Getting married abroad: what the State Department says, and your passport timeline

Who can marry you

Not the embassy. The State Department is direct about it: US embassy and consulate employees cannot perform marriages in foreign countries. Local law decides who can, and it is usually a local civil or religious official.

What a country may ask for

Requirements differ everywhere. The State Department lists the common ones:

• Living in the country for a set time before you can marry there
• Blood tests
• A minimum age, or parental consent
• Proof that any previous marriage ended, such as a divorce or death certificate
• Documents translated into the local language and authenticated
• Proof that you are legally free to marry

The affidavit of eligibility

Some countries want official proof that you are free to marry. The US government does not issue one: it cannot attest to your marital status. What you can do is make a written statement yourself, and if it has to be notarized abroad, book an appointment at a US embassy or consulate.

Will it count at home?

The State Department says a marriage performed abroad is valid in that country if it follows local law. On whether your state will recognize it, and which documents it wants, it tells you to contact the Attorney General's office of the state where you live. Do that before you book, not after.

The simpler route

The same page notes that some couples marry legally in the United States before or after the ceremony abroad, because it avoids getting a foreign marriage certificate and complying with local marriage law. The celebration is the same. Only the paperwork moves.

Passports: count the weeks

Figures as posted by the State Department in spring 2026. They change with demand, so check the live page.

Two passport rules that catch people

• Six months. Some countries require a passport valid for at least six months beyond your trip, and airlines may not let you board without it. A passport that expires soon after the wedding may not be good enough.
• Your name. If you plan to change your name, the passport is replaced by mail, and you are without it while it is processed. Many couples travel in the name already on their documents and make the change afterwards.

Who to ask, in order

• The office that issues marriage certificates in the country, or its tourist information bureau: the exact requirements.
• Your state Attorney General's office: recognition at home.
• The State Department's page for the destination: entry and passport rules.
• Your venue or planner there: who handles the local paperwork and how long it takes.