Marriage Requirements in the Bahamas
Hi I'm Glenn Ferguson, your Bahamas wedding planner and wedding officiant at Bahamas Destination Wedding. With another spotlight on weddings in the Bahamas. Today we are talking about the Marriage Requirements In The Bahamas
With destination weddings in the Bahamas being so popular. It is important for brides and grooms to know what is required of them in order to have their wedding in the Bahamas.
The good news is that the requirements for getting married in the Bahamas is not as stringent as other destination wedding locations. While the process is really simple and does not take a lot of time, there are some formalities that you must follow if you are intending to have your wedding in the Bahamas as your official wedding.
So What are the Marriage Requirements in the Bahamas?
In order to get marriage in the Bahamas you need to satisfy the following requirements:
- Residency. You and your partner must be in the Bahamas at least 24 hours before apply for your marriage license. Special provisions are made if you are on a cruise, as time spend in Bahamian waters helps to qualify your residency requirement.
- Prove Identity. You will need to prove that you are who you say you are. And you can do this with an official passport issued by your country of residence or birth.
- Prove Eligibility. To get married in the Bahamas you must over age 18 and either single, divorced or widowed and you must be able to prove your eligibility. If you are single then you will need to swear an "affidavit of singlehood" before a Justice of the Peace in the Bahamas. Divorced, then you will need to have the original copy of your "Divorce Decree Absolute." And if you are widowed then you will need the original copy of the death certificate of your deceased spouse.
- Submit to an interview. You and your partner must both be present when applying for your marriage license at the Registrar General's Office and be interviewed before your license is granted. No need to worry the interview is not a difficult one and you should do o.k
- Pay Fees. You will have to pay a marriage license fee of $100.00 and to get a certified copy of your marriage certificate it will cost you $20.00
- Contract a Licensed Bahamas Marriage Officer. Once your marriage license has been approved then you need to contract the services of a Bahamas Marriage Officer. As all wedding in the Bahamas must be performed by a Bahamas licensed Marriage Officer. This category of persons was recently expanded to include ship captains on cruises to the Bahamas.
- Get married within 90 days. Your Bahamas Marriage license is valid for 90 days so you must ensure that you are married within this time or you will have to reapply for another marriage license.
Well, I think you are now set and ready as you now know the marriage requirements in the Bahamas.
But if you have questions about the marriage requirements in the Bahamas call me Glenn Ferguson your Bahamas wedding planner at 1-(242)-327-2453 or simply email:glenn@bahamasdestinationwedding.org
Look forward to talking to you soon about weddings in the Bahamas.
