My advice if you live in USA getting married in Aruba

[Maryinsouthie]

Met my husband while on vacation in Aruba- so of course we decided to marry in Aruba! Great civil ceremony and beach I do. Got certificate that consisted of 3 pages -1) translation, 2) apostille stamp of official translation/stamp stickers of Registars office, 3) Dutch certificate with stamp, signatures . I have been using my married name since 2006 and had no issues- banks, dmv, social security.


Fast forward to 2018. Well I decided to renew my passport that expired a couple of years ago and change name to married name (that I have been using since 2006.) They refused document saying translation was not official- I called and waited all day- finally they decided they would approve after much debate( found out at 8:30 PM.). I got lucky because it was a toss up if document would be excepted. I spent my day panicked trying to call Registars office - number didn’t work and trying to find info online all where in Dutch or had this number that did not work. My coordinator is no longer available and finally I found someone who was on some correspondence from our wedding prep. She said she would work on getting certificate for me and me saying whatever it costs - need ASAP. While I’m thankful for this woman,really I have no idea who she is or how dependable she will actually be.


My advice, get married in Aruba, but make sure you do a civil ceremony in the USA so you have a US certificate. I’m going to try to do this, but as everything, except my birth certificate, is in my married name, this will be no easy task. Ugh - I got married 12 years ago and it still haunts me!!

[Jacki]

The beauty of doing anything legal in another country where you don't know the language! Hope it all works out for you and hope the wedding ceremony was all you wanted it to be back then!

Great advice about the civil ceremony in your home country. I've heard of quite a few couples doing this - some on their one year anniversary so the date is the same (but a year apart).

[act1966]

Met my husband while on vacation in Aruba- so of course we decided to marry in Aruba! Great civil ceremony and beach I do. Got certificate that consisted of 3 pages -1) translation, 2) apostille stamp of official translation/stamp stickers of Registars office, 3) Dutch certificate with stamp, signatures . I have been using my married name since 2006 and had no issues- banks, dmv, social security.


Fast forward to 2018. Well I decided to renew my passport that expired a couple of years ago and change name to married name (that I have been using since 2006.) They refused document saying translation was not official- I called and waited all day- finally they decided they would approve after much debate( found out at 8:30 PM.). I got lucky because it was a toss up if document would be excepted. I spent my day panicked trying to call Registars office - number didn’t work and trying to find info online all where in Dutch or had this number that did not work. My coordinator is no longer available and finally I found someone who was on some correspondence from our wedding prep. She said she would work on getting certificate for me and me saying whatever it costs - need ASAP. While I’m thankful for this woman,really I have no idea who she is or how dependable she will actually be.


My advice, get married in Aruba, but make sure you do a civil ceremony in the USA so you have a US certificate. I’m going to try to do this, but as everything, except my birth certificate, is in my married name, this will be no easy task. Ugh - I got married 12 years ago and it still haunts me!!

Would it be faster just to go to your city hall and re-marry?

[Maryinsouthie]

The beauty of doing anything legal in another country where you don't know the language! Hope it all works out for you and hope the wedding ceremony was all you wanted it to be back then!

Great advice about the civil ceremony in your home country. I've heard of quite a few couples doing this - some on their one year anniversary so the date is the same (but a year apart).

Thanks, they did finally (after lots of debate she said)!take document so passport approved. I can see this same senecio play out when my state switches to Real ID drivers limcense next year (similar documentation required). Hoping the woman I contacted can get me official Dutch Certificate and I will have it translated here- maybe that will somehow be more official. I’m also going to go to local courthouse once I get my document back from passport office and see what can be done here in the States.

My wedding in Aruba was great!! We actually did get married in the Catholic Church in the States months after , my Uncle is a Priest and insisted we have Church Cermoney. We used our Aruba certificate with church, instead of getting local license. Maybe we will get married for 4th time now- CIvil in Aruba, Beach, Church...and depending if I can get license to reflect my maiden name to married name another civil here.

[hmitchell_travelplanner]

I just recently renewed my passport with my married name, and all I needed to provide the post office was my social security card ID with married name. Sorry you are having to jump through so many hoops

[JCurl]

I had a similar experience, I was married on the island this past June. When I brought my documentation in to get my drivers license changed to my married name they refused the translated marriage certificate. I’m in Canada so I had to find a “registered” translator in my province that could translate from Dutch to English and it had to have their stamp on it. Luckily I found the 1 person certified to do the translation, I had to email all my documents to someone I never met along with $$. It was terrifying but worked out in the end. Funny part of it was, when I went to get my passport updated they took the Aruba translated certificate without a question.

The beauty of doing anything legal in another country where you don't know the language! Hope it all works out for you and hope the wedding ceremony was all you wanted it to be back then!

Great advice about the civil ceremony in your home country. I've heard of quite a few couples doing this - some on their one year anniversary so the date is the same (but a year apart).

[Maryinsouthie]

Would it be faster just to go to your city hall and re-marry?

I called courthouse and spoke to supervisor. 2 problems. We are already married (application you have to swear you are not married), and all of my identification including SS is in my married name, which would be name on certificate(can’t use maiden name because SS and Drivers Licence is in married name)- therefore it would do nothing in terms of changing my name.


I contacted my US Senators office and they are going to try to help me so I don’t have problems going forward.