US citizenship entitles you to get a marriage visa to marry your Mexican spouse and sponsor his/ her application for marriage immigration to America. Applying for a marriage visa and preparing for marriage immigration can be a time consuming task and you will need to be organized particularly with your US documents. To qualify for a spouse visa you must fulfil these basic criteria:

• You must be an American citizen or legal permanent resident aged 18 years or over
• You must be able to prove that you are financially independent and able to support your Mexican spouse and any dependent children
• You must be able to prove that you have a residence where you, your spouse and any dependants can live

When you get married to your Mexican fiancee you can legalize your Mexico marriage in the USA.

Getting Ready for Marriage Immigration

Before you leave the US, you need to prepare for your marriage immigration. You should go in person to your local Registrar of Marriages to obtain a Single Status Affidavit. This certificate can be prepared by a notary in the US.

You will also need an original or certified copy your Birth Certificate.

If you have been married before you must produce one of the following documents to support the Affidavit of Single Status:

• If divorced, you will need your Divorce Decree

• If widowed you will need your Certificate of Marriage and Death Certificate of your previous spouse

Changing Your US Documents

When official documents issued in the USA are to be used in Mexico, they need to be “authenticated” and “legalized” in order for them to be valid there.

The first thing you need to do is get your documents “apostilled” by the US Department of State in Washington DC. The document in need of an apostille must be certified from the Secretary of State, which originally issued it before forwarding to Washington. The Secretary of State will attach an extra page with their great seal which certifies the original document. The purpose of the authentication process is to prove the validity of the documents issued in the US.

You must get all of your documents translated into Spanish by a sworn public translator. After that your documents acquire legal validity in Mexico.

Documents in Need of Legalization for Marriage in Mexico:

• Affidavit of Single Status
• Divorce Decree (if relevant)
• Former spouse’s Death Certificate and previous marriage certificate (if relevant)
• Your Birth Certificate
• Name change certificate (if relevant)
• Your US passport cannot be legalized as it is already an internationally recognized document. You must however have photocopies of the ID and bio page translated and notarized as true copies of the original.

Mexico Visa Requirements

As a US citizen you do not need a visa to visit Mexico providing your stay does not exceed 180 days but you should get a tourist card from your travel agent or at the border. Make sure that your US passport is valid for at least 3 months after your stay ends in Greece. If you need an extended stay you must apply for a Mexico visa from the Mexican Embassy or Consulate.

Getting Married in Mexico

You may decide to marry your Mexican spouse in the USA, however, getting married in Mexico is a very romantic experience and relatively straight forward, providing you are organized and ensure that you and your Mexico spouse have the correct documentation.

Whilst your Mexican fiancee is excited about planning the marriage ceremony you should make him/her aware that under both US and Mexican Marriage Law, only the civil registration of your marriage will be recognized as legal and only a legal marriage will allow you to bring your spouse back to America.

The legal age for marriage in Mexico is 18 for men and women although your partner can get married if he/she is younger with written parental consent.

To register the marriage legally with Mexican authorities takes a lot of work and you should not underestimate the time or work involved.

Before you register your intent to marry you need to obtain a chest X-ray and blood test. These tests must be carried out in Mexico and the results written in Spanish. You and your Mexican spouse must also obtain a joint agreement stating whether the marriage will be subject to communal or separate ownership of property.

The first step in planning your wedding in Mexico is to get a marriage permit from the Mexican National Migration Institute (Instituto Nacional de Migración). This takes approximately two weeks to obtain. The next step is to go to the Registrar’s Office known as the Registro Civil with your Mexican fiancee and apply for a Marriage Application form. You should take your passport and all of the documents you brought with you from the US along with your medical certificate from your X-ray and blood test, the property ownership agreement and your permit from the Mexican National Migration Institute. Your Mexican partner needs to present a Mexican Affidavit of Single Status as well as a passport, birth certificate, medical certificate and proof that he/she is no longer married. In some Mexican states, if your Mexican spouse has been divorced he/she must wait for one year before marrying again.

You must also obtain a sworn statement from two witnesses who are over 18 and who know both of you, which states that they know of no legal reason why you cannot marry. These two witnesses must be present at the official civil ceremony.

Document Check: US Spouse

• Original Affidavit of Single Status
• Original valid passport
• Original birth certificate
• Original death certificate of deceased spouse if widowed
• Original divorce decree or annulment papers if divorced
• Tourist Card
• Permit from the Mexican National Migration Institute
• Property Ownership Agreement

Document Check: Mexican Spouse

• Original Affidavit of Single Status
• Original valid passport
• Original birth certificate
• Original death certificate of deceased spouse if widowed
• Medical certificates

Once the Marriage License is obtained, you and your Mexican bride need to go to get the registrar to administer the solemnization of the marriage. Two witnesses of legal age who made the sworn statement about your capacity to marry must be present. Your marriage license will be issued after the ceremony has taken place. You may also choose to have another wedding ceremony e.g. a church service to mark your wedding. Marriage to your Mexican spouse does not automatically qualify you for Mexican citizenship however, Mexico is a country, which permits dual citizenship and in order to become a Mexican citizen you must apply through the official government immigration channels.