Are Mail Order Brides Legal: How To Look For Your Love Abroad Online?

Our Team of Researchers:
Are mail order brides real? The legality factors are extremely crucial when it comes to online dating and potential marriage. Our team of experts, including Oliver Lewis, an experienced writer, Julie M. Hill, a legal expert and content writer, and Michael S. Solomon, a legal attorney specializing in Fiancé Visas, have conducted extensive research to ensure that our readers receive accurate and pertinent information regarding the legality of mail order brides. Being armed with this information, you will get assured that international marriages are absolutely legit. Moreover, you will find out what stages you will need to overcome to legalize your marriage and bring your foreign bride to the USA, Canada, and the UK.
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Are mail order brides a real thing, and how do mail order brides work?
Before you can go on to meet foreign mail order brides, it’s essential to fully understand how the mail order bride industry works and how your journey is going to go. To help you get a better idea of how mail order brides work, we’ve prepared a complete guide. Here are the most important facts to know:
- Mail order brides are absolutely a real thing. Each profile you see on the dating sites we recommend belongs to a 100% real, single girl looking for a foreign husband.
- Some of the most popular reasons for women to marry foreigners are their attraction to Western men, desire to improve their lives, and longing for safety and stability.
- Mail order bride sites are the most effective and safest way to find a foreign wife. But you need to carefully choose the site you will join and make sure it’s legit.
- In the beginning, mail order bride dating works exactly like regular online dating. The big difference is that you’ll only get to meet your bride after months of talking.
- To make the whole thing legal, you will need to help your bride get a K-1 visa. This is not difficult, but it will take several more months of your time.
Is it legal to mail order a bride and why?
Many people question the legality of mail order brides. But most of the misunderstandings and stereotypes come from the name itself. In no way, mail order means that you can just order a wife like on Amazon and wait for the delivery. The concept of legal mail order bride platforms is the following: you can join, get access to the gallery of ladies who crave to find their love and usually don’t mind relocating, and communicate with them. Everything is done at will and with no force. Women worldwide become mail order brides for a reason—it is a safe, effective, and simple way to find true love and happiness online. And it is absolutely legal. Can you really mail order a bride? Well, she won’t come in a package. Buying a bride is just an expression. It has nothing to do with human trafficking, prostitution, or anything illegal. So, yes, you can buy a bride, but it doesn’t mean that you will own her.
Even more: modern online dating websites care for the security of its users. They have zero tolerance to scammers and aggressive users and make your search for a legitimate mail order bride as simple as possible. If you suspect any dishonesty from your interlocutors, you can always ban and report them. The team of the platform will be in charge of verifying whether a person needs to be excluded.

The legality aspect of mail order brides is a topic of conjecture for numerous love-seekers. The mail order bride regulations are similar in the majority of countries, so marrying a foreign bride is legal as long as you meet the laws of your country. Many grooms from Canada, The US, and the UK have already met their perfect ladies online and built their happy family lives. The popularity of mail order brides is constantly growing across the world, and the number of K1 visas issued annually is the best proof of that. Each love hunter has a chance to meet their perfect match online. The main point here is to find a reliable site.
Mail order bride regulations across the world

If you ever wondered if there are any laws of mail order brides around the world, we will briefly tell you – yes, there are. They may not be targeted at mail order brides in particular, but at foreign brides, or foreign spouses in general. The US has the most vivid mail order brides regulations – International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) and The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The former act is about rules for men who want to get mail order brides, and the latter protects brides in the US upon entry. In other words, these two acts ensure that women who come to the United States from different countries to get married are protected. Men to whom they arrive are properly verified and checked to ensure they won’t harm or offend mail order brides. Every real and legit online dating site should work according to these rules, and all good mail order bride platforms do so!
Canada has no clear regulations on mail order brides but has those which define how a foreign bride or spouse can enter the country. The same applies to the UK. Hopefully, more laws of mail order brides around the world will emerge with time as this market grows very fast.
Is it legit to look for mail order brides from your country?
The first question that may pop into your head: is it legal to use mail order bride agencies and communicate with ladies in such a way? Luckily, it totally is.
