Registering a US marriage in Argentina: a court process, not a consular one
A marriage (or divorce) celebrated in the United States can be registered in an Argentine Civil Registry, but not at the consulate: the Los Angeles consulate explains that “El procedimiento es judicial (no consular) y lo inician los interesados a través de un abogado que actúa en la Argentina en representación de los cónyuges” (the procedure is judicial, not consular, and is started by the spouses through a lawyer acting in Argentina on their behalf). The legal basis, according to the Chicago consulate, is article 77 of Law 26.413. You need the US marriage certificate with the Hague Apostille, its translation by an Argentine sworn public translator, and representation by a lawyer in Argentina. The consulate only takes part if the spouses ask it for a power of attorney for that lawyer. Facts checked October 3, 2026.
Key facts
| Item | Detail (checked October 3, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Type of procedure | Judicial (not consular): a summary proceeding before a civil judge in Argentina |
| Legal basis | Art. 77 of Law 26.413 on the Civil Status and Capacity Registry (cited by the Chicago consulate) |
| Who starts it | The spouses, through a lawyer acting in Argentina |
| Documents | US marriage certificate apostilled in the US and a translation by a sworn public translator of the Argentine Republic |
| Consulate’s role | None, except preparing a power of attorney for the lawyer if the spouses ask |
| Effect | Civil effects are retroactive to the wedding date |
| Court cost and timing | Not published on the consular pages checked |
What the law says and who decides
The Chicago consulate (page updated November 26, 2025) quotes article 77 of Law 26.413: “Podrán registrarse los certificados de matrimonios y sus sentencias que disuelvan el vínculo realizadas en otros países siempre que se ajusten a las disposiciones legales en vigor, tanto en lo que respecta a sus formalidades extrínsecas como a su validez intrínseca” (marriage certificates and judgments dissolving a marriage made in other countries may be registered as long as they comply with the legal provisions in force, as to both external formalities and intrinsic validity).
On procedure, Chicago says the court route is opened at the request of a party and can be handled by a lawyer holding a power of attorney in Argentina. It describes it this way: “El proceso sumario, ante juez civil, verifica los requisitos intrínsecos del acto y las formalidades extrínsecas del instrumento presentado” (the summary proceeding before a civil judge checks the intrinsic requirements of the act and the external formalities of the document submitted).
The Los Angeles consulate (02/12/2024) sums it up: Argentine law provides that a marriage or divorce celebrated and registered abroad can be registered in an Argentine Civil Registry.
What the consulate registers and what it does not
The Chicago consulate lists the only foreign documents it can enter in its civil-status register:
- a) birth records of children of an Argentine father or mother;
- b) death records of Argentine citizens.
A marriage celebrated in the US is not on that list, and Los Angeles confirms it: “El Consulado no participa del trámite, salvo que los cónyuges le soliciten al Consulado hacer un poder para que el abogado actúe en la Argentina en nombre de los interesados” (the consulate does not take part unless the spouses ask it for a power of attorney so the lawyer can act in Argentina on their behalf). For what the consulate does register, see register a US-born child and death registration of an Argentine in the US.
Documents the consulates list
| Document | Detail | Who says so |
|---|---|---|
| US marriage certificate | “debidamente Apostillada en EE.UU” (duly apostilled in the US) | Chicago; Los Angeles asks for the certificate legalized with the Hague Apostille |
| Translation | “realizada por traductor público de la República Argentina” (by a sworn public translator of the Argentine Republic) | Chicago |
| Lawyer in Argentina | “Representación letrada en la República Argentina” (legal representation in Argentina) | Chicago; Los Angeles |
The US marriage certificate is a US document, not an Argentine one; see vital records by state. Its apostille is placed by the US authority, not by the Argentine consulate: the Houston consulate says “El consulado no realiza la legalización por Apostilla para este tipo de documentación” (the consulate does not apostille this kind of document). See how to apostille a US document.
Step by step
- Request the US marriage certificate (see vital records by state).
- Apostille it with the relevant US authority.
- Have it translated by a sworn public translator of the Argentine Republic (a requirement Chicago publishes).
- Hire or appoint a lawyer in Argentina, who starts the process on the spouses’ behalf.
- If the lawyer needs a power of attorney, sign it at the consulate for your area (see the next section) or before a US notary with an apostille.
- The lawyer files the case with the civil judge; once the entry is in the Argentine Civil Registry, the marriage’s civil effects date back to the wedding (Chicago).
The power of attorney for the lawyer: the only consular step
If the spouses live in the US, the lawyer in Argentina acts under a power of attorney. Consulates publish how the consular power of attorney works (checked October 3, 2026):
- Draft: Los Angeles asks for “Un borrador o minuta del poder, proporcionado al solicitante por su abogado o escribano en la Argentina” (a draft of the power provided by your lawyer or notary in Argentina); Houston asks for the draft to be sent directly by the notary.
- ID: the original DNI if the grantor is Argentine, or a passport if foreign, identical to the one that will appear on the power (Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago). Miami also asks for the CUIL/CUIT record of both the grantor and the attorney-in-fact.
- Fee by office: Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta charge 80 dollars per 25 lines or fraction (Chicago and Atlanta say this includes the first certified copy); New York publishes 40 U$S per 25 lines for the deed and 40 U$S per 25 lines for the certified copy (testimonio). Los Angeles says the consulate sets the amount based on the length of the power.
- No apostille: a power signed at the consulate is valid in Argentina “sin necesidad de posterior legalización o apostillado” (without further legalization or apostille) — Los Angeles.
- Delivery: Los Angeles hands over the paper power on the spot and emails a PDF with the power and the consul’s signature authorization within 48 hours.
- Alternative: a US notary plus the Hague Apostille (Los Angeles, New York).
Full details in Argentine power of attorney at a US consulate.
What the sources checked do not publish
The consular pages checked on October 3, 2026 do not publish the cost or length of the court process, which depend on the lawyer and the court in Argentina. They also do not say in which Argentine court jurisdiction the case must be filed. Those questions are for the lawyer handling the case.
Your US immigration status
This procedure is decided by an Argentine judge on the marriage documents; the consular sources checked do not ask for US immigration documents. If your marriage is part of a US immigration case, that is a separate matter: talk to an immigration lawyer; see find pro bono legal help.
Related information
- Argentina consular procedures in the US
- Argentine power of attorney at a US consulate
- Apostille of Argentine documents from the US
- Argentine birth, marriage or death record from the US
- Register a US-born child as Argentine
- Argentine consulates in the US
Official sources
- Consulate General in Los Angeles — Inscribir en la Argentina un matrimonio o divorcio celebrado en el exterior (02/12/2024): https://clang.cancilleria.gob.ar/es/inscribir-en-la-argentina-un-matrimonio-o-divorcio-celebrado-en-el-exterior
- Consulate General in Chicago — Actos relativos al estado civil de las personas (26/11/2025): https://cchic.cancilleria.gob.ar/es/content/actos-relativos-al-estado-civil-de-las-personas-0
- Consulate General in Houston — Apostilla de La Haya (29/01/2026): https://chous.cancilleria.gob.ar/es/apostilla-de-la-haya-19
Last verified: 2026-10-03. General procedural information for educational purposes. Registering a foreign marriage is a court process in Argentina; its requirements, costs and timing are set by the court. Consult a lawyer in Argentina and verify with the Argentine consulate for your area. Not legal advice.