Getting married in Panama

Document translations to get married in Panama as a foreigner

Foreigners can marry in Panama before the Civil Registry of the Electoral Tribunal. The paperwork usually includes a recent single-status certificate and your birth certificate — and if those were issued abroad in English, they must be apostilled at origin and translated into Spanish by a Certified Public Translator registered with MIRE. We handle the translations from $20 per document, in English, over WhatsApp. The exact document list and their validity periods are set by the Civil Registry, so confirm them before booking a date.

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From $20–35 per document
Delivery 24–72 business hours
Legal basis: Civil Registry · Electoral Tribunal

Which documents need translation?

Single-status certificate

The certificate of no impediment or single status proving you are free to marry. Usually short-dated, so apostille and translate it close to the wedding date.

Birth certificate

Your birth certificate issued abroad, apostilled at origin. Translated in full into Spanish, including margin notes, seals and the apostille itself.

Divorce decree or death certificate

Required when there was a previous marriage, to prove it was legally dissolved. Court decrees can be long, so they are quoted on their real word count.

How much does it cost?

From $20 per document of up to 275 words, plus $0.07 per additional word, plus 7% ITBMS tax. A single-status certificate and a birth certificate together typically land between $40 and $55 with tax included. A full divorce decree can run higher because of its length — we count the real words in your PDF and quote before you pay.

How long does it take?

Standard delivery is 48–72 business hours. Since single-status certificates are usually short-dated, plan the sequence backwards from your wedding date: request the certificate, apostille it, then translate. If the date is close, Express delivers in 24 hours (+50%) and Same-day in under 8 hours (+100%) when you pay before 11:00 a.m.

How does it work?

  1. 1Confirm the current document list and validity periods with the Civil Registry of the Electoral Tribunal.
  2. 2Request a recent single-status certificate and your birth certificate in your home country.
  3. 3Apostille both at origin (or have them legalised if your country is not in the Hague Convention).
  4. 4Send the PDFs on WhatsApp; a MIRE-registered Certified Public Translator translates them into Spanish.
  5. 5Present each original alongside its certified translation at the Civil Registry.

Frequently asked questions

Which documents do I need to marry in Panama as a foreigner?
Typically a recent single-status certificate, your birth certificate, valid passport and — if you were married before — the divorce decree or your former spouse's death certificate. The precise list, validity periods and witness requirements are set by the Civil Registry and can vary with your nationality, so confirm them before booking.
Does my US birth certificate need to be translated?
Yes. Documents issued in English must be translated into Spanish by a Certified Public Translator registered with MIRE to be accepted by the Civil Registry. They should also be apostilled in the issuing state or country first, so the apostille is reflected inside the certified translation.
How long is a single-status certificate valid?
The validity is set by the Panamanian authority and is usually short — often a matter of months. That is why we recommend requesting, apostilling and translating it close to the wedding date. If the original expires you have to request it again and pay for a new translation.
Does marrying a Panamanian give me residency?
Not automatically. Marriage to a Panamanian national opens a residency route under Decree Law 3 of 2008, but it is a separate application before the National Immigration Service with its own file. We can translate the additional documents that application requires once you know the list.
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