Almost all countries of the world accept the concept of online dating, allowing its citizens to look for their soulmates in this way. Usually, the marriage brokers are affiliated with international dating websites that ease the searching from start to finish. Of course, all the sites need to follow the main rules of safety, providing its users with appropriate features and a high level of security.
As we said before, in some countries, the mail order brides agencies must work in compliance with specific regulations. For example, in the USA, the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act protects potential couples from hypothetical dangers and family violence.
Before you make any decision or embark on a journey to find a mail order bride, you will always need to research local laws to make sure you are not breaching them, as laws can change quickly. Right now, we can say with confidence that no matter where you live in the Western part of the world, it’s perfectly legal to look for mail order brides. Here is detailed information concerning mail order bride search in every major country.
Is mail order brides legal in the USA?
Many people wonder if one can «buy» a mail-order bride, and if yes whether it is legal. «Buying» a mail order bride means paying for communication services that mail order bride sites or agencies provide to get in touch with ladies from all over the world. Marriage agencies and various communication sites like dating platforms or mail order bride websites are legal in the USA.
International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) envisages strict rules for men who want to search for brides abroad. Mail order brides, when entering the States, are protected by The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Also, mail order brides can enter the US on a fiancee visa (K-1). As you can see, mail order brides are legal in the USA.
Are mail order spouses real? Of course, they are. Each year, thousands of women come to the United States to get married to a local guy. In 2019, more than 30,000 brides found true love and happiness here. And a lot of couples decide to get married in other countries, so the number of mail order spouses can be even higher, although there is no exact number.
Are mail order spouses illegal in Canada?
In the early 2000s, there were no regulations on mail order brides or mail order spouses in Canada. This made them neither legal nor illegal. This led to two consequences: some women were abused by Canadian men upon entry, in other cases there were sham marriages so that foreign women could migrate to Canada. However, in 2012 Canada made some amendments to its laws, creating regulations for mail order spouses. For example Guide 5525 – Basic guide: Sponsor your spouse, partner or child
Now Canadian citizens as well as men holding permanent residence permits can bring their mail-order spouses or brides to Canada by sponsoring them through the Family Sponsorship Program. Not to say that it eased many things, rather complicated them, but the regulations at least brought in some certainty. So now mail order spouses are legal in Canada.

Are mail order spouses illegal in the UK?
No, mail order spouses are not illegal in the UK. It is legal to bring a mail order bride from almost any country to the UK and marry her there, though it won’t be easy. British law regarding marriages with foreign women is one of the strictest in the world.
Is it difficult to bring a bride home legally?
One of the difficulties some men can come across is bringing their love to their home country. How to do it in the correct way and according to all the laws? In fact, it’s not so complicated but will require some effort. You will usually need to open a fiancée visa for your lady to marry her in your country and a spouse visa if you have already married in any other country. Usually, the list of documents changes from state to state, so you will need to consult any migration establishment in your country.
If you want to bring a foreign woman and marry her in the United States, she will have to get a K-1 visa. This is the most common document for mail order brides. A K-1 visa—also called a fiancé visa—allows the engaged partner of a U.S. citizen to enter the United States, as long as the couple gets married no more than 90 days later. The newly married spouse can then apply for permanent residence (a “green card”) based on marriage. It can take 5-7 months to get a visa, so you need to be sure that your date is the one and you are eager to wait. Fortunately, it is not very expensive to get this document, as it costs roughly $1,000. However, getting this visa is a lengthy and complicated process, and your bride has to prove that she is eligible to get it.
How much do mail order brides cost?
When you are motivated to find bride from overseas, you should care not just about how to get a mail order bride or about the mail order bride legality, but also the projected cost of mail order bride. The important thing to understand here is that even though you cannot legally buy a wife, the search for foreign brides is still associated with a certain cost. We’ve prepared an in-depth guide on mail order bride pricing, but to give you an idea, here are the main expenses of meeting overseas brides.
Online dating prices
With the most popular sites for buying a wife, you can create your account completely for free, but you need to pay to make your experience more effective. The payment can come in the form of a Premium membership, purchasing credits for additional communication tools, or a combination of both. For most men, being an active member of a popular dating service will cost from $50 to $200 per month.
