<div
    class="modal modal--animate-translate-up flex flex-center bg-contrast-higher gradient-contrast--higher bg-opacity-90% padding-md js-modal"
    id="modal-name-2">
    <div
      class="modal__content border border-2 border-contrast-medium width-100% max-width-xs max-height-100% overflow-auto gradient-contrast--white radius shadow-md"
      role="alertdialog" aria-labelledby="modal-title-2" aria-describedby="modal-description-2">
      <header class="padding-md padding-bottom-0 flex justify-between">
        <h2 class="text-truncate font-secondary text-lg font-medium" id="modal-title-2" style="margin-top: 0 !important; margin-bottom: 0 !important;">Leaving so soon?</h2>
 
        <button class="cursor-pointer reset modal__close-btn modal__close-btn--inner js-modal__close js-tab-focus"
          onclick="closeModal()">
          <svg class="icon" viewBox="0 0 20 20">
            <title>Close modal window</title>
            <g fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-miterlimit="10" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round"
              stroke-linejoin="round">
              <line x1="3" y1="3" x2="17" y2="17" />
              <line x1="17" y1="3" x2="3" y2="17" />
            </g>
          </svg>
        </button>
      </header>

      <div class="padding-md" id="modal-text" style="padding-bottom: 0;">
        <p style="line-height: 1.6;">
          Fill in the form below we'll send you our latest blog posts as soon as they're published,
          so you can keep up-to-date with the legalisation and travel situation across the globe.
        </p>
      </div>

      <div class="padding-md padding-top-0">
        <form class="kwes-form" id="sign-up-sidebar" action="https://kwes.io/api/foreign/forms/Tmxa8TFY5QEVuDWYqVgw">

          <div class="col margin-top-md flex flex-column">
            <label for="name" class="margin-bottom-xs">Your Name</label>
            <input type="text" name="name" rules="required|max:255">
          </div>

          <div class="col margin-top-md flex flex-column">
            <label for="email" class="margin-bottom-xs">Email</label>
            <input type="email" name="email" rules="required|email">
          </div>

          <input name="type" type="hidden" value="Exit Popup">

          <div class="flex flex-center">
            <button type="submit" class="btn btn--accent margin-top-lg width-100%">Submit</button>
          </div>

        </form>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
<progress aria-hidden="true" class="reset reading-progressbar reading-progressbar--is-hidden js-reading-progressbar" max="100" value="0">
  <div class="reading-progressbar__fallback js-reading-progressbar__fallback"></div>
</progress>

Ready to start your legalisation?

form icon
REQUEST A QUOTE 
<!--THE CHAT-->

<div class="hs-chat">

  <input type="checkbox" class="hs-chat__checkbox" id="navi-toggle" onclick="toggleBeacon();" data-track-content data-content-name="Help Scout Beacon" data-content-piece="Button">
  <label for="navi-toggle" class="hs-chat__button color-white flex justify-center">
  <span class="hs-chat__text">Need Help?</span>

      <span class="hs-chat__icon icon icon--xs">
          <svg class="hs-chat__svg" viewBox="0 0 511.072 511.072"><path d="m74.39 480.536h-36.213l25.607-25.607c13.807-13.807 22.429-31.765 24.747-51.246-36.029-23.644-62.375-54.751-76.478-90.425-14.093-35.647-15.864-74.888-5.121-113.482 12.89-46.309 43.123-88.518 85.128-118.853 45.646-32.963 102.47-50.387 164.33-50.387 77.927 0 143.611 22.389 189.948 64.745 41.744 38.159 64.734 89.63 64.734 144.933 0 26.868-5.471 53.011-16.26 77.703-11.165 25.551-27.514 48.302-48.593 67.619-46.399 42.523-112.042 65-189.83 65-28.877 0-59.01-3.855-85.913-10.929-25.465 26.123-59.972 40.929-96.086 40.929zm182-420c-124.039 0-200.15 73.973-220.557 147.285-19.284 69.28 9.143 134.743 76.043 175.115l7.475 4.511-.23 8.727c-.456 17.274-4.574 33.912-11.945 48.952 17.949-6.073 34.236-17.083 46.99-32.151l6.342-7.493 9.405 2.813c26.393 7.894 57.104 12.241 86.477 12.241 154.372 0 224.682-93.473 224.682-180.322 0-46.776-19.524-90.384-54.976-122.79-40.713-37.216-99.397-56.888-169.706-56.888z"/></path></svg>
      </span>
  </label>

