Whilst many people may dream of a white wedding surrounded by hundreds of guests at a nearby hotel for others this sounds like a nightmare. There is an increasing number of people that travel abroad every to marry in exotic and romantic locations. This generally requires less organisation, stress and hassle for the couple. However, there is normally some basic administration that needs to be adhered to ensure that your wedding is trouble free.
Unfortunately it is not a simple case of contacting the country and requesting that they officially recognise your marriage. The relevant jurisdiction will need to verify who you are and check that you are legally able to be married. Many countries are now requesting that couples that intend to wed overseas supply their documents with an apostille certificate attached to the documents. With a little forward planning this can be achieved easily.
The apostille birth certificate houston texas was created by the Hague Conference in an attempt to simply the verification of documents that are presented to organisations in different countries. The apostille is a certificate that is added to another document and then legally embossed with a stamp. This legalises the document for use overseas so that your documents should need no further verification and that they will be accepted as genuine.
The apostille certificate and stamp can be added to many different documents. Every county will have their own preference. There is no set list and it is recommended that you contact the correct authority in the country that you will marry. Marriage documents that can be issued with an apostille may include-
Copies of your passport
Affidavits that you are free to marry signed by a solicitor or notary
Birth Certificates
Adoption Certificates
Previous marriage certificates
Decree absolutes stating that any previous marriage is dissolved through divorce
Certificate of non impediment issued by the local registry office
Name change deed polls
This list is by no means exhaustive but represents regularly requested documents.
If you plan in advance to get these documents processed it will make organising your wedding relatively straight forward. Contact your wedding coordinator or the relevant authority when you have chosen the location. Establish exactly what documents will require an apostille stamp. Contact an apostille service provider in plenty of time as the service may take a week. Send the documents overseas in advance of the wedding or at least send copies to confirm that your documents are correctly legalised. These steps should help to reduce any confusion created with your marriage overseas
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