Moreover, most dating sites offer a gift delivery service. With the help of this feature, you can select any gift you like, from perfume and flowers to gadgets and gifts for kids, and send it to your bride with a note. You will get photo proof of the delivery and the most sincere “Thank you” from your lady in return. There is a service fee you’ll need to pay in addition to the price of the gift. Typically, you can spend from $100 per month on gifts, but only the sky’s the limit here.
Offline dating cost
When it’s finally time to meet your bride in person, you should be prepared to spend around two weeks in her country to get to know each other better and possibly meet her family as well. The cost of your trip will very much depend on where exactly you are going. For example, a journey to Vietnam or Thailand will cost you significantly less than visiting Japan or South Korea. These are the most common expenses you’ll need to cover:
- Roundabout plane tickets
- Accommodations (hotel, Airbnb, hostel, etc.)
- Food (both for you and your bride when you’re together)
- Transportation around the city/country
- Entertainment, which includes dates
Overall, you can expect to spend from $3,000 for a two-week trip to a foreign country to meet your bride, but for some of the most expensive locations, the price starts at $5,000.
Marriage-related expenses
After you’ve met at least once in person and decided that you want to be together, you can start considering marriage. To make the whole thing legal, you will need to get your bride a K-1 visa, which will cost you around $1,000. And then there is the wedding itself. The cost of the wedding depends both on where you want to have it and how lavish you want it to be. The average price of a wedding in the US is around $20,000, but again, the only limit here is the one you set for yourself.
What to know about a legal Asian mail order bride
Asia is the only region in the world where there are strict policies against mail order marriages. Specifically, the Philippines is a country that prohibits marriages between local women and foreign men, which we explained in detail earlier in this article. So are you, a Western man, completely out of options if you want to marry a Filipino bride?
Of course not! In fact, thousands of men get a legal Asian bride from the Philippines without any repercussions or complications at all. All you need to do is register your marriage anywhere but in the Philippines. The easiest option is to simply help your bride legally come to the United States and get married there. You will need a K-1 visa for your bride, which is also something we described above.
The other option is to get married in another Asian country, where mail order marriages are not illegal. A popular place to do it is South Korea or Japan, but you can go to any other country in Asia. You and your legal Asian mail order bride will not only finally tie the knot but will also do it in a beautiful, exotic, or otherwise special place, and these memories will remain with you forever.
Other than that, there are no problems whatsoever with mail order marriages in Asia. As long as you are using a totally legit Asian bride website and don’t go around telling everyone that your spouse is a mail order wife, you can marry your legit Japanese bride, Chinese bride, or Thai bride in peace and never worry about the legality of your marriage.
Here are the top 10 countries in Asia by the number of fiance visas issued the year before.
Number | Country | Number of K-1 visas |
1 | The Philippines | 3,069 |
2 | Vietnam | 861 |
3 | India | 413 |
4 | Thailand | 343 |
5 | China | 284 |
6 | Iran | 245 |
7 | Laos | 206 |
8 | Japan | 195 |
Read about 👉 Read full Asian mail order brides review
Best dating site 🏆 EasternHoneys
A quick guide to a legal Latin mail order bride
Latin America is a region where some of the world’s hottest, most loyal mail order brides live. So if you are as fascinated with Latin brides as we are, you definitely want to make sure that your marriage will not be illegal or cause you any other problems.

We are happy to assure you that marriage to a Latin mail order bride is fully legal, both in the US and in every Latin American country you want to go to. So after you’ve met your bride online, have seen her in person, have been together for some time, and now want to tie the knot, you can do it in any Latin country, in the US, or even go abroad for a lovely destination wedding ceremony.
But where is to find a Latin bride in the safest, most convenient way? The answer is by using legit dating services! They introduce you to thousands of the most eligible Latin brides at once. And since these women are specifically looking for a foreign husband, there is a higher chance of making a connection. So your relationship will be off to a great start, and you will be able to focus on getting to know the woman, not convincing her to see you as marriage material.