</div>

<!--END CHAT-->

Getting married abroad: The administrative side

When you dream of getting married abroad you're thinking of sandy beaches, romantic sunsets and idyllic seas. You aren't thinking about the boring, administrative process. Unfortunately, though, you can't have one without the other!

LinkedIn

Getting married abroad is an unforgettable experience. The sun, the sea, the beautiful surroundings – it’s the perfect place to commit to your partner for the rest of your life. It gives you, and all your loved ones, a memory they’ll never forget.

But when you imagine your wedding overseas, you’re thinking about the venue, the flowers, the food. You aren’t thinking about the document legalisation process and the administrative nightmare you’ve got to go through first. Who wants to be thinking about Apostilles and stamps when you could be thinking about wedding dresses, beaches and Mamma Mia?

You can’t ignore document legalisation – it needs to happen if you want to get married abroad. If you don’t legalise your documents, there won’t be an overseas wedding.

What is document legalisation?

It’s the process of taking documents issued in one country and making them legally recognised in another. It’s so that the authorities in any one country can be sure that any foreign documents they’re dealing with are legitimate.

Generally, when you’re getting married abroad, you’ll need to provide:

  • Passports
  • Birth certificates
  • A Certificate of No Impediment (CNI)
  • (If a widow) Marriage and death certificates of previous spouse
  • (If divorced) Decree Absolute (Divorced papers)
  • (If legally changed name) Deed Poll
  • (If under 18) Parental consent
  • (If adopted) Adoption certificate

Some countries have extra document requirements, like sworn affidavits, but that list seems to be the standard for most. If you’re planning on getting married abroad and you aren’t sure what documents you need, get in touch with the Embassy of the country you’re going to (or ask your wedding planner, if you’ve got one). Different countries have different rules and procedures, so it’s definitely worth a check!

If you don’t have a copy of your certificate, don’t worry. We can get a replacement for you. Just visit our sister site, Vital Certificates, and we can have it sent to you within a few days. We can help with Deed Polls, too!

What’s the process?

Once you know exactly what documents you need to present, it’s time to legalise them. This is where things get tricky.

The legalisation process differs from country to country and, to make things even more complicated, different documents have different procedures. It’s the last thing you want to be thinking about when you’re trying to plan a wedding.

beautiful couple posing their wedding day

Generally, legalisation has three key steps:

  • Certification
  • Apostille
  • Consular stamp

To certify a document, you’ve got to find a solicitor or Notary public who is registered with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). They’ll make a certified copy of your document and sign it, confirming that they’ve seen the original and it’s legitimate. Not all documents will need to be certified, though.

Next, you’ll need an Apostille. It’s the cornerstone of all legalisation – you send your documents to the FCDO where they attach a little certificate (the Apostille), confirming that they’ve looked over it and it’s real.

Finally, you might need to send your documents to the embassy of whichever country you’re getting married in. They’ll look it over, check it meets their requirements, and, if it does, stamp it. You’re good to go, then – you can present your documents abroad, and you’ll be ready to get married!

How do I legalise my documents for getting married abroad?

It’s stressful enough, making preparations for the biggest day of your life. The last thing you want to be doing is worrying about document legalisation on top of everything else – trying to untangle the process, arranging appointments with the FCDO and embassy.

So just get us to do it for you. You send us your documents, we legalise them and send them back to you. With our 100% Acceptance Guarantee you don’t need to fret about them being rejected and causing any delays, and, because you won’t need to do anything yourself, you can spend your time planning your big day! It’s the perfect solution.

