Foreigners can legally get married in Canada without holding citizenship, permanent residency, or even a long stay in the country. Canadian marriage law imposes no residency requirement, so the practical steps come down to entering Canada as a visitor, gathering the right identity and eligibility documents, getting a marriage license from the province where you’ll wed, and holding a ceremony with two witnesses. What varies is the province: licensing, fees, and registration are provincial matters, while the federal government sets who is allowed to marry.
Getting Into Canada for the Wedding
Before anything else, you need to be admissible as a visitor. What that requires depends on your passport.
American citizens can enter with a valid U.S. passport. If you don’t have one, a birth certificate with photo identification, a certificate of citizenship or naturalization, or an enhanced driver’s license from a participating state will also work.1Government of Canada. What You Need to Enter Canada Americans need no visa and no electronic travel authorization.
Citizens of most other visa-exempt countries, including the U.K., most EU nations, Australia, and Japan, need an electronic travel authorization (eTA) before flying to Canada. It’s an online application that costs CA$7 and requires a valid passport, an email address, and a credit or debit card.2Government of Canada. Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) If your country is not visa-exempt, you’ll need a temporary resident visa instead, which takes longer to arrange. Check the entry requirements tool on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website for the exact rule that applies to your nationality.
Marrying while in Canada on visitor status is perfectly legal. Visitor status does not, on its own, let you stay to live or work.
Who Is Allowed to Marry
Federal law sets the eligibility floor. The minimum age to marry is 16 under the Civil Marriage Act.3Justice Laws Website. Civil Marriage Act SC 2005, c. 33 – Section 2.2 Anyone under the age of majority (18 in most provinces, 19 in a few) needs parental or court consent.4Statistics Canada. Canadian Vital Statistics – Marriage Database: Definitions and Methods
Both partners must be legally unmarried. Bigamy is a criminal offense under the Criminal Code of Canada.5Justice Laws Website. Criminal Code RSC 1985, c. C-46 – Section 2906Justice Laws Website. Criminal Code RSC 1985, c. C-46 – Section 291 Marriage between close relatives is also prohibited, including parents and children (by blood or adoption) and siblings, including half-siblings and adoptive siblings.7Justice Laws Website. Marriage (Prohibited Degrees) Act
Same-sex marriage has been legal across every province and territory since 2005. Foreign same-sex couples can marry in Canada even if their home country does not recognize the marriage. Consent must be genuine; a marriage obtained by coercion or fraud can be declared void.
Documents to Bring
Every province wants proof of identity and proof that you are free to marry. Gather these before you travel:
- A valid passport or government-issued photo ID. Your passport is the cleanest single document, confirming name, date of birth, and citizenship.
- A birth certificate. Some provinces ask for this even if you have a passport.
- Proof you are free to marry. If you’ve never been married, a sworn statement or statutory declaration is usually enough. If you were married before, bring an original or certified copy of your divorce decree. If you were widowed, bring an original or certified copy of your late spouse’s death certificate.
Any document not in English or French needs a certified translation with an affidavit from the translator confirming accuracy. Handle translations at home. Tracking down a certified translator in an unfamiliar city days before your wedding is a problem worth avoiding.
Extra Step If Your Divorce Was Granted Abroad
Canada generally recognizes foreign divorces, but some provinces, Ontario among them, require a legal opinion letter from a Canadian lawyer confirming that the foreign divorce is valid under Canadian law before issuing a marriage license. The lawyer reviews the court that granted the divorce, the legal grounds, and whether it would be recognized in the province.
Expect to pay roughly CA$300 to CA$450 for this letter, depending on the firm and how fast you need it. Even rush service typically needs at least 24 hours after the lawyer has all your paperwork. Build this into your timeline; it is not a same-week task.
The Marriage License
A marriage license is your legal authorization to hold the ceremony. You apply for it at a municipal office or city hall in the province where you plan to marry. Both partners must appear in person with the documents above.
Fees vary. In Ontario, the provincial fee is $75, with some municipalities adding a service charge on top, so the real cost usually lands between $75 and $200. The license is typically valid for three months from issue, so the ceremony has to happen within that window. There are no blood test or medical certificate requirements anywhere in Canada.
Most provinces issue the license the same day or within 24 hours. Quebec is the outlier.
Quebec’s 20-Day Publication Requirement
If you plan to marry in Quebec, the law requires a public notice of intention to marry, published on the Directeur de l’état civil website, for 20 days before the ceremony can take place.8Directeur de l’état civil. Publication of a Notice of Marriage or Civil Union Skipping the publication without a dispensation can result in the marriage being declared null. A dispensation is possible for serious reasons but is granted case by case, not routinely. Give a Quebec wedding at least a month of lead time.
The Ceremony Itself
Both civil and religious ceremonies are recognized. A civil ceremony is performed by an authorized official, whose title varies by province and can include marriage commissioners, justices of the peace, court clerks, or notaries.9Gouvernement du Québec. Officiants Authorized to Solemnize a Marriage A religious ceremony is conducted by a clergy member registered with the province to perform marriages. Both are equally valid in law.
You need two adult witnesses at the ceremony.10Directeur de l’état civil. Officiants Guide They can be friends, relatives, or anyone of legal age. They do not have to be Canadian. After the vows, the officiant, both partners, and the two witnesses sign the marriage register, and the officiant files that record with the provincial vital statistics office.
Getting the Marriage Certificate
The signed register is not the marriage certificate. The certificate is a separate document issued by the provincial vital statistics office after the marriage is registered. In some provinces, such as British Columbia, it is mailed automatically within a few weeks.11Province of British Columbia. Marriage Certificates In others, you have to apply for it. Either way, this is the document you’ll use to prove your marriage for legal, administrative, and immigration purposes in Canada and abroad.
If you’re leaving Canada soon after the wedding, ask the provincial office about expedited processing before you go.
Using a Canadian Marriage Certificate in Your Home Country
A Canadian marriage legally performed is generally recognized in most countries, though you may need to authenticate the certificate before foreign authorities will accept it.
Canada is a party to the Apostille Convention, so a Canadian marriage certificate can be authenticated with an apostille for use in any other member country, including the United States and most of Europe. The apostille is issued as an “allonge,” a separate page securely attached to the certificate, and once issued should be accepted in the destination country without further steps.12Government of Canada. Authenticate Your Documents – Before You Start
Where you send the certificate depends on the province that issued it. Global Affairs Canada handles documents from Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon, at no fee. Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan each have their own provincial competent authority and may charge separate fees.
For the United States specifically, marriages legally performed in Canada are generally recognized as valid. You do not need to register your marriage with a U.S. embassy or consulate. Each state sets its own marriage rules, though, so if there’s any doubt, confirm with your home state’s attorney general’s office.
What Marriage in Canada Does Not Do
Marrying a Canadian citizen or permanent resident does not give you the right to live in Canada. If you want to stay, your Canadian spouse would need to sponsor you for permanent residency through a separate immigration process. Spousal sponsorship involves two applications filed together: one from the sponsor showing they meet the requirements, and one from the sponsored partner applying for permanent residence.13Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Sponsor Your Spouse, Common-law Partner, Conjugal Partner or Dependent Child – Complete Guide (IMM 5289)14Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Sponsor Your Spouse, Partner or Child: How to Apply
A legal name change after marriage is also not automatic. If you want your name changed, you apply separately through the provincial vital statistics office. Registering the marriage and changing your name are two different processes.