Costa Rica
                                 
Facts
Google
Costa Rica
Sources
Before any couple can get hitched in Costa Rica, it is
best to consider the Costa Rica marriage customs so
as to ensure a stress-free, truly pleasurable
celebration. Getting married in Costa Rica is the
ultimate dream of most couples who want a beautiful
destination wedding. Who would not fall in love with
the immaculate beaches, the tropical climate, the
unspoiled forests and waterfalls? The attraction of
getting married on a honeymoon destination is
almost too good to let pass.

It is best to hire the services of a wedding coordinator
when planning to get married in Costa Rica. This
way, the entire details of the impending marriage are
being taken care of even before the couples and the
guests arrive on the venue. One of the
Costa Rica
marriage customs
is to inform the wedding
coordinator at least a month earlier on the particulars
of both the bride-to-be and groom-to-be. The
particulars may include name, age, birth date,
profession, and passport and contact numbers. Your
wedding coordinator will inform you of all the
Costa
Rica marriage customs
that you should observe.

It is also important for the couple to have their
passports, especially on the wedding day. This
eliminates whatever setbacks there may be on the
wedding day itself. When applying for a marriage
license in Costa Rica, there are several documents
needed, and this should be accomplished at least a
month before the wedding scheduled date. Normally,
a Costa Rican I.D card and a certificate of single
status are needed. There is no residency requirement
but for those who are not Costa Rican citizens, a
passport valid for at least six months is required, plus
an authenticated copy of birth certificate and police
clearance along with the certificate of single status.

In the event however if the bride-to-be has been
previously married, a 300-day waiting period is
mandatory. The bride-to-be has to wait for 300 days
after the death of her previous husband, or after the
divorce decree has been released. There are also
areas in Costa Rica which require pregnancy tests,
especially if the bride-to-be has been formerly
married. If the woman’s pregnancy test result is
negative, then the waiting period is waived.

To do away with parental consent, both the bride and
groom have to be at least eighteen years of age. It is
one of the
Costa Rica marriage customs to make
parental consent obligatory if either of the couple is
below the compulsory age requirement. There are no
proxy marriages allowed in Costa Rica, and same sex
marriages are not available as well.  

At least two witnesses are needed during the
marriage ceremony to make the union valid. Family
members and relative up to the third degree cannot
be counted as witnesses, however. It is advisable to
bring friends along to serve as witnesses during the
wedding ceremony. A certificate of marriage will be
made available to the couple in Costa Rica after at
least three months, to make the certificate official and
valid in the couple’s home country. Nonetheless, if
the couple would want to expedite the processing,
such option is available for an additional fee.



                         
Costa Rica Marriage Customs