Save me my time and effort!

While you’re here, why not keep up to date with all the latest comings and goings by following us on social media?

Declan Ramsden
Declan Ramsden

Declan is a Content Creator at Vital Consular. He studied English Literature for 4 years before joining the company. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to retro music and reading classic novels – particularly Charles Dickens!

Articles: 42

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  <section class="popular-topics padding-y-xl gradient-contrast--lighter">
    <div class="adaptive-container">


      <h2 class="text-xxl font-secondary font-medium">Popular Topics</h2>


      <div class="grid gap-lg margin-top-lg">

        <div class="col-8@lg">


          <div class="grid gap-md">

            <a href="https://blog.vitalconsular.com/qatar/" data-track-content data-content-name="Popular Topics" data-content-piece="Qatar" class="card-v9 card-v9--overlay-bg radius col-5@sm" aria-labelledby="card-title-1"
              style="background-image: url('/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Qatar-Category-Block-Image.jpg');">
              <div class="card-v9__content padding-md">
                <div class="padding-bottom-xxxl max-width-xxs">
                  <h3 id="card-title-1"
                    class="card-v9__title font-secondary font-medium padding-xxs inline-block radius gradient-contrast--white opacity-90%">
                    Qatar</h3>
                </div>

                <div class="margin-top-auto">
                  <span class="card-v9__btn"><i>Read more</i></span>
                </div>
              </div>
            </a>

            <a href="https://blog.vitalconsular.com/teaching-tefl/" data-track-content data-content-name="Popular Topics" data-content-piece="TEFL" class="card-v9 card-v9--overlay-bg radius col-7@sm" aria-labelledby="card-title-2"
              style="background-image: url('/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/TEFL-Category-Block-Image.jpg');"">
              <div class=" card-v9__content padding-md">
              <div class="padding-bottom-xxxl max-width-xxs">
                <h3 id="card-title-2"
                  class="color-white card-v9__title font-secondary font-medium padding-xxs inline-block radius gradient-primary--dark opacity-90%">
                  Teaching TEFL</h3>
              </div>

              <div class="margin-top-auto">
                <span class="card-v9__btn"><i>Read more</i></span>
              </div>
          </div>
          </a>

          <a href="https://blog.vitalconsular.com/police-clearance-documents/" data-track-content data-content-name="Popular Topics" data-content-piece="Police Clearance" class="card-v9 card-v9--overlay-bg radius col-6@sm" aria-labelledby="card-title-4"
            style="background-image: url('/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Police-Clearance-Category-Block-Image.jpg');">
            <div class="card-v9__content padding-md">
              <div class="padding-bottom-xxxl max-width-xxs">
                <h3 id="card-title-4"
                  class="color-white card-v9__title font-secondary font-medium padding-xxs inline-block radius gradient-primary--dark opacity-90%">
                  Police Clearance Documents</h3>
              </div>

              <div class="margin-top-auto">
                <span class="card-v9__btn"><i>Read more</i></span>
              </div>
            </div>
          </a>



          <a href="https://blog.vitalconsular.com/china-legalisation/" data-track-content data-content-name="Popular Topics" data-content-piece="China" class="card-v9 card-v9--overlay-bg radius col-6@sm" aria-labelledby="card-title-3"
            style="background-image: url('/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/China-Category-Block-Image.jpg');">
            <div class="card-v9__content padding-md">
              <div class="padding-bottom-xxxl max-width-xxs">
                <h3 id="card-title-3"
                  class="card-v9__title font-secondary font-medium padding-xxs inline-block radius gradient-contrast--white opacity-90%">China
                </h3>
              </div>

              <div class="margin-top-auto">
                <span class="card-v9__btn"><i>Read more</i></span>
              </div>
            </div>
          </a>


