The Country Where the Marriage Takes Place

[Rasberry.B 4]

Hi Everyone,

 

My apologies if this is a silly question.  Does it matter where the marriage takes place?  If it does what should I consider when I am searching for one?  I am a US citizen and my fiance (future wife) lives in Iran if it matters.  I am deciding between marrying in Iran, Turkey, or one of those beautiful Caribbean islands.

[pushbrk 12,883]

6 minutes ago, Dr.Aria said:

Hi Everyone,

 

My apologies if this is a silly question.  Does it matter where the marriage takes place?  If it does what should I consider when I am searching for one?  I am a US citizen and my fiance (future wife) lives in Iran if it matters.  I am deciding between marrying in Iran, Turkey, or one of those beautiful Caribbean islands.

For US Immigration, it is only required that the marriage be legal and lawful, where it is officiated.  Many countries will not allow two foreigners to marry.  I don't know about Iran, but Turkey and probably most of the Caribbean countries do allow two foreigners to marry.  You'll want to check into the requirements of any country you are considering.

[Chancy 6,241]

31 minutes ago, Dr.Aria said:

I am deciding between marrying in Iran, Turkey, or one of those beautiful Caribbean islands.

 

Utah Zoom wedding might also be an option.  It is valid for US immigration, but you must meet in person during or after the Zoom wedding ceremony before submitting the I-130 petition.

 

[Loren Y 2,755]

Another thing to consider is when you are checking or picking the country to get married in, look how easy it is to get copies of any proof of marriage is. Do you have to pick up in person, actually travel to the country, or can you just order online and get delivered. Being able to get copies initially and in the future is important.

[JeanneAdil 6,505]

many plan a caribbean wedding BUT only if they can visit there (if visa is needed) 

like US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are said to be easiest but they are US territorities and a tourist visa for an Iranian may be impossible

 

 i would guess the Caribbean  is out 

 

Try utah zoom and plan to meet (say in Turkey) after

[pushbrk 12,883]

50 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

many plan a caribbean wedding BUT only if they can visit there (if visa is needed) 

like US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are said to be easiest but they are US territorities and a tourist visa for an Iranian may be impossible

 

 i would guess the Caribbean  is out 

 

Try utah zoom and plan to meet (say in Turkey) after

US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are probably out, but there are other Caribbean countries that will work, IF the Iranian can get there without transiting the USA. 

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

1 hour ago, JeanneAdil said:

Try utah zoom and plan to meet (say in Turkey) after

What am I missing here? If they’re meeting in Turkey anyway why not have a proper in-person marriage there rather than a zoom wedding?

[pushbrk 12,883]

3 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

What am I missing here? If they’re meeting in Turkey anyway why not have a proper in-person marriage there rather than a zoom wedding?

I think you misread the first post.  Turkey was just one of the countries being considered.  Who are we to tell them what is proper anyway.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

41 minutes ago, pushbrk said:

I think you misread the first post.  Turkey was just one of the countries being considered.  Who are we to tell them what is proper anyway.

I was responding to the specific suggestion made that they have a zoom marriage and then meet in Turkey. I agree on that last sentence of yours, which is why I’m puzzled at bringing up the zoom marriage idea in the first place. It doesn’t sound like they will have a problem finding somewhere to meet. 

[pushbrk 12,883]

14 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

I was responding to the specific suggestion made that they have a zoom marriage and then meet in Turkey. I agree on that last sentence of yours, which is why I’m puzzled at bringing up the zoom marriage idea in the first place. It doesn’t sound like they will have a problem finding somewhere to meet. 

Ah, yeah.  I see your point.  However, meeting in person can be far easier than getting married as two foreigners. It can be done in Turkey but I'm not sure about the required hoops to jump through to accomplish it.

 

[Simplytex 387]

1 hour ago, SusieQQQ said:

I was responding to the specific suggestion made that they have a zoom marriage and then meet in Turkey. I agree on that last sentence of yours, which is why I’m puzzled at bringing up the zoom marriage idea in the first place. It doesn’t sound like they will have a problem finding somewhere to meet. 

I met with my wife and did the zoom wedding in Utah while together in Turkey, because logistics are way easier than having to get a local officiant, translations, etc., I just needed to have two English speaking witnesses. In the future if I ever need a new certified copy, etc, then I'm dealing with domestic postage, instead of Turkish consulates. It really was just easier this way, in my opinion the only downside is the time zone differential. 

Edited November 6, 2022 by Simplytex

[milimelo 4,478]

Please make sure you check the State Department’s info on countries you’re planning to visit and enroll in smart traveler program (STEP) before travel. Iran is definitely not a country to visit right now and has no consular services available. 
 

your best bet would be Turkey as that’s where Iranians are processed for US visas. 

[alexturgul28 10]

On 11/4/2022 at 3:40 PM, Dr.Aria said:

Hi Everyone,

 

My apologies if this is a silly question.  Does it matter where the marriage takes place?  If it does what should I consider when I am searching for one?  I am a US citizen and my fiance (future wife) lives in Iran if it matters.  I am deciding between marrying in Iran, Turkey, or one of those beautiful Caribbean islands.

I (U.S. citizen) married my Turkish husband in Turkey. The process is very easy for Americans to get married there (I'm not sure about Iranians). All you need is an affidavit of eligibility to marry from one of the consulates (the consulate depends on where in Turkey you decide to marry), translated birth certificate and passport, and passport photos. I have read that if two non-Turkish people get married in Turkey, they will need to submit some sort of letter from wherever they are staying basically stating that they are, indeed, staying there for a short period of time.  As others stated, you will need to have at least two witnesses at the ceremony, and it will be much easier for you if they speak Turkish, as you will need to demonstrate that you can understand what the marriage officer is saying to you. There are loads of beautiful places to get married in Turkey!

Edited November 6, 2022 by alexturgul28

[Rasberry.B 4]

You guys are amazing.  Thank you so much for the feedback.