LEGAL WEDDING IN TAHITI : THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO MARRYING IN THE ISLANDS
Photo Credit: Jean-Philippe Yuam Photography
Legal Wedding In Tahiti
The How To Guide!
If you want to get married in Tahiti and to have it recognized legally back home, you should know that in France, and as such in Tahiti, the ceremony must take place before the mayor (or one of his/her representatives) at the City Hall to be deemed legal. That means you’d have a legal ceremony at the City Hall, and a celebratory ceremony wherever you see yourself exchanging vows, on a private beach, up the mountains, anywhere you like! But in all instances, a beach ceremony in Tahiti alone (whoever officiates it) will have no legal value.
The aforementioned Tahiti legal wedding is a rather short and not-so-thrilling celebration (really, that just consists of the reading of some articles from the French Civil Code, and the signing of the registry), so when working with me as your Tahiti ~ Moorea Wedding Planner, not only will the process of getting your legal wedding application approved be extremely facilitated, but your Tahiti wedding experience as a whole will be super enjoyable + personnalisable.
Whether or not you decide to make it legal in here, I’ll help you plan a wedding in Tahiti that is fun and memorable! I’ll bring the very best wedding vendors in Tahiti to you and I’ll also write a heartfelt, personalized wedding script for your celebratory ceremony in Tahiti :
Whether you are getting married in Moorea (where I am based) ~ Bora Bora ~ Rangiroa ~ Taha’a ~ Huahine ~ Fakarava ~ we have a total of 118 islands in Tahiti, I’ll meet you anywhere your hearts desire! ** with added travel fees **
Photo Credit: Jean-Philippe Yuam Photography
I am experienced in assisting my couples from around the world with their legal wedding in Tahiti (I have previously helped couples from Italy, Germany, Hungary, U.K., Cayman islands, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Russia, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Denmark, China, Singapore, New-Zealand, Australia, United-States, and Canada with a legal wedding in Tahiti) and will guide you step by step in the process.
Want to find out more before you make a decision? I have written a series of blog posts about getting legally married in Tahiti:
The Tahiti Legal Wedding 101 :
- How much does it cost
- What are the requirements
- What official documents do I need to organize
- How to finalize the paperwork
- After the wedding wrap up
A round up of approximate costs for ordering the documents, getting them stamped for international use, shipped to French Polynesia etc. by country, from my past couples’ experience.
You want to make sure that you fulfill all requirements to get legally married in Tahiti before you start planning for your Tahiti legal wedding.
French bureaucracy that is. You want to make sure your documents are valid internationally, and translated into French.
You’re almost there! It was not that difficult, was it?
You want to make sure that your marriage certificates are valid back home!
Will My Legal Wedding In Tahiti Be Recognized Back Home?
Dependent upon the diplomatic relationships of your country of origin with France, your Certificates of Marriage delivered by a French official in the Islands of Tahiti may either be exempted from legalization of any sort, and be recognized valid as is in your own country, or it may need an Apostille (a stamp authenticating your documents for international use) which is very simply accomplished at the Court in Papeete. In very few cases, a legalization procedure will be needed when no agreement exists between your home country and France.
Most of our visitors to the Islands of Tahiti are eligible to the exemption status or have their Certificates of Marriage stamped with an Apostille to present to their local authorities back home. Whatever it is, I’ll take care of it all for you.
Ilaria & Enzo from Italy were the 1st couple to legally marry in Rangiroa back in 2014! They have since grown their family and welcomed two girls, and I can’t wait to see the two (now) four of them back to the islands!
What Are The Delays To Meet The Legal Requirements To Get Married In Tahiti?
People of French-citizenship can only get legally married at the place where they live/reside (or their parents’ place) so as a French citizen, not living permanently in French Polynesia, you will be required to show proof and produce supporting documents that you have indeed been living permanently and continuously in the chosen Tahitian commune/town, prior to being eligible to get married on that commune/town; in addition to your residency document(s) you’ll be asked for a copy of a utility bill as a proof of residency at your Polynesian location, noting names and a physical address, among other documents. Once the complete paperwork has been remitted to the chosen City Hall, the expected delay before you can celebrate your legal union will be of about 10 days.
For those of foreign citizenship, a law was passed in France in 2009, which has allowed non-French nationals to be legally wed throughout the Islands of Tahiti! No residency required! You will be eligible to get married from the day on which you arrive in the Islands of Tahiti. The complete paperwork must be remitted to the chosen City Hall at least 45 days prior to the planned wedding date, but note that completing the steps and required documents can take a few weeks, so plan ahead!
** last updated on July 28, 2019 **