          <a href="https://blog.vitalconsular.com/uae-document-legalisation-and-expat-advice/" data-track-content data-content-name="Popular Topics" data-content-piece="UAE" class="card-v9 card-v9--overlay-bg radius col-7@sm" aria-labelledby="card-title-5"
            style="background-image: url('/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/UAE-Category-Block-Image.jpg');">
            <div class="card-v9__content padding-md">
              <div class="padding-bottom-xxxl max-width-xxs">
                <h3 id="card-title-5"
                  class="card-v9__title font-secondary font-medium padding-xxs inline-block radius gradient-contrast--white opacity-90%">UAE
                </h3>
              </div>

              <div class="margin-top-auto">
                <span class="card-v9__btn"><i>Read more</i></span>
              </div>
            </div>
          </a>

          <a href="https://blog.vitalconsular.com/education-documents/" data-track-content data-content-name="Popular Topics" data-content-piece="Education Documents" class="card-v9 card-v9--overlay-bg radius col-5@sm" aria-labelledby="card-title-6"
            style="background-image: url('/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Education-Documents-Category-Block-Image.jpg');">
            <div class="card-v9__content padding-md">
              <div class="padding-bottom-xxxl max-width-xxs">
                <h3 id="card-title-6"
                  class="card-v9__title font-secondary color-white font-medium padding-xxs inline-block radius gradient-primary--dark opacity-90%">
                  Education Documents</h3>
              </div>

              <div class="margin-top-auto">
                <span class="card-v9__btn"><i>Read more</i></span>
              </div>
            </div>
          </a>


        </div>
      </div>


      <div class="col-4@lg">

        <div class="other-topics">
        <h3 class="font-semibold text-md text-uppercase letter-spacing-md">Other Topics</h3>
        <ul class="other-topics__list">
          <li><a class="other-topics__link" href="https://blog.vitalconsular.com/distance-learning-qualifications/" data-track-content data-content-name="Popular Topics" data-content-piece="Distance Learning Qualifications">Distance Learning Qualifications</a></li>
          <li><a class="other-topics__link" href="https://blog.vitalconsular.com/getting-married-abroad/" data-track-content data-content-name="Popular Topics" data-content-piece="Getting Married Abroad">Getting Married Abroad</a></li>
          <li><a class="other-topics__link" href="https://blog.vitalconsular.com/apostille-countries/" data-track-content data-content-name="Popular Topics" data-content-piece="Apostilles">Apostilles</a></li>
          <li><a class="other-topics__link" href="https://blog.vitalconsular.com/schengen-visas/" data-track-content data-content-name="Popular Topics" data-content-piece="Schengen Visas">Schengen Visas</a></li>
          <li><a class="other-topics__link" href="https://blog.vitalconsular.com/vietnam/" data-track-content data-content-name="Popular Topics" data-content-piece="Vietnam">Vietnam</a></li>
          <li><a class="other-topics__link" href="https://blog.vitalconsular.com/thailand-2/" data-track-content data-content-name="Popular Topics" data-content-piece="Thailand">Thailand</a></li>
        </ul>
      </div>


        <div class="shadow-sm radius padding-md bg-white border border-2 border-contrast-low">
          <h4 class="font-secondary font-medium text-lg">Stay up to date...</h4>
          <p class="color-contrast-higher margin-y-sm line-height-body">Sign up to our monthly round-up
            newsletter, where we will let you know about any news, exciting new services we can
            offer and other information we think you'll enjoy.</p>

          <form class="kwes-form" id="sign-up-category-block"
            action="https://kwes.io/api/foreign/forms/Tmxa8TFY5QEVuDWYqVgw">

            <div class="col margin-top-sm flex flex-column">
              <label for="name" class="margin-bottom-sm">Your Name</label>
              <input type="text" name="name" rules="required|max:255">
            </div>

            <div class="col margin-top-sm flex flex-column">
              <label for="email" class="margin-bottom-sm">Email</label>
              <input type="email" name="email" rules="required|email">
            </div>

            <input name="type" type="hidden" value="Popular Topics Block">

            <div class="flex flex-center">
              <button type="submit" class="btn btn--accent margin-top-lg width-100%">Submit</button>
            </div>

          </form>

        </div>

      </div>



  </section>