Hi all,

I'm hoping someone here has gone through a similar challenge and can help me!

I'm a UK citizen living here in Switzerland. In August I'll be getting married to a Mexican citizen in Mexico. She lives here in Switzerland.

I need to obtain a Certificate of no impediment, but so far I have only found one way: Going to the UK and staying there for 9 days (minimum), then requesting it at a UK register office.

Does anybody know if I can obtain one in Switzerland, at an embassy/consulate?

It seems I could also get one in Mexico, but I will only be going there next for the wedding so it'll be a bit short..!

Thanks for any help

Assuming it is a civil wedding, contact your embassy. No doubt they will have dealt with this kind of situation before.

Thanks. Yes, it is for a civil wedding in Mexico.

Check that you won't need one from here in Switzerland either since your resident here. I assume your local civil registry office could provide you with that if necessary.

I called the embassy in Berne and unfortunately they cannot offer the certificate there.

They told me I have 2 options:
Get it in the UK (have to be back for 9 days prior to request)
Get it from Mexico (not possible as I don't go there before my wedding).

I will check if Mexico can accept a Swiss certificate and then I'll check at my commune des habitants if they can offer me what I need.

Thanks again

You can get one from a notary or maybe from the civil registry place.
The embassy in Bern may still issue them for marriage purposes but they no longer issue them for naturalisation so my son went down the notary route for his. He later found out that he could have done it via the register de l’etat civil but i’m Not sure if that was only applicable for naturalisation.

You would probably be better off getting it from a notary.

Edit: just saw that the embassy is not an option for you either,

There is nothing said here http://mexicolaw.com/Marriage%20in%20Mexico.htm about a Certificate of no impediment. However every Mexican State (like every U.S. one) has its own requirements.

Many years ago when I crossed into Ciudad Juárez with my then fiancée (back then it was quite safe) there were touts offering divorces ... or quickie marriages. But I note that if one is marrying a Mexican citizen things are different.

My own experience (i.e. by British friends) relates to a Protestant wedding in Denmark and a Jewish wedding in England (under the Jewish provisions of the Marriage Act 1949: the documentation in by the synagogue not the Register Office). In both cases as you said there was a waiting period. In the first case a document was issued valid in Denmark, in the second a licence valid for the synagogue with a check by an authorised (i.e. trained) Registrar for valid marriage visa. But nobody asked for evidence that the couple had actually been in England for 9 days though the entry stamp on the visa might have mattered.

Thanks for your reply.

When I called the UK Register office they said they would need evidence, but I don't know if they follow up on that requirement. The only evidence I would have would anyway be my flight ticket and boarding pass, since I'm a UK citizen...

Can I suggest you look at the details on line of whatever Council in UK you would be looking to acquire this document to see what is required and how you may be able to supply whatever.


I believe what you need to look up is 'Give Notice of Marriage' in the Births, deaths & Marriage and Civil Partnership section


From memory I had to make appointment, approximately 2 weeks in advance, i.e. first available.


By chance my OH was in UK at the time of that appointment and came with me, though not sure if it was necessary. Supplied whatever documents and paid money.


Document then put in a Lever Arch file and anyone could come in and view for X amount of days (I remember wondering what a disappointment for wedding supply sellers, photographers etc). About a decade ago, so maybe changed, possible now viewable online.



Later (some days later or a couple of weeks) went back alone with receipt and picked up document.


As marriage outside of UK I also needed to get the 'Apostille' thingy for that country of marriage.



I believe I made a trip to a Government office about 10 / 15 minutes' walk from Welwyn Garden City for the Apostille. Cost ca £30£35 per document. Took about 15 minutes waiting. Think they have to look up the signature on the document is listed with their files and matches their specimen signature.

It can be done on line or through a company.

Thanks a lot for your help.

I called the council that was my local one when I was growing up (my mother is still there and I visit often). They said that it doesn't matter which council register office I go to, as long as I've been in the UK for 9 days prior to requesting the document.

I can then go and pick it up after 30 days (I guess they advertise the marriage during this time).

I'm just trying to find an easier way than going back for 9 days (I'll be going back a few times, but not planned for 9 days...).

The apostille document I haven't heard of - from the UK website I don't see it as a requirement for marriage in Mexico.

Thanks again

I am a UK citizen, marrying a US citizen in Mexico this year!

Do you need a certificate of no impediment as our wedding planner at hotel in Mexico hasn't flagged that, I just got my birth certificate with an apostille and that will be translated in Mexico by hotel.

Also have you looked into getting your marriage recognised in Switzerland and what you need to do? Anything beforehand? I am checking with a couple of colleagues of mine who got married abroad and were both non-Swiss citizens.

In the end, I did not need the Certificate of no impediment. It was just the birth certificate with apostille (translated).

We did not yet register here in Switzerland. I'll go to the controle des habitants to do that ASAP with our certificate... I did not check beforehand what we would need to register here beforehand though.