The context
A plural society — Afro-Caribbean, Indo-Caribbean, and more — where wedding traditions run in parallel rather than merging. Which customs apply depends entirely on the family.
Entering the country
Visa-free entry for many nationalities for tourism. Passport validity beyond the stay is required.
Marrying, and having it recognised
Marriages are solemnised under the civil law and by recognised religious officiants, with a licence obtained beforehand. The registered certificate is what travels abroad, after apostille. See civil marriage in Trinidad and Tobago.
Getting there
Direct flights from North America and the Caribbean; from Europe usually one connection. Carnival, before Lent, is the peak season by a wide margin — book months ahead or avoid it.
Customs and family
The maticoor night, the cooking night and tassa drumming mark Indo-Trinidadian weddings. See wedding customs in Trinidad and Tobago.
Points to watch
A legal position in motion
A 2018 High Court ruling striking down the colonial-era provisions on same-sex conduct was reversed by the Court of Appeal in March 2025, with a further appeal pending before the Privy Council. The position may change again: check the current state of the law rather than an older article — see the page.
- Carnival dominates the calendar: plan around it.
- Apostille the certificate before leaving if you can.
Two absolute prohibitions, wherever you live
Sex tourism and any relationship with a minor are punished here as everywhere, and your own country's law follows you abroad. For sexual offences against a child, almost every state sets aside dual criminality and dispenses with any complaint: you can be prosecuted and tried at home whatever the local law says and whatever the local authorities do. See sexual offences committed abroad.
If you met online
The warning signs are the same everywhere: a very fast escalation, a systematic refusal of video, a request for money for an urgent reason, pressure to leave the platform. The rule holds here as anywhere: you do not send money to someone you have never met face to face. Someone genuine will happily take a video call, meet in a public place and introduce you to their family.
Spotting and reporting a romance scam — Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago: everything on this site
This country appears on 35 other pages of this site, across every section. Here they all are, in one place.
Sexuality
Health
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Advice
Marriage
- Same-sex marriage
- Divorce
- Marriage
- Matrimonial property and inheritance
- Partnerships and cohabitation
- Religious ceremony
- Wedding customs and ceremonies
Names
Rights
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- Copyright
- Data protection
- Fundamental rights
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- Sexual offences committed abroad
- Speech and online harassment
Official sources and links
- Your own foreign ministry's travel advice — read it before each departure: it also conditions your travel insurance. Official portals: United Kingdom · United States · Canada · Australia · New Zealand · Ireland
- Your consular post there, or the one covering the country — civil status, marriage, emergencies; note the number before you go. Official directories: United Kingdom · United States · Canada · Australia · New Zealand · Ireland
- World Health Organization — health recommendations by destination
- Hague Conference on Private International Law — celebration and recognition of the validity of marriages