Then, when it’s time to become husband and wife, you have several options. Option number one is to get married in your bride’s home country, which will give her the right to immigrate into the US as your spouse. Option number two is inviting your bride into the US on a K-1 visa. This is probably the easiest option, as it doesn’t require you to go anywhere to get married.
Keep in mind that in order to qualify for a K-1 visa, you and your bride need to prove that you’ve met in real life at least once, which means you will need to visit Latin America and your sweetheart before becoming your bride’s visa sponsor.
So, how popular is marriage to a Latin mail order bride in the US? Here are the 10 Latin American countries with the highest number of K-1 visas issued in a year.
Number | Country | Number of K-1 visas |
1 | Mexico | 1,005 |
2 | Dominican Republic | 546 |
3 | Colombia | 470 |
4 | Brazil | 431 |
5 | Cuba | 259 |
6 | El Salvador | 152 |
7 | Peru | 166 |
8 | Venezuela | 135 |
Read about 👉 Full Latin mail order brides guide
Best dating site 🏆 LaDate
Must-know facts about a legal European mail order bride
Europe is a big and diverse continent, and the best thing about it for you as a single man is that there are countless women in Europe who would love a chance to marry a foreigner and move abroad. Some Slavic countries in Eastern Europe, such as Ukraine, Poland, and Belarus, are particularly popular as places to meet a mail order bride. Still, you can also try the less renowned destinations, such as Italy, Germany, and the UK.
So are mail order marriages legal in Europe and where can you find a Slavic bride to marry? To answer the first part of the question, we can say with confidence that these marriages are completely legal in Europe. If you are a foreign guy who wants to marry an Eastern European bride, all you need to do is follow the standard procedure for foreign spouses. Once all the paperwork is in check, you can have the marriage ceremony you’ve always wanted.
As for the most effective ways to meet beautiful Eastern European brides, we cannot stress enough that you should try online dating if you want to marry a woman from Europe. Online dating is fast, convenient, and effective. And when you are using legit dating sites, you can also rest assured that your experience will be completely legal and safe. Moreover, by using specialized mail order bride services, you get to meet women interested in meeting foreign men, which means you are already one step closer to a perfect relationship.
Eastern European brides have always been popular among Western men. In the past, American guys had to go through print catalogs of Slavic brides and exchange letters with them before meeting in person, which obviously took time and a lot of patience. These days, you can meet Slavic brides without even leaving your home. Here are the 10 countries and the number of Eastern European brides that received K-1 visas the year before.
Number | Country | Number of K-1 visas |
1 | Ukraine | 357 |
2 | Russia | 277 |
3 | Romania | 74 |
4 | Poland | 61 |
5 | Belarus | 33 |
Read about 👉 The most comprehensive overview of Eastern European brides
Best dating site 🏆 JollyRomance
The truth about a legal Russian mail order bride
Russian women need no introduction. There are lots of inspiring women in Russian history, and some of the world’s most beautiful women also happen to be Russian. So is a Russian bride legit, can you legally marry one, and where to find your perfect bride?

Russian women are beyond gorgeous and amazing, which is why it’s not surprising that lots of Western men are dreaming of a legit mail order Russian bride. The good news is in this day and age, it doesn’t have to remain a dream forever. All you need to find your ideal Russian woman for marriage is to use the best legit Russian bride website.
However, the variety of Russian mail order bride sites is truly endless, and all of them have different audiences, functionality, and reputation. So you can’t help but wonder: are the Russian bride sites legit? We cannot speak for every Russian dating service because there are so many of them, but we also know some of the most reliable and effective Russian bride sites. Simply check out our ratings and reviews to find your best one.
It’s also important to know that it’s perfectly legal for a foreigner to marry a female Russian citizen. So when you want to marry your Russian girlfriend and become a happily married man, you can go through a simple procedure for foreign grooms. After that, you can simply go through the wedding ceremony and receive a legal marriage certificate.
Another option is to apply for a K-1 visa for your bride. While she will be the one applying for a visa, you will act as her wedding sponsor. You will also need to supply proof that your relationship is not strictly online and you have met in person at least once. So even though you don’t need to visit Russia to find a bride when you are using reputable dating sites, a trip to Russia is definitely on the horizon for you if you are serious about your decision to marry a Russian girl.
