Getting married is a big responsibility and a difficult decision to make. In addition to having to organize a group of people, schedule venues, find suitable vendors and helping hands, there’s a myriad of documents and legalities that require attention. But what if your spouse-to-be is a non-Canadian citizen and you want to get married outside of Canada?
Are you considering getting married outside of Canada, for example, in your future spouse's country of residence? Can't get your partner to come to your country for the wedding ceremony?
If this sounds familiar, you've come to the right place for information on which documents you and your future spouse need to put together to ensure that your special day is legally recognized in Canada.
Most of the confusion and difficulties come from acquiring travel visas in time, inconsistent or incomprehensible air travel guidelines (i.e. COVID-19 travel restrictions), or just good old paperwork bureaucracy. On top of that, some countries simply won't recognize marriage documents from other countries.
To overcome these challenges, spouses-to-be need to settle in a country both partners can enter safely and without restrictions. Obviously, countries that don't require travel visas have an advantage. Additionally, it's essential to confirm that a marriage certificate issued in a foreign country will be legally recognized back in each partner's country of residence and/or origin.
From a legal perspective, there are a few extra steps that need to be taken to ensure that the destination wedding goes through as planned and the eventual marriage is legally recognized in Canada. With the help of an experienced agent like Anyvisa, both spouses can spend more time planning their special day and leave the marriage certificate legalization and other document authentication requirements to the experts.