Registering a US marriage in Brazil
A Brazilian's marriage celebrated in the United States is already valid in Brazil, from the date of the ceremony, according to the Consular Portal. But to take legal effect there, it has to be registered at the consulate and then transcribed at a registry office in Brazil.
Registration costs US$ 20 in the Los Angeles, Miami and Washington fee tables.
Not registering does not leave anyone single: the Portal warns that anyone who keeps declaring themselves single in Brazil after marrying abroad may face charges of false statement, and of bigamy if they marry again.
At which consulate
The Consular Portal says registration is done at the consular office with jurisdiction over the place of the marriage. Someone who married in Las Vegas, for example, registers at the consulate covering Nevada, which is Los Angeles.
Registration, according to Washington
The Brazilian spouse attends, as declarant, and signs the record; if both are Brazilian, either can declare. The request starts on e-Consular, with the US certificate in long form.
And the consulate does not register a marriage already ended by divorce: in that case registration is done directly at a registry office in Brazil.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fee | US$ 20 |
| Where | consulate for the place of marriage |
| Who attends | the Brazilian spouse |
| Then | transcription at the 1º OfÃcio, in Brazil |
- Request on e-Consular
- US long-form marriage certificate
- The Brazilian spouse’s documents
Transcription in Brazil
The consular certificate is transcribed at the 1st Civil Registry Office (1º OfÃcio) of the municipality of residence in Brazil or, with no residence there, at the 1º OfÃcio of the Federal District, according to Washington.
The transcription rules are in Resolution 155/2012 of the National Council of Justice, cited by the Consular Portal.
If the couple has children born in the United States, Washington recommends registering the marriage before the birth, so the child's certificate carries the married names.
Married in the US and never registered it? In Brazil you are married from the ceremony.Details verified on 4 October 2026.
We are not an official body. consuladosbrasil.us collects and checks information on Brazilian consulates in the United States, with no link to the Government of Brazil.
No appointments are booked here and nothing is charged for. Always confirm the detail with the consulate that covers you.