Here’s how to 👉 meet Russian brides
Legal Ukrainian brides: What to know before marrying a Ukrainian bride
Ukraine is a very popular destination for bride buying, and it’s not surprising. Mail order brides from Ukraine are not only visually attractive and kind but also loyal, well-educated, understanding, and resilient. So if you are feeling downright obsessed with real mail order brides from Ukraine, we definitely understand where you’re coming from.
But since we are to talk about all kinds of mail order bride legal aspects, you are probably wondering: are mail order brides legal in Ukraine, and how to make your marriage to a Ukrainian bride legal? Here is what you need to know.The short version of the answer to the first question is yes, mail order brides are absolutely legal in Ukraine, as long as the woman makes her own decision to marry a foreigner and is not forced into marriage by anyone or influenced by money. If you want to marry a Ukrainian mail order bride, you have two options:
- To get married in Ukraine following a simple legal procedure and then bring your wife with you to the US with the help of a CR-1 visa. The advantage of this option is that your wife will get a Green Card the minute she steps on US land.
- To bring her to the US as a bride through a K-1 visa. You will then have 90 days to get married. It can take up to 6 months to get a Green Card after getting married on a K-1 visa, but your new wife will be able to stay in the US legally during this time.
Where are mail order brides illegal?
Mail order brides seem to exist across the world. Even in the most unexpected places like Pakistan, Yemen, and Syria, predominantly Muslim countries, you can find women who want to marry foreigners. But is this practice legal everywhere? Where are mail order brides illegal? To your surprise, such countries exist. And the most known case is the Philippines. Yes, the Philippines, the country which «produces» the most mail order brides.
The Philippines have an Anti Mail-Order Bride Law, officially called Republic Act 6955. This act prohibits the business of organizing mixed marriages between Filipinas and foreign men. Nevertheless, Filipinas, eager to marry American, Canadian, Australian, South Korean, and other men have found loopholes to circumvent the law. So de jure mail order brides are illegal in the Philippines but de facto they exist everywhere.
How to understand whether the mail order bride service is legitimate?

When choosing a mail order bride agency, you will definitely need to be sure that it’s a reliable platform. First of all, read the reviews of other users and then try it yourself. We prepared a list of things to check on a mail order bride service before plunging into the world of dating.
- Make sure that the profiles of the members are real and not phony
- Check whether a payment system is reliable
- Verify the tariff plans and the kind of payment
- Find out if there is any support available
It’s just a shortlist that will help you evaluate the safety level of the website and potentially identify not trustworthy agencies that want to swindle you.
How to protect yourself from scam & illegal sites
When talking about the mail order bride legality, you obviously want to ensure that your future relationship is marriage won’t be tarnished by any legal issues. However, it’s also important to take care of the safety of your online dating process. Even though there isn’t as much online dating scam as there used to be, it’s still a thing. Here are the 5 best tips to avoid it:
- Choose only trusted dating sites. Since you don’t have time or money for a trial and error approach, the most effective way to do it is to take into account the recommendations from reputable sources, such as NewBrides.net.
- Don’t share too much of your private information. This includes both your dating profile and the early stages of communicating with the ladies. Be careful about sharing your personal information, including your address and your exact place of work.
- Google the profile photos. A widespread tactic of dating scammers is to steal photos from women’s social media and use them in the profiles. A simple reverse Google check will tell you if the photos are original or stolen.
- Don’t send any money. The only money you need to spend on a dating site is through the site’s paid features and gifts. Sending money directly to women is downright prohibited by some dating services or, at the very least, highly discouraged.
- Report any suspicious activity. Every dating site has a feature allowing you to report any seemingly illegal activity and fake profiles. By contributing to a secure dating environment, you get to enjoy safe online dating without any legal risks.
Author’s feedback
Conclusions: are mail order spouses illegal?
