Has anyone gotten married in puerto rico recently or a year ago

No I haven't but I would go to thier goverment site and it should tell you what all it would take.

Yep -- i was just married there Jan 28, 2012. i actually have a detailed list from our officiant (he has been performing weddings there for 30+years)... let me track it down for you... there are a couple of notarized letters and specific things that you have to have...

Okay - here we go:

1. Identification: Bring one or more of the following: Photo Driver’s

License, state photo ID, Passport. You can enter PR without a passport.

2. Birth Certificates: bring copy for each one of you

3. Affidavit: (MUST be within 10 days of wedding date) stating that:

You are not residents of Puerto Rico, and that the purpose of your visit is for marriage. You must include the dates of your stay and it must be notarized / accompanied by certification of the corresponding state’s "county clerk".

4. Medical Certificate from your Doctor (A signed and dated letter from your Doctor (using official letterhead, printed, needs to be signed and dated no earlier than 10 calendar days from your wedding date )

Example:

By means of this letter I certify that groom's full legal name and bride's full legal name

(a) Both are in good health

(b) Both comply with your state of residence medical requirements

to get married here. (In case your state of residence has no medical - cont

-cont

requirement, the doctor can simply state that on the letter as well.

5. If Previously Married: It will be necessary to provide either a divorce

certificate or death certificate.

6. If Either One or together they have children under 18, then bring

copies of their birth certificates.

7. If Under 21 - will need a sworn affidavit, notarized by an attorney,

from their legal guardian giving them permission to be married

Advice -- do not go to the main registrar's office. they have a new(ish) office inside the Plaza de Americas. it is nice and they have a separate area for people processing their wedding paperwork. HAVE YOU OFFICIANT GO WITH YOU. can't stress that enough. they do it all the time, know the drill, and know the people there. i cannot imagine having to have gone through all of that on our own.

like i said, we were just married in January of 2012 - and did everything exactly according to this list and had no issues. they are very particular about the documents being no more than 10days from your wedding date - and you must bring a letter from your home physician, you cannot find one there to do the letter on your behalf.

hope this helps!

Ashlee I have to say you rock

Wow that's a process! Considered PR now I'm glad I didn't.

Just to clarify does the birth certificate have to be a certified copy?

Wow thanks Ashlee this definetly helps me a lot so I have to wait basically to get all of this done starting the 10th of July which is ten days before I get married on the 20th. I appreciate your help .

Sala

Of course! Happy to help. I will look- I'm sure I still have the letters we used if you want to use the wording - simple really, but I know they worked! the process to get the paperwork approved and get the license wasn't long at all - I think we went on Thursday mid morning and it was maybe 40mins total. I'll look for the letters!

I just wrote a blog on the requirements for marrying in Puerto Rico. As a Destination wedding planner here in Rincon, P.R. I have done this procedure many times with couples who have hired me as their wedding planner. It is much easier to have someone who is familar with the demographic office and the routine helping you with the process. Just one more reason to hire a wedding planner ,

Hi ladies,

I am getting married in Puerto Rico in September and am sooo confused about the affidavit. Ashlee, did you write the affidavit yourself or have a notary public write it? Do you still have the wording you used that worked?

As I understand, both the bride and groom have to sign the affidavit in the presence of a notary public. Does "accompanied by certification of the corresponding state’s "county clerk" mean the same thing as an apostille? I called the "county clerk's" office in my town and no one has heard of this so they aren't being very helpful.

Thank you!!

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Wow you ladies are amazing and so helpful! Especially you Ashlee! I am getting married in PR in July 2014. Does anyone have an example of the wording for the affadavit? Also, I asked my doctor about the medical certificate and she had no idea what I was talking about LOL! Just two more questions... 1) Were you able to make an appointment with the registrar's office? 2) Does the divorce decree and birth certificate of a child under 18 have to be certified or are copies ok? My fiance has a gorgeous little 6 year old from his first marriage. Any help would be soooo greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance.

Jenn

Jennifer, if you are in need of photography services for your wedding I'm available.

Hi,

My wedding is in 24 days in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. I went to check into getting the affidavit stating

We are only intending to marry there and was told they couldnt do that. They kept saying an affidavitbof what? And how would they know what my sole rreason for visiti is? So I do not know what to do. Also my state does require blood tests for marriage. Is that gonna be a problem

Any one know of an officiant that speaks English near Rincon? Also, I am looking for a wedding coordinator in that area too. Any recommendations? Thanks!

I am looking into the same requirements! Geez, it is so confusing. When I called their offices for certificates, they gave me a vague list, and made it quite confusing. We are looking to go to one of the islands off of PR, (just the two of us) and have a small thing with just us and the officiant. I was trying to avoid needing a wedding coordinator, and trying to keep things simple, although the list of things needed is not helping. I haven't found a officiant yet either.

They also let me know, we needed to stay for 10 days in order to receive the certified license.

Any suggestions?

I just called the Tourism Office in Puerto Rico and this is the information they provided:

http://gopuertorico.about.com/od/destinationweddings/tp/Updated-Marriage-Requirements-For-Puerto-Rico.htm

According to him this is the easiest way they can organize a destination wedding. I think they can do better!

Does anyone have an example of the Affidavit? I'm looking for the wording required. Thank you.

http://gopuertorico.about.com/od/destinationweddings/tp/Updated-Marriage-Requirements-For-Puerto-Rico.htm

2. No Residency Required

One of the most convenient aspects about getting married here is that, unlike many other destinations, you don't need to be a resident of the island. Any person who is not a resident of Puerto Rico and wishes to be married here must present to the Demographic Registry a copy of an affidavit stating that:

He/she is not a resident of Puerto Rico.

The purpose of the visit is for marriage and, if for a foreign citizen, he/she will not stay in Puerto Rico for more than the time period specified in the permission documents granted by the appropriate federal agency in order to enter U.S. territory. If the affidavit is issued in the U.S., it must be accompanied by certification of the corresponding state's county clerk. If issued in a Republic/Sovereign Country, it must be accompanied by the Apostille seal of the Hague Treaty of 1961.

Hello all - I officiate destination weddings and elopements here in Puerto Rico. As part of our services, we provide support for the legal and documentation process, which is really not as difficult as it seems. To obtain your marriage license, an affidavit is required that says that the couple is coming to Puerto Rico for the purpose of marriage and tourism only. We provide you the exact text that any lawyer can use. Please note that this is not a requirement designed to deter destination weddings; it's a simple cultural and systemic difference. Puerto Rico loves its affidavits. Affidavits are commonly required for many basic paperwork tasks such as opening bank accounts, buying automobiles, and much more. It's akin to having something notarized in the 50 states, although it's even more common on the island than notarized statements are in the 50 states. There's a lawyer on practically every corner, and the cost to get an affidavit is 15-30 minutes of time and $30-50. If you are unable to secure one in the 50 states before your trip, we can recommend English-speaking lawyers who can take care of it for you once you're here. We're happy to help!

All the information is very helpful, I am getting married there in a couple weeks and I fly out next Monday, does anyone have a copy of the affidavit they used, also I am seeing it has to be notarized but what does it mean to have it "certification of the corresponding state’s "county clerk"." Please help