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Getting
Married
Bonaire offers the ultimate setting for your special day.
You need to allow four to six weeks for all the paper
work. One of the couple needs to procure a temporary residency
permit from immigration. To apply for a temporary residency
permit the following are required:
- 2
Passport photos of the Bride & Groom (and any witnesses
being brought to the island, if applicable)
- Photo
copy of first page of passport (Signature & Photo
page)
- Date
of arrival on Bonaire
- Intended
length of stay on Bonaire
For the official marriage petition the following documents
are required for both the bride and groom:
- Photo
copy of first page of passport (Signature & Photo
page)
- Original
Birth Certificate endorsed with an Apostille
- Declaration
of Marital Status by the Civil Registry
- If
divorced or widowed, divorce decree or document of proof
is required.
If you choose to bring witnesses from home, they should
also apply for temporary residency. Your island coordinator
can also arrange for local witnesses.
After arrival on Bonaire, it takes four working days to
arrange for all the forms to be processed. If you are
arriving on a Saturday or Sunday and the following Monday
happens to be a holiday, you will have to wait the four
working days until you are able to marry and there may
be a problem getting the permission arranged on time.
It is advisable to check with the agency that handled
your papers as to the holiday schedules. The best suggestion
is to allow a full week for the papers to go through.
There is much to see and do here so an extra day or two
will be an additional bonus to your happy occasion.
With respect to the original birth certificates required
of the bride and groom, these must be issued by the state
or province of birth, feature a raised seal, have the
names of both the mother and the father on them, and for
citizens of the U.S., Canada, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela,
or the United Kingdom, must have an Apostille affixed
to them. An Apostille is an internationally recognized
validation of a certificate or document, and is only issued
by the office of vital statistics located within the state
or province capital office (in the U.S. this would be
your state's Secretary of State). Declarations of civil
status and divorce or widow decrees must also be affixed
with an Apostille.
Note that all certificates must be originals and have
been issued no more than six months prior. The passports
used must be valid for at least six months beyond the
intended departure date from Bonaire.
Some resorts offer wedding packages and honeymoon specials.
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Bonaire
At A Glance
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Language:
Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English
dialect) predominates, English widely spoken, Spanish
Government: Parliamentary
Capital: Kralendijk
Size: 24 miles (39 km) long by 3-7 miles wide,
112 square miles (290 km2). Highest elevation is Brandaris
Hill, 784 feet (240 meters).
Location: 30 miles (48 km) from Curacao; 50 miles
(80 km) north of Venezuela and 86 miles (129 km) east
of Aruba, outside of the Caribbean hurricane belt.
Climate: Tropical; ameliorated by northeast trade
winds. Yearly average temperature is 82°F (27.8°C);
water temperature of 80°F (26.7°C); rainfall of
22 inches (56 cm); humidity of 76%. Sunny, all year round.
Electricity: 127 volts (with surges up to 140 volts),
50 cycles.
Currency: Netherlands Antillean guilder
Driving: Drivers license required. Drive on right.
Rentals: Since there is no public transportation,
rental agencies are numerous. (see
Car Rental Section)
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