---
titulo: "Requirements to Get Married in Panama: The Complete 2026 List"
titulo_seo: "Requirements to Get Married in Panama 2026"
meta: "Documents, the prenuptial medical certificate, two witnesses and the filing: everything Panama's Family Code asks before a civil wedding, foreigners too."
autor: "Diego Ospina Serna"
fecha: 2026-07-13
actualizado: 2026-07-13
materia: "Family Law"
idioma: "en"
par: "requisitos-para-casarse-en-panama"
resumen: "Before setting a date, get your paperwork in order. This guide gathers the complete list of requirements to marry civilly in Panama — identity documents, prenuptial medical certificate, witnesses and the process — under the Family Code, and flags what changes when one spouse is a foreigner."
tags: ["Marriage", "Family Law", "Requirements"]
orden: 20260713
pasos:
  - name: "Gather and review the documents"
    text: "Valid identity documents and, where a foreigner is involved, apostilled certificates, plus the prenuptial medical certificate."
  - name: "File the application"
    text: "The application is filed before the officiating authority: a notary, the municipal family court or the Civil Registry."
  - name: "Set the ceremony date"
    text: "The authority fixes the date for the civil ceremony."
  - name: "Hold the ceremony"
    text: "The marriage is celebrated with the two witnesses present."
  - name: "Register the marriage"
    text: "The authority forwards the record to the Civil Registry, which issues the marriage certificate."
faq:
  - q: "What do you need to get married civilly in Panama?"
    a: "In general terms: identity documents for both spouses, a prenuptial medical certificate with lab tests, and two adult witnesses who are not relatives. When a foreigner is involved, apostilled birth and single-status documents are added."
  - q: "Is a medical exam required to marry in Panama?"
    a: "Yes. Civil marriage requires a prenuptial medical certificate with the corresponding lab tests, valid within the period required by the officiating authority."
  - q: "How many witnesses are required?"
    a: "Two adult witnesses with identification, who as a rule should not be relatives of the spouses."
---

Getting married in Panama is an accessible procedure, but **each authority requires complete, valid paperwork**; arriving with an expired or un-[apostilled](/guias/apostille-and-document-authentication-panama/) document is the most common reason a wedding gets postponed. This guide gathers the list so you arrive fully prepared. For the big picture, see our guide on [marriage and common-law union in Panama](/guias/matrimonio-y-union-de-hecho-en-panama/).

> **Note:** general information valid as of the update date, under the Family Code (Law 3 of 1994). Requirements and their validity may vary by officiating authority; confirm your case with a lawyer.

## General requirements (both spouses)

- **Identity document:** national ID (cédula) for citizens; passport and/or immigration card for foreigners.
- **Prenuptial medical certificate:** with the required lab tests, within its validity period.
- **Two adult witnesses**, with identification, who as a rule are **not relatives** of the spouses.
- **Application** before the competent authority (notary, municipal family court, or Civil Registry).

## Additional requirements by case

- **Foreigners:** **apostilled** birth certificate and single-status certificate (or authenticated by the Panamanian consulate), and as a rule a **sworn declaration of single status** made in Panama. See the detail in [how a foreigner gets married in Panama](/guias/how-a-foreigner-gets-married-in-panama/).
- **Divorced:** proof of dissolution of the prior marriage.
- **Widowed:** proof of the prior spouse's death.
- **Minors and other special cases:** require additional requirements and authorizations.

## The process, in brief

1. **Gather and review documents** (valid and, where applicable, apostilled).
2. **File the application** before the officiating authority.
3. **Set the ceremony date.**
4. **Hold the ceremony** with the two witnesses present.
5. **Registration:** the authority forwards the record to the Civil Registry, which issues the marriage certificate.

Choosing the right route (notary, family court, or Civil Registry) affects time and cost: we compare them in [where to get married in Panama](/guias/where-to-get-married-in-panama-notary-court-civil-registry/).

## Before the wedding, a decision most couples make too late

Requirements are the "how to marry"; there's still the "under which property regime." Absent [marital agreements](/guias/prenuptial-property-regime-in-panama/), the default is **participation in acquired gains**. Decide it before, not after.

---

*Legal basis: Family Code (Law 3 of 1994). Informational content, not legal advice.*