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Family Law · EN

Requirements to Get Married in Panama: The Complete 2026 List.

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.

Published in the source: Last date stated:

Getting married in Panama is an accessible procedure, but each authority requires complete, valid paperwork; arriving with an expired or un-apostilled 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.

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.
  • 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.

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, 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.

Steps declared in Iurispa (5)

Historical sequence from the source; not current legal instructions.

  1. Gather and review the documents

    Valid identity documents and, where a foreigner is involved, apostilled certificates, plus the prenuptial medical certificate.

  2. File the application

    The application is filed before the officiating authority: a notary, the municipal family court or the Civil Registry.

  3. Set the ceremony date

    The authority fixes the date for the civil ceremony.

  4. Hold the ceremony

    The marriage is celebrated with the two witnesses present.

  5. Register the marriage

    The authority forwards the record to the Civil Registry, which issues the marriage certificate.

Questions from the source

Questions, answers, and sources preserved from the historical archive. Nucleus has not verified their currency or links.

What do you need to get married civilly in Panama?

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.

Is a medical exam required to marry in Panama?

Yes. Civil marriage requires a prenuptial medical certificate with the corresponding lab tests, valid within the period required by the officiating authority.

How many witnesses are required?

Two adult witnesses with identification, who as a rule should not be relatives of the spouses.