GETTING MARRIED IN PANAMA

Here are the required documents and procedures for a Panama marriage:

• Application for a marriage license at the nearest court to where one party lives.

• Health certificate by both persons includes a physical from a licensed medical doctor prepared within 15 days before the Panama marriage.

• Medical lab tests include:

1. Complete blood count

2. Urinalysis

3. Hemoglobin electrophoresis

4. Venereal diseases (VDRL) and

5. AIDS/HIV test

• Birth certificates of the parties and their children:

1. The birth certificates must be apostilled which is an internationally recognized government authentication of public records.  

• Take the apostilled documents to Panama’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in Spanish “Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores”).

• Never married singles need to obtain a certificate declaring he or she a lifetime single (Certificado de Solteria). This can be achieved by signing a sworn assertion in front of a Panama notary public and two witnesses (who are unrelated and confirm the single status) which asserts that he or she has always been single.

• Parties who are divorced or widowed need an apostilled divorce decree or death certificate.

• The wedding ceremony must be witnessed by two people unrelated to either party.

• All parties must bring all of the above-mentioned documents and either Panama identity card or passport to the Panama Marriage Court (in Spanish, Juzgado en Turno en Matrimonios) for the civil wedding ceremony.

Panama Roman Catholic Marriage

The Panama Roman Catholic Church requires that the Panama civil wedding occur first. Before the Catholic wedding the couple is required to take a pre-marriage preparation course and upon completion the couple will receive a Certificate of Attendance. Panama City has nine parishes offering this course in Spanish.After obtaining the Certificate of Attendance the couple will sign a Statement of Marriage in front of a priest along with two witnesses. The church will also want baptism certificates for the couple from the church which performed the baptisms. Foreigners can obtain an authenticated baptism certificate from a bishop in one’s home country. Finally, provide a copy of the Panama civil marriage certificate.

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* To ensure the Panama marriage requirements are up to date, contact us at hello@cristalynecelebrations.com

MARRIAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR PANAMA