Marriage Requirements in St. Martin

Civil ceremonies

Couples planning on getting married in St. Martin must be at least 18 years of age and their request must be submitted at least 14 days prior to the scheduled ceremony to be conducted by the Registrar.  The following notarized original documents must be submitted to the Registrar with the request:

• Civil ceremonies are held exclusively at the Collectivité of St Martin Salles des marriages.
• A letter stipulating the desired date of marriage and the names of the couple-to-be should be sent to the President of the Collectivité at the following address:

Collectivité de Saint-Martin - BP374 - 97054 Saint Martin

Tel. 05 90 87 61 80 / Fax 05 90 29 63 09

Before the ceremony requirements:

• Constitution of the wedding file (see list of documents needed below)
•  Registration of the file at the “Service Etat Civil de la Collectivité”
• Publication of the wedding banns for a period of 10 days

Please note that the ceremony cannot take place before the 10 day publication period.

Requirements by nationality

• French and French: At least one person must be a resident on Saint Martin for at least 1 month prior to the marriage on a continuous basis.
•  French and foreigner: At least one person must be a resident on Saint Martin for at least 1 month prior to the marriage on a continuous basis.
• Foreigner and foreigner: Under Article 58 of the 27th of May 2009 which is an amendment of article 74 of the Civil Code, two foreigners who are not residents of mainland France may marry without the requirement that one or other of the couple-to-be is resident on Saint Martin.
• Ceremonies may be held 10 days after the date of publication of the marriage banns.
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Please present (or send) the following:

• Photocopies of ID for both parties
•  Full birth certificate issued within the last 3 months (for non-French nationals, it must be issued within the last 6 months and must be accompanied by a French translation). Apostil Stamp required
• Copy of proof of address (water, electricity or telephone bill)
• Photocopies of witness’s ID (address and profession)
• Marriage contract (Contrat de Mariage), if applicable
• "Certificat de coutume" - for foreigners only, a document stipulating the laws of the country regarding marriage
• "Certificat de Célibat" - certificate proving celibacy issued within the last 3 months – foreign nationals only
• Death certificate of former spouse, widow/widower
• Copy of previous marriage certificate with proof of divorce or death, if applicable
• Authorization from your superior (if in the military)
• Check that you have enclosed all the above documents before sending your file.