#1 2012-03-16 12:51:38
- Armand
- Team

- From: Ile Maurice / Mauritius
- Registered: 2011-02-23
- Posts: 21577
Getting married in Colombia
Hi all,
We invite all the ones who got married in Colombia or who are about to get married in Colombia to participate in this thread
What are the formalities to get married in Colombia? Is it the same for a couple of foreigners of for a mixed couple (between a foreigner and a native of Colombia)?
Are the procedures complicated?
How long does it take to carry out all the formalities?
Thank you in advance for participating,
Armand
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#2 2012-03-20 02:29:49
- angucast
- New member
- From: St Augustine
- Registered: 2010-10-22
- Posts: 1
Re: Getting married in Colombia
Hi Armand, I will be tying the knot in about 2 months, as far as I know it should be pretty simple if you marry a Colombian, where in Colombia are you, I'll be in Manizales temporarily but I'm going to look for better weather and small town, hope to hear from you, I would like to know if there is a group of expats in that area, even though I'm fluent in spanish I enjoy a lot my american friends and hope to find some in Colombia
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#3 2012-03-20 15:15:03
- ilovecow
- New member
- From: Barranquilla
- Registered: 2011-06-07
- Posts: 9
Re: Getting married in Colombia
Last year I married a Colombian citizen in Barranquilla. I am from the US so I don't know how different the procedure is for other nationalities but it wasn't super difficult for me.
The US consulate in Barranquilla was a GREAT help to me in telling me the procedures, it took a lot of emails and phone calls but we figured it out. The embassy isn't going to be much help they are going to tell you to call the consulate but here is what I had to do (that I can remember)
I had to have proof that I was not married currently and I needed to declare how many children I had. Apparently some states in the US have an official paper stating this information that you can request. I am from Pennsylvania and they do not have this paper so I had two life long friends (it can't be a relative) both write a statement (in English) stating that they had known me for x number of years and I was not currently nor had I ever been married and did not have any children that I was responsible for. They signed these papers and had them notarized and sent to me in Colombia and I was responsible for having them translated into Spanish by an official agency (I think I used Berlitz) and having them notarized in Colombia as well. You will need both the English and the Spanish documents when you get married.
I also needed my birth certificate with an official apostille stamp on it which meant I needed to order a new birth certificate online, send it to my mother who then sent it to Harrisburg for the stamp. They sent it back to her and she sent it to me.
I think those were really the only papers I needed from the US. I already had the copies of my passport and cedula from Colombia but the important thing to remember is that these documents can't be more than 6 months old at the time of your marriage. Needless to say it would have been a lot less running around for my friends and family at home in the US if I had been in the US doing all of these things on my own but we made it work.
After we were married I applied for the spousal visa and it wasn't much of a problem, a lot of paperwork, photocopies, pictures and a trip to Bogota for an interview but I had already been in Colombia for 2 years with my now husband so I was prepared for all of that! I can't remember how much all of the paperwork cost but it wasn't awful.... it wasn't cheap either but we were prepared for it.
As for two foreigners getting married in Colombia, I can't say. I know when my sister did a destination wedding in the Dominican Republic it would have been easier to do the ceremony there and just come home and be officially married in front of a Justice of the Peace! hahaha, but again it is just a lot of translating and paperwork....oh and money!
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#5 2012-11-15 18:23:27
Re: Getting married in Colombia
Getting Married in Colombia can sound a bit daunting, but I was lucky all the formalities were a breeze, once my Wife, found a Notary prepared to marry us, and yes, there were a number who would not entertain marrying a Colombiana to an Extrañjero!
The Notary in Medellin was brilliant, he did not want some of the papers that are listed on all the websites, he was happy with a apostillized copy of my divorce certificate, even though the divorce was ten months previously, birth certificate, and a photocopy of my passport, he saw the original once I arrived in Colombia, and that was it. I met the Notary once, before the Wedding, he was extremely friendly and talked at a pace that I could understand. On the day of the Ceremony, he arrived spot on time at the Salon we used, but told us, he could not stay on afterwards, as he was going to bury his Brother an hour later, he conducted the service, as if he were an old friend, it was a day I will never forget. That topped it for me, as most people would have just cancelled, he had my utmost respect, and now whenever I need a Notary, I travel to his Office, even though there are many nearer.
#7 2012-12-10 00:04:49
- carlosq
- New member
- From: Buenaventura
- Registered: 2012-12-08
- Posts: 8
Re: Getting married in Colombia
I AM GETTING MARRIED TO MY ROMENIAN GIRL.WE PLAN ON HAVING A CIVIL MARRIAGE HERE,,CAUSE IT IS LESS OF A HASSLE THAN IN HER COUNTRY,,WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IS WHAT DOCUMENTATION SHE NEEDS TO BRING??WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING??DO WE NEED BLOOD TESTS ECT ECT.ALSO CAN ANYONE GIVE ME A ROUGH IDEA AS TO WHAT COSTS ALL THIS WILL BE,,INCLUDING PAPERS THAT NEED TO BE TRANSLATE ECT ECT AND ALSO CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN MARRYING IN THE EMBASSY AS TO AT A NOTARY??IN THE SENSE OF OBTAINING MY VISA TO GO APPLY IN HER COUNTRY FOR PERMENENT RESIDENCE THERE, SINCE WE PLAN ON LIVING THERE
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#9 2012-12-10 15:48:37
- carlosq
- New member
- From: Buenaventura
- Registered: 2012-12-08
- Posts: 8
Re: Getting married in Colombia
ha ha ok christine,sorry didnt notice it,and thanks for the good luck wishes, and u enjoy you holidays along with your co.workers,,this blogs are great
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#10 2012-12-11 01:26:39
- guatem
- New member
- From: phoenix
- Registered: 2012-07-20
- Posts: 7
Re: Getting married in Colombia
Can someone tell me what the banks require of US citizen to open a bank account.
guatem
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#11 2012-12-30 20:29:43
- tigerbeesteve
- New member
- From: Bristol
- Registered: 2012-12-30
- Posts: 1
Re: Getting married in Colombia
Hi, I'm writing in this thread as it invited people who are getting married in Colombia to write in 
I'm planning on marrying a Colombian woman on the north coast this time next year (December 2013)!
I'm from the UK and am of no religion - my partner is (a non-practising) Catholic ; if anybody can point me towards a website or list the documents I need to meet the requirements to marry in Colombia I would be really grateful.
I'm hoping there are other UK people who have married a Colombian, on this forum. We have been together just over one year, with all of our time together spent in the UK. I've never married before but she has and her marriage has been annulled. Neither of us have any children.
Most of the sites or blogs I read end up giving loads of detail for US citizens, so I would *really* appreciate if replies can stay focused on UK citizens, thanks!
I am planning on moving and working in Colombia from some time in 2013 too.
Many thanks in advance and cheers from wet and windy England!
Tigerbee
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#12 2013-01-12 00:59:32
- santa1666
- New member
- Registered: 2013-01-12
- Posts: 1
Re: Getting married in Colombia
PhilipCo wrote:
Getting Married in Colombia can sound a bit daunting, but I was lucky all the formalities were a breeze, once my Wife, found a Notary prepared to marry us, and yes, there were a number who would not entertain marrying a Colombiana to an Extrañjero!
The Notary in Medellin was brilliant, he did not want some of the papers that are listed on all the websites, he was happy with a apostillized copy of my divorce certificate, even though the divorce was ten months previously, birth certificate, and a photocopy of my passport, he saw the original once I arrived in Colombia, and that was it. I met the Notary once, before the Wedding, he was extremely friendly and talked at a pace that I could understand. On the day of the Ceremony, he arrived spot on time at the Salon we used, but told us, he could not stay on afterwards, as he was going to bury his Brother an hour later, he conducted the service, as if he were an old friend, it was a day I will never forget. That topped it for me, as most people would have just cancelled, he had my utmost respect, and now whenever I need a Notary, I travel to his Office, even though there are many nearer.
Can you please tell me his name and office address please. I am looking for one in medellin
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#13 2013-01-29 17:33:37
- atcnavy34
- New member

