Getting Married In Costa Rica

You can't make a better choice for a destination wedding than one in Costa Rica. Our clear sky, powdery sand and crystal-blue water make the perfect setting for your big day. It’s the reason many celebrities choose Costa Rica as the place to start their new lives.

To get you ready, even from afar, many professional wedding planners make planning stress-free. They can even tell you about special offers to help you stay within budget. Just a short plane ride from Florida, Costa Rica's location makes it easy for the most important people in your lives to celebrate your wedding day with you.

And the memories don’t have to end once you have the last dance. You can also spend your honeymoon in Costa Rica's tropical paradise. A Costa Rica wedding and honeymoon is the perfect way to start your new life together.

You will need a lawyer to handle the required paperwork.

ID Requirement: A Costa Rican identity card ("Cédula de Identidad") and a Certificate of Single Status issued by the Civil Registry. Additionally, you must present this information one month prior to your wedding: name, profession, passport numbers, foreign address, birth date, place of birth, nationality, father's full name, mother's full maiden name, parents' address, original copy of passport.

Residency Requirement: None. However, if you are not a Costa Rican you must have the following documents: A passport valid for at least six months, a certified copy of your birth certificate, a certified copy of your police record, an Affidavit of Single Status.

There is no waiting period unless you have been married before

Previous Marriages: If the bride has been previously married, she must wait 300 days after her divorce or the death of her husband before she can remarry. An official copy of the divorce decree or of the death certificate must be presented also. This requirement may be waived if she can prove that she is not pregnant before the marriage ceremony.

Women must take a pregnancy test.  If the pregnancy test is negative, there is no waiting period.

Please note that the marriage cannot be recognized in the U.S. until a marriage certificate is issued by the Costa Rican Civil Registry (Registro Civil). The issuance of the marriage certificate normally takes 4-6 weeks.

In order for the marriage to be recognized in the U.S. you must do the following:

The Costa Rican marriage certificate must be translated into English by any official translator of the Ministry of Foreign Relations. It has to be authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Relations The certificate must be notarized and signed by the U.S. Embassy's Consular Section. There is a $32 fee for this service. All of the above steps may be performed by a Costa Rican attorney.

Under 18: Need parental consent.

Proxy Marriages: No.

Same Sex Marriages: No. However, commitment ceremonies are offered

In Brief have these items ready for a Costa Rican Lawyer:

Birth Certificates authenticated by the nearest Costa Rican Consulate. Copies of the bride and groom`s passports (first two pages with picture) Certification or Affidavit of Single Status given by a Governmental Office or by a Notary Two witnesses (not-indispensable) and passport copies of each

The bride, groom and witnesses must fill in the personal information requested in the form provided by the law firm.

For divorcees, please add the following Divorce Decrees authenticated by the nearest Costa Rican Consulate for divorcees;

Medical Certification of a negative pregnancy exam of the bride if her last divorce took place within the last 12 months, also authenticated by the nearest Costa Rican Consulate.

Mail the original documents above mentioned, or fax copies to your lawyers office. When faxing the documents, you will need to provide all the originals at the time of the ceremony.