Civil ceremonies are held exclusively at the Collectivite of St. Martin des marriages.  A letter stipulating the desired date of marriage and the names of the couple should be sent to the President of the Collectivite (Tel. 05 90 87 61 80).  Before the ceremony the formalities to be completed are as follows:

• Constitution of the wedding file with the documents required, which are referred to below.
• Registration of the file at the Service Etat Civil de la Collectivite.
• Publication of the wedding banns for a period of 10 days.  The ceremony cannot take place before the 10 day publication period is completed.
• If both parties are French, at least one party must be a resident on St. Martin for at least 1 month prior to the marriage on a continuous basis.  If one party is French and the other a foreigner, at least one person must be a resident on St. Martin for at least 1 month prior to the marriage on a continuous basis.
  

If both parties are foreigners who are not residents of mainland France, they may marry without the requirement that one of them be a resident on St. Martin.

The following documents must be presented:

• Photocopies of I.D. for both parties.
• Full birth certificate issued within the last 3 months (for non-French nationals it must be issued within the last 6 months and must be accompanied by a French translation.  An Apostil stamp is required.
• Copy of proof of address (water, electricity or telephone bill).
• Photocopies of witnesses; I.D.s (address and profession).
• Marriage contract if applicable.
• “Certificat de Celibat” proving celibacy issued within the last 3 months for foreign nationals only.
• Full death certificate of a former spouse for widows and widowers.
• Full copy of a previous marriage certificate with proof of divorce or death if applicable.