- From: Rome
- Registered: 2013-01-29
- Posts: 2
Re: Getting married in Colombia
Hello everyone! I am travelling to in March to visit my fiancee and her family in Sincelejo. She's contacted the notario there and asked all that's required. I am hoping to receive everything in time before I leave. I am divorced and have 3 children, two that are still under 18. I have requested my birth certificate, divorce certificate and statement from my best friend of 38 years. Anything that I am missing?
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#14 2013-01-29 18:11:53
- ilovecow
- New member
- From: Barranquilla
- Registered: 2011-06-07
- Posts: 9
Re: Getting married in Colombia
Make sure you have an apostille stamp less than 6 months old on everything. That was something that held me up because my was older than 6 months. I've heard others say that they didn't have this problem though.
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#15 2013-01-29 22:04:27
- atcnavy34
- New member

- From: Rome
- Registered: 2013-01-29
- Posts: 2
Re: Getting married in Colombia
Thanks! I will make certain that their within the 6-month window. It's one of the reasons that I just now sent my passport renewal in. 
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#16 2013-02-05 12:13:49
- Taucher1979
- New member

- Registered: 2013-02-05
- Posts: 1
Re: Getting married in Colombia
tigerbeesteve wrote:
Hi, I'm writing in this thread as it invited people who are getting married in Colombia to write in
I'm planning on marrying a Colombian woman on the north coast this time next year (December 2013)!
I'm from the UK and am of no religion - my partner is (a non-practising) Catholic ; if anybody can point me towards a website or list the documents I need to meet the requirements to marry in Colombia I would be really grateful.
I'm hoping there are other UK people who have married a Colombian, on this forum. We have been together just over one year, with all of our time together spent in the UK. I've never married before but she has and her marriage has been annulled. Neither of us have any children.
Most of the sites or blogs I read end up giving loads of detail for US citizens, so I would *really* appreciate if replies can stay focused on UK citizens, thanks!
I am planning on moving and working in Colombia from some time in 2013 too.
Many thanks in advance and cheers from wet and windy England!
Tigerbee
I am an English male also (I am originally from Bristol too) and I got married to my Colombian wife in April 2011. I met my wife in the UK and got married in Colombia (which was my first visit to Colombia at the time).
Although it seemed daunting before, it actually went pretty smoothly in the end.
The thing that nearly ruined it though was that I had to go to Milton Keynes to get my documents apostiled - I didn't realise until quite late on and I had to book the day off work to go there.
Anyway, hope it all goes ok and if you have any questions, please ask.
T
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