The Legalities

Logistically, marrying in Vietnam is difficult because there is a lot of paperwork to sift through. Therefore, generally, we would recommend formally marrying in your home country and then enjoying a post-marriage wedding ceremony in Vietnam that can be identical to your actual wedding - just without the paperwork!

Overseas marriages are legal in the UK, but only if they comply with the marriage laws of the country. There are criteria and steps involved in order for you to get married in the UK and we have all the necessary information ready for you here.

In the Seychelles, to get married legally, you must be present on the island at least two days prior to the ceremony. In addition to this, you must have a religious ceremony and a civil ceremony for the wedding to be recognised as being legal. If you wish to wed on the Seychelles’ outer islands, you will need to pay a fee for the transportation cost to these islands for the Registrar officer. There is also a fee fo....

Non-residents of the Maldives are not able to legally get married on the island, but you can still celebrate your marriage there having carried out the legalities in your own country.

Getting married in Barbados is uncomplicated and simple because there is no minimum length of stay or waiting period, on a number of the islands. You will need to obtain a marriage licence from the Marriage Officer who will perform the ceremony. Documentation such as passports, birth certificates and return plane tickets are also needed.

It is surprisingly easy to marry in Thailand, and the whole process can be completed relatively quickly. The key step that you will need to take is obtaining an ‘Affirmation of Freedom to Marry’ from the embassy, before professionally translating it into Thai. It will then need to be legalised at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Spain is not the easiest country to marry in Europe. To get married in Spain, you need to meet two criteria: you or your partner have been living in Spain for the past two years or if you or your partner are Catholic. For other religions, you can still celebrate your marriage in Spain, but the legalities of it will have to be done in your home country. 

It is relatively straight-forward to marry in South Africa. The legal requirements in South Africa are pretty similar to Western countries, with the exception of there being no residency requirements for foreign nationals. This makes the whole process much easier. If you or your partner are not citizens of South Africa, then you both need to complete the BI-31 form (Declaratio....

For non-Peruvian residents, you will need to obtain a marriage visa and only civil ceremonies are legal. So if you desire a religious wedding, you will need to get married in the municipality. For the rest of the necessary legal documentation, you will need to get them translated into Spanish and this can take three to four months, so ensure that you leave plenty of time.