Valentina and Patricio Photography

Although it is a short ceremony, a civil marriage can be just as exciting as a religious one, especially if you personalize your vows or incorporate some special music.

But, What is needed to get married by civil ceremony in Chile? What are the steps to get married in a civil marriage? If you don't want to miss any details, check out everything you need to know for the big day in this article.

1. How to make an appointment for marriage at the Civil Registry?

Camila León Photography

The first step is request time for marriage This can be done at a Civil Registry office or through their website, in the "online services" section, if you are getting married in the Metropolitan Region.

In either case, you will be able to reserve a time for the manifestation and the celebration of the civil marriage, ideally six months in advance, so that you can have the civil marriage on the date you wish. Otherwise, you will have to adapt to the availability of the civil officer.

2. What documents are required?

Valentina Mora

To request an appointment in person If you are a married couple, you can do it both or one of the parties carrying your current identity card, or a third party carrying your identity card, without the need to carry a power of attorney.

To make an appointment online They must do so through the site www.registrocivil.cl. , in the item "reserve hours", both of them must have a valid identity card and at least one of them must have a Clave Única.

In both cases, you must indicate who your witnesses will be. In addition, both in person and online, if you are booking a home wedding, you must indicate the address where the celebration will take place, as long as the location (house, event center) corresponds to the jurisdiction of the civil officer.

In the case of people who are not in Chile If they prefer to reserve an appointment online, any of the bride and groom can do so, who must have a valid identity card and at least one of them must have a Clave Única.

First, a time is scheduled for the manifestation and witness information, and then for the marriage ceremony, which may or may not be on the same day, but no more than 90 days should elapse between the two instances.

And if you are wondering what documents a foreigner needs to get married in Chile or the requirements to marry a foreigner in Chile, remember that they must have their documents in good condition and in force; whether they are resident foreigners or tourists. While for a marriage between a Chilean and a person without documentation in Chile, they should be calm because the Registry ServiceCivil and Identification in Chile does not put obstacles, they just have to meet the requirements. Review the information provided in each article and always consult the direct source, i.e. the Civil Registry Offices.

3. Are there civil marriage preparation courses?

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Also through the Civil Registry website, under "online services", you can apply for registration to Marriage Preparation Courses The purpose of these courses is to promote the seriousness and freedom of marital consent, the rights and duties corresponding to the bond, and the responsibilities of the future spouses.

But in addition to the Civil Registry, these courses are also given by religious entities or public or private educational institutions recognized by the State. Regardless of where you take them, you will have to prove that you took them in order to celebrate the marriage.

4. What is the manifestation?

Priodas

When the day of the manifestation arrives, they must go with two witnesses to the Civil Registry office, at which time they will communicate in writing, orally or by sign language, their intention to marry .

In addition, they will be asked for basic information to complete the certificate, such as their marital status as single, widowed or divorced; profession or trade; and the fact that they have no legal incapacity or prohibition to marry. Witnesses, on the other hand, must be over 18 years of age. They will declare that the parties have no impediments or prohibitions to marry.

5. How to celebrate a civil marriage?

Paz Villarroel Photographs

It is worth noting that the manifestation and performance of the marriage can be done on the same day if you have the time limited.

However, if on the day of the civil wedding you want to focus exclusively on your celebration, it is best to choose different dates. The only requirement is that no more than 90 days should elapse between the two instances.

At the celebration of the marriage, however, they must be accompanied by two witnesses, preferably those who participated in the previous proceedings.

6. What matrimonial property regimes exist?

Ana Mendez

With regard to the matrimonial property regimes, the one they decide on may be communicated to the civil officer, either during the manifestation or before the celebration of the marriage.

There are three existing regimes in Chile Conjugal Society, in which the patrimony of both spouses forms a single, common patrimony for both, which is administered by the husband. This includes the patrimony that each one had before getting married, as well as what they acquire during the union.

Total Separation of Property, which indicates that the assets of each spouse, as well as their administration, are kept separate before and during the marriage, i.e., both spouses act with full independence from each other, so their assets are not mixed.

And Participation in Profit Sharing, in which the estates are kept separate. But if the regime ends, the spouse who acquired assets of greater value must compensate the one who obtained less. The objective is that both are equalized.

If they do not express anything before the civil officer, it will be understood that they opted for the conjugal partnership.

7. How much does it cost to get married in Chile?

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If you are getting married at the Civil Registry office and during business hours, you will only have to pay for the marriage license, which costs $1,830.

If you will say "I do" outside of the Civil Registry office and during business hours, the fee will be $21,680. If the ceremony will take place outside of the Civil Registry office and during non-business hours, the total fee will be $32,520.

In addition, at the time of the marriage, an attestation of marriage costs $4,510, while an attestation of marriage before the marriage costs $4,570.

8. Equal Marriage Act

Hotel Awa

As of March 10, 2022, the first marriages under the new equal marriage law can take place. Through the modification of Law 21.400, the norm allows to call marriage, equal rights and duties between people of the same sex. In addition to replacing the expression "husband or wife" by the word "spouse", establishing that "the laws or other provisions thatshall be understood to apply to all spouses, without distinction as to sex, sexual orientation or gender identity".

And on the institution of marriage, the definition of solemn contract "between a man and a woman" is changed to "between two persons". Also, egalitarian marriages contracted abroad are recognized in Chile.

Civil Marriage Act

Joel Salazar

The Civil Marriage Act But if you get married in the Catholic Church, for example, you will still have to make the declaration at the Civil Registry Office and submit the information with two witnesses. And then, once you have celebrated the religious marriage, within eight days you will have to go to a Civil Registry office and apply for theregistration of the act granted by the religious entity, thus ratifying the consent given before the minister of worship.

To simplify the procedure, the Civil Registry website offers the option of reserving an appointment at the main offices in the Metropolitan Region, but if there are no appointments available via the website, you will have to go directly to an office within the aforementioned period.

On the other hand, the Civil Marriage Act allows persons of an indigenous ethnicity to request a declaration and celebration of marriage in their mother tongue, and also allows deaf and mute persons to make the declaration and celebration of marriage in sign language. In both cases, the interpreter must be hired by the bride and groom. In addition,You must be of legal age and carry a valid identity card.

10. What is a marriage certificate?

Stefanía Delgado

Finally, if after you get married you need to apply for a marriage certificate You should know that this is a document delivered by the Civil Registry in which the act is attested, thus allowing access to the information of the spouses, that is, the name, RUN and date of birth, as well as the marriage: date and place of celebration.

This can be requested for various reasons, among which are: for family allowance; for any type of procedure required with sub-registration; and for any procedure without sub-registration. And the requirement is to know the RUN of one of the spouses to be consulted.

How to order a marriage certificate1 ? At the offices of the Civil Registry; through its website:

• 1. Click on the "Marriage Certificate" button.
• 2. Select the certificate you wish to obtain and complete the data.
• 3. As a result you will have the requested document, which will be sent to your email.

And there is also the option by phone:

• 1. Call 600 370 2000 from landlines or cell phones.
• 2. Select the option to request a free marriage certificate.
• 3. Indicate the RUN of any of the contracting parties for whom you require the certificate, to the executive who will attend you. Indicate the type of certificate you need.
• 4. Indicate the email address where you want to receive the certificate.
• 5. The call executive will send the certificate to the email address provided.

Now you know! If you have decided to get married under civil law, follow these steps and you won't run into any surprises along the way.

They will only have to choose their wedding rings and the wedding outfits they will wear on the big day.

References

1. How to Order a Marriage Certificate Online Marriage Certificates, Civil Registry