Are mail order spouse illegal? This question is common among potential grooms from Western countries. While communicating with mail order brides is absolutely legal on the legitimate resources, bringing a foreign wife to the US, the UK or Canada typically involves certain procedures and obtaining the appropriate visa. It is necessary to approach every process of marriage legalization with special precision in order to make your experience hassle-free and enjoyable.
Sources of information
- Number of non-immigrant visas issued for foreign women in 2022 — K1 visa statistics 2022
- Pew Research Center — Intermarriage in the US
- Our World in Date — Marriages and divorces
- The United States Census Bureau — Marital Histories Differ Between Native-Born and Foreign-Born Adults
Get to know more about mail order brides…
Mail order brides legal FAQ
Absolutely! There are thousands of women around the world who identify as mail order brides. It means that they actively want to marry foreign men and eventually move with them abroad.
The most effective and fastest way to get a mail order bride is to use specialized mail order bride services. They work like regular dating sites but are aimed at international, long-term dating with a prospect of marriage.
You can search the reviews of other users and see what they say about specific dating platforms. Also, pay attention to the quality of profiles. Check if there is customer support and whether you can easily reach them. Another critical detail is the payment system and its safety and encryption methods. A man could also look for free trials to try using the services before deciding to pay for them.
This decision depends on a person and one’s preferences. However, we can say that online dating guarantees meeting a lot of single people. The reason is that in real life, you might not know that a lady you fancied has a boyfriend. So, a man might feel disappointed after finding that out. On the dating platforms, in contrast, there are primarily the women who don’t have partners (if they don’t claim the opposite in their profiles, and there are such ladies but they usually choose other types of websites to seek men).
Read our guide Offline VS Online Dating
There are professional matchmakers who analyze the information you provide during the registration (such as your tastes and preferences) and apply it to search for the lady who will meet your expectations. Apart from them, there are translators who help single members understand each other. A guy can be sure that his personal information is protected and won’t go anywhere except the database. It will be kept private and confidential.
In modern times, almost every country accepts the occurrence of mail order brides. All websites follow the safety regulations and ensure secure and protected services to their customers. In some countries, there are specific laws and regulations regarding that concept that have to be taken into account. However, in general, it’s totally legit as dating agencies are helping people who have independently decided to use their services.
Our rating of best mail order brides sites.
As you cannot legally order or buy a wife, you’ll need to follow a standard online dating process. You will meet women online and talk to them. Then you will meet one of them in person, and if everything goes well, you can soon propose marriage to her.
There is a fiance visa, K-1, that helps women from foreign countries to enter the US without issues. Also, the country has IMBRA, a set of rules that regulate the behavior of men who want to marry their foreign brides. If the couple has married in another country, the wife will need to apply for a spouse visa. It is not hard to bring your lover to America, but still requires time and paperwork.
Learn more about How To Get A Foreign Bride A Visa To The USA
The overall cost of a mail order bride consists of online \u0026 offline dating expenses and depends on how long it takes you to find a bride, how many women you talk to at once, and where your bride is from. It can range from $4,000 to $8,000 and beyond.
I agree with you, David. I married a Russian woman 6 years ago. Now we have a family of 👪
This is absolutely legal! What could be illegal? You just use the services of a platform and communicate with ladies. If you meet the one that suits your preferences, you can continue your relationships in real life. Using the services of mail order bride websites is quite promising and convenient, especially nowadays
Well I am a man who married a girl from Russia. I think the concept of “purchasing a mail order bride” is too exaggerated…… I used a mail order bride website just like a regular dating website. Simply… I visited my wife several times before getting married
Is it illegal to bring a mail order bride from Ukraine to the USA?
If you are a US citizen, you should apply for a K1 (fiance visa) to let your spouse enter the country. Only in that case it is legal
Can I marry a mail order bride in her country?
Yes, you can. But after a wedding, you will need to apply for a spousal visa also called a K-2 visa
What are the legal consequences regarding buying a mail order bride?
What do you mean by buying a mail order bride? 🤷 You know, that this concept is rather general and means that you should pay for the dating site’s services
If you mean human trafficking using the phrase “buy a mail order bride”, than it is illegal. But if you use the services of dating websites, then you can legally date internationally