Sentence. Some countries will not allow remarrying until after a certain time that the divorce went into effect.
  • Prenuptial agreement: optional but highly recommend reading the details Click here
  • Valid passport required by all countries. To get or update your Canadian passport Click here.

Mandatory for all countries
The documents required may vary per country, but in all cases they must be:

  • Officially translated into Spanish by a certified translator Spanish
  • Authenticated by the Canadian governmentand
  • Legalized by that country’s Consulate in Canada.