Bolivia - Getting Married

Advertisement

Procedure

Typically Bolivians live together for up to three years before getting married, they may already have children.

The two ceremonies commonly followed ceremonies for a Bolivian wedding are the church ceremony, and the state ceremony, where the required legal papers are signed. This is the only recognized legal marriage and it must be completed for the marriage to be considered valid.

The marriage ceremony is followed by a three day party that involves a lot of fun and Latin dancing. Bolivians do not take it well when guests turn down any food or drinks offered during the wedding reception.

Bolivians eat lots of beef, chicken, pork and fresh vegetables and canned, bottled and traditional cane alcohol is always on the menu.

Gifts that are normally given are an Awayo key ring which is a Bolivian handmade textile full of bright colors. A small bag of locally grown coffee is also given.

Advertisement

Required Documents

• Birth certificate of both suitors to prove their age
• RUN or Identity Card (original and photocopy).
• Act manifestation of the will to marry
• In the case that one or both suitors there Were married by someone else, they must submit the cancellation of the previous Item Matrimonial. In the event that one party is a widow (er) must file the death certificate of who was your former spouse.
• If any of the suitors is a foreigner, you must present the Consular Certificate issued by the Consular Representative of your country attesting freedom status.
• Two witnesses for each boyfriend (present their respective CI).
• Certificate of marriage civilly sponsors as well as a photocopy of their cards.

Office Locations & Contacts

Departmental Directorate of Civil Registration and Civil Registry Offices SERECI

SERECI La Paz

SERECI Cochabamba

SERECI Oruro

SERECI Chuquisaca

SERECI Tarija

SERECI Santa Cruz

SERECI Beni

SERECI Pando

SERECI Potosi

Eligibility

• Age: The minimum age for marriage is 16 years for males and 14 years for women, though the judge may grant dispensation for serious and justified reasons. All children under 18 need permission from their parents.
• Not having mental illness: Both suitors must enjoy full mental health. They cannot marry who was declared incapable of action for Judicial Judgment.
• Freedom Status: To marry the person should not be linked to another by marriage, must be single, divorced or widowed.

Fees

According to the Tariff, Officer charged:

• Bs. 196 if the ceremony was held in the office of the Official.
• Bs. 346 if the ceremony was performed elsewhere.

These costs include the marriage certificate, family book and the decree.

Validity

Explain the time until which the certificate/document is valid.
e.g. Birth Certificate Valid Forever

Documents to Use

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Sample Documents

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

Processing Time

Please explain processing time taken in obtaining the document/certificate.

Related Videos

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications. 
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type="website">video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the "&" inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver, 
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is displayed.
e.g In the following url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M" Video ID is "Y0US7oR_t3M". 
	

Instructions

In order to get married in Bolivia, you have to enter the country with an "uso determinado" visa (pre-determined use visa). You can NOT get legally married in Bolivia if you come in on a tourist visa.

Foreigners must apply for official permission from the Bolivian government to marry a citizen of Bolivia.

Required Information

• Date of marriage
• Place of marriage
• Groom's name, age and civil status
• Groom's parents' names
• Bride's name, age and civil status
• Bride's parents' names
• Witnesses names
• Name and age of child prior to marriage

Need for the Document

Marriage, a fundamental rite of passage and a marker of adult status, often is linked to the formation of new households and is expected of all Bolivians.

You must demonstrate to Bolivian officials that they are not currently married to anyone else - either you have never been married or all divorces are finalized - that your identity is proven, and that you have never committed any crimes in Bolivia. This is done by providing various documents including an Affidavit of Single Status to the Bolivian government either in Bolivia or via a Bolivian embassy.

Information which might help

There are two ceremonies for a Bolivian wedding: the church ceremony, which marries the pair in the eyes of God; and the state ceremony, where all of the legal papers are signed (this is the only ceremony recognized legally and it must be completed for the marriage to be real).

Only civil marriages are recognized as legal in Bolivia. Civil marriages are performed by a civil registry official, either before or after a religious ceremony. Although the age of majority in Bolivia is 21, men can marry at 16 and women at 14 with permission from parents or guardians. Exceptions can be made for pregnant minors whose parents refuse permission and for orphans (orphans must have permission to marry from the Tribunal Tutelar del Menor and from the Juez de Familia).

Other uses of the Document/Certificate

Marriage expands alliances and networks of kin and generates obligations and reciprocities between the kin group, including godparents and other fictive kin, of both spouses. Divorce, while legal, is rare in rural communities. Remarriage among widows and widowers is common and expected.

External Links

http://www.immigroup.com/marrying-and-sponsoring-bolivian

http://www.bolivia.gob.bo

http://www.matriqui.bo/consejo_proc.asp?Seleccion=18

http://sereci.oep.org.bo/sereci/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=275:inscripcion-de-matrimonio&catid=8:noticias

Others

Marriage is not permitted between close blood relatives, and bigamy is against the law. Marriage is also forbidden to a long list of others, including the mentally ill. Widows, divorcees and women who have had marriages annulled cannot remarry sooner than 300 days after the death of a husband, the date of the final decree of divorce or the notice of annulment.