Do you want to take the next step with your partner? Formalize your relationship? Marriage is the formal union of two people, a man and a woman, which is materialized through legal procedures or certain religious rites, where a significant relationship is contracted that implies the acquisition of various rights and obligations.
This act represents a link and affective commitment recognized at a cultural, social and legal level.
But now that you know what you want with that special someone. Don’t know how to make it possible? What documents do you need? What type of ceremony to perform? Where to do it? It is very expensive?
Well, here we invite you to know all the Procedures and Requirements to Get Married in Ecuador!
Requirements to get married in Ecuador
These days, civil ceremonies in Ecuador are becoming as popular as religious ceremonies.
Regardless of the type of ceremony you want to perform, here are the requirements for each one:
Getting married by the Civil Registry
- Once the decision has been made, you must go to the Civil Registry of your city to schedule the wedding with a minimum of 15 days and a maximum of one month in advance of the date you want to celebrate the wedding.
- The Presence of Both Contracting Parties
- The Presence of Two Witnesses
- If the Spouses are Minors, the Presence of their Father, Mother or the Person in whose charge is the Parental Authority of the Minor will be required
Get married in the Church
- Reserve the Date minimum 1 month before the Ceremony
- The Contracting Parties must be Baptized
- And have made the Confirmation
- Just as they must have completed the Premarital Course
- Two Godparents (must be a Church Married Couple)
Documents to Get Married in Ecuador
Likewise, we will also explain what documents you need to get married in Ecuador:
Getting married by the Civil Registry
- Citizenship Certificate of the contracting parties (Original and Legible Copy)
- Voting Certificate of the contracting parties (Original and Legible Copy)
- Citizenship Card or Witness Identification (Original and Legible Copy)
- Witness Voting Certificate (Original and Legible Copy).
- If the spouses have minor children in common, submit a Birth Certificate
- If they have minor children under their parental authority, they must present a Notarized Special Guardianship
- If you are Managing Assets of Minors who are under your Parental Authority, submit a Solemn Inventory of Assets, a procedure that must be carried out before a Civil Judge
- In case of not exercising the Parental Authority of the Minor, submit an Affidavit of not having Parental Authority, a procedure that will be carried out in a Notary
There are also other requirements that could be required, depending on the legal status of the contracting parties:
If one or both Spouses are Minors:
- Certified Copy of the Birth Certificate of the minor spouse (Valid for 90 days).
- Signed authorization of the Father, Mother or Person in whose charge is the Parental Authority of the Minor.
- Original and Legible Copy of the Citizenship Card and Voting Certificate of the Father, Mother or Person in whose charge is the Parental Authority of the Minor.
- If one of the Parents of the Minor is deceased, you must submit a Death Certificate.
- If one of the parents is disabled from exercising parental authority, the Guardian or Curator or whoever exercises parental authority will give the authorization.
If one or both Spouses are Divorced:
- Certificate of Citizenship of the Contracting Parties, with the updated Civil Status (Original and Legible Copy).
- Marriage Certificate with the corresponding Subregistration of Divorce.
- Certified copy of the Divorce Judgment granted by the Court or by the Civil Registry Office
- Identification and Documentation of the place where the Divorce Subregistration was made
- Duly Notarized Act declaring the Dissolution of the Marriage Bond
- The person who was an actor in the Divorce Trial may not contract Marriage within the year following the date on which the judgment was executed, if the judgment occurred in Default of the Defendant Spouse. This prohibition does not extend to the case that the new marriage is made with the last Spouse.
- The woman whose marriage has been dissolved by Nullity or Divorce, may not contract a new marriage, unless at least Three hundred days have elapsed from the date on which the Judgment was subregistered in the Civil Registry. Unless proven before the Head of Civil Registry, Identification and Certificate, or authority that celebrates the marriage through a medical certificate issued by a hospital or public or private health center that is not pregnant. However, you may marry, without presenting a medical certificate, if the new marriage is made with the last spouse , or if the future spouse expresses, before the authority that celebrates the marriage, recognize the unborn child as his.
If one or both of the Contracting Parties are Members of the Armed Forces:
- Present Military Credential (Original and Legible Copy).
