Requirements do vary by provinces, territories and states. The          

                                           proper government websites should be consulted.

Getting Married Overseas

If you are planning to be married in a foreign country, you should contact your Destination Wedding Specialist to determine the legal requirements for your marriage.

Most countries require a valid Canadian passport and a certificate issued by your province or territory stating that there are no legal impediments to your marriage. You should obtain the certificate before you leave Canada.

Some foreign governments may require other documents such as a birth certificate, premarital blood test certificate, divorce papers, death certificate, and/or a statement of parental consent. You may be required to have the documents translated into the language of the country where the marriage will occur and/or authenticated in Canada by a consular official of that country.

You cannot get married at a Canadian embassy or consulate. Canadian consular officials do not perform marriage ceremonies, and they do not have to attend a marriage ceremony in a foreign country.

Marriages that are legally performed in a foreign country are usually valid in Canada, and you do not need to register them in Canada. 

Marrying a citizen of another country may automatically make you a citizen of that country. This will not affect your Canadian citizenship, but the adopted country may not recognize your Canadian citizenship and may prevent Canada from providing you with consular assistance. For more information, contact the nearest Canadian government office abroad or refer to our page Dual citizenship (or dual nationality).

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Same-sex marriages

Although same-sex marriages are legal in Canada, they are not recognized in many countries.

Here is a list of LGBT friendly locations (however, they may not all recognize or perform legal marriages):

Argentina, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, France, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay.

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