Are you getting married outside of the United States?

Congratulations on your big day!

Getting married in another country can be a very exciting experience. However, it will require some different steps and a bit more planning. You are going to have to make sure all the food and flowers are right and make sure that the wedding will be legal and you have all the necessary documents in order.

First you need to gather and obtain an apostille for all of the necessary documents. The first thing you will need is a valid US passport and birth certificate along with any evidence of termination of previous marriage (divorce, annulment or death certificate. The second thing that you will need is a single status affidavit. This is a document that states that you are free to marry and that you are not currently married.

Once you have collected all of these documents, you will need to obtain an apostille for them. Some countries will require that the documents be translated into the language of the receiving country. In most cases documents are only valid for six months.. Its best not to obtain the apostille for your documents no more than 30 days before the date of the marriage.

The U.S. embassy and consulate personnel cannot perform marriages in foreign countries.