If one or both Spouses are Widowers:
- Certificate of Citizenship of the Contracting Parties, with the Updated Civil Status (Original and Legible Copy)
- The Widow may not contract a new marriage, if at least Three hundred days have not elapsed since the date on which her Husband died. Unless she proves before the Head of Civil Registry, Identification and Documentation or authority that celebrates the marriage, by means of a medical certificate granted by a hospital or public or private health center, who is not pregnant. However, you can get married, without presenting the medical certificate, if the future spouse expresses before the authority that celebrates the marriage, recognize the unborn child as yours .
If one or both Spouses is a Resident Alien:
- Passport and Resident Visa, (Original and Legible Copy).
- Current census, (Original and legible copy).
If one or both Spouses is a Non-Resident Alien:
- migratory movement.
- Legal permanence of 75 days.
- Passport and Nonimmigrant Visa, (Original and Legible Copy).
- Birth Certificate and Civil Status Apostilled and legalized at the Embassy or Consulate of the country of origin in Ecuador, translated if applicable.
- In the event that there is no embassy, consulate or diplomatic representative of the accredited country of origin in Ecuador, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will certify on this matter, so the foreign contracting party must make a sworn statement before the competent authority, in which he indicates his marital status, nationality, date of birth and name and surname of the parents.
If one or both Spouses are MActive Duty Police Members:
- Police Credential (Original and Legible Copy).
- Marriage Authorization issued by the General Command or immediate Chief.
If one or both Spouses are Refugees:
- Refuge Identification Card (Original and Legible Copy).
- Current Census (Original and Legible Copy).
Get married in the Church
- Certificate of baptism
- Civil Marriage Certificate
- Premarital Course Certificate
- Single Certificate
- Copy of the Identity Card of the Godparents.
These are the documents that are needed and that must be brought to the parish.
Dolores Zambrano, secretary of the La Catedral parish, explains that there are cases in which the following is also requested:
- Divorce certificate
- Death Certificate of Former Spouse
- Certificate of Dispensation (in case of kinship).
Steps to Get Married in Ecuador
If you have all the Documents and Requirements to Get Married in Ecuador, but you still do not understand how to start the process to request your Marriage, don’t worry, we leave it well explained here, step by step:
Getting married by the Civil Registry
Those who are ready to get married in the coming months must know the procedures to follow, prior to the civil ceremony.
According to information provided by the local Civil Registry office:
First, the contracting parties must pay the value corresponding to the marriage rate in the institution or outside it, plus the value of the identity cards with your new marital status.
You must reserve the date of the wedding, if it is outside the Headquarters, you must consider that not all officials want to perform them, outside of their working hours, so you must make that point very clear.
The presence of one of the contracting parties is necessary at the time of requesting the marriage application for the verification of the information, original citizenship cards or updated identity documents of the contracting parties and witnesses and to deliver the Required Documents according to each Case.
If the marriages were not celebrated on the indicated date, the canceled value will not be refunded
Get married in the Church
The reservation of the church must be made in advance, it can be one year or more since in many cases the church can be occupied for the date they decided to get married.
Have a permit from the parish priest if the couple decides to get married in a different place if they have a parish they must go to the parish they belong to and ask for a permit to get married in another place.
The required legal documents must be delivered in a timely manner, such as the identity card, the passport in case you are a foreigner, the baptismal certificate, the confirmation certificate, the civil marriage certificate.
The pre-marital course the certificate of having completed the pre-marital course where important talks are given for the couple but most importantly in which GOD is present in your home.
They must make the Declaration of Singleness in advance, each of the couple must make the declaration of singleness before GOD and each of the couple must have a witness with their certification.
Where to go to get married?
Getting married by the Civil Registry
To get married by the Civil Registry, you must go to the nearest Headquarters or your preference, to make the request for civil marriage.
Get married in the Church
To get married in the Church, you must go to the nearest Parish or of your choice, to make the request for ecclesiastical marriage.
How much does it cost to get married in Ecuador?
Getting married by the Civil Registry
Depending on where you want the ceremony to take place, these two fees may apply:
Marriage in the Civil Registry:
Approximately it can cost $50.00 USD
Marriage outside the Civil Registry Headquarters:
Initially the value is between $250.00 USD, but it may vary depending on the place and time.
Get married in the Church
Depending on where the ceremony takes place, prices can vary between $50 USD and up to $500 USD.
There is also a guarantee of $50 USD, which is returned if conditions such as arriving on time and sending the documents on time are met.
Depending on the temple, the couple could have an “offering” of between $100 USD, $220 USD, $235 USD or $300 USD.
We hope this article has been helpful to you! Do not forget leave your comment and share.
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