Mail Order Brides: Your Ultimate Guide to Find a Foreign Bride Online

In the U.S., many men are looking for foreign brides. And they are using mail order bride sites to do so. While we don’t know exactly how many American men are actually seeking mail order brides, there are now over 16,000 foreign marriage partners a year, marrying American men who have chosen to meet foreign women online.

Though it’s becoming increasingly popular, men still have questions about the law, costs, females’ motivations, and more.

All your answers lie in this comprehensive guide provided by our dating experts from BridesUniverse.

If you are looking for a foreign bride, there are lots of sources on the Internet, many of them illegal and/or scams. Steer clear of them.

Instead, use authentic websites where you can find a genuine foreign spouse. Our experts have located the best mail order bride websites for you to meet foreign women from anywhere in the world. You’re sure to find one that works for you:

• SofiaDate
• La-Date
• OrchidRomance
• LatinFeels
• BravoDate
• EasternHoneys

You should visit each site to get a better idea of its area of specialty. Each online dating site tends to work with women from a specific culture or geographic area such as Eastern European women.

What is a Mail Order Bride? A 21st Century Concept

Unlike older times, a mail order bride today is someone from a foreign country who is seeking a genuine marriage with a western man who provides far more than just financial security or a way for her to get to a Western country, often the U.S. 

She joins legitimate mail order bride websites, so that men looking to find a wife online will find her a perfect match. She tends to be smart, family-oriented, and focused on providing a better life for herself and future children with a man she can love and respect.

Exactly What Are Mail Order Brides Sites and How Do They Work?

Here’s a look at mail order bride services and how you meet your mail order wife by using them.

Mail order brides sites vary. Some are niche, focused on a foreign mail order bride in specific regions or countries (Eastern European women, Asian women, Latin American women, you name it). Other sites are huge umbrella services with sections for those seeking foreign brides.

Note: Reputable sites do not require compensation beyond normal charges for the use of features – chatting, video calls, messaging, etc.

Beyond providing matching services and communication tools, mail order brides services do not make arrangements for couples to meet. The mail order bride and her potential husband make their own arrangements.

Here’s a good process when looking for an international bride.

1. Do the research. Women from different parts of the world are very different in their cultural traits. Think about what you want in a wife and then study the cultures of the countries/regions you are thinking about. Even women from the same geographical region but different cultural backgrounds will not be the same — Russian brides differ from brides from Ukraine or Belarus. 

2. Join the right site. Choosing the right service for international marriage requires research too. Look for one that offers features you want and at least a few thousand of the women you seek. Beyond that, ensure they have the security protocols to protect your privacy. The best mail order brides sites have these.

3. Spend time with your choice. You will be presented with several matches. Take time with each one. If none seem right, ask for more. When you find “the one,” keep communicating. Be sure before you arrange to meet your mail order bride face to face. Resist impulsive urges.

4. Meeting up. You and your foreign spouse will eventually meet. When you first meet your mail order girlfriend, you’ll be nervous – it’s natural, but that first trip is so exciting. Set up a few more meetups so you are both sure.

5. Courting/dating. Some men picture brides who are ready to marry after the first meeting. In reality, marrying foreign women takes time. So, be prepared to go out on many dates, meet her family, and even become familiar with her local communities.

6. Citizenship and official paperwork. You are ready to get married. Now, you and your future spouse have a bit of work to do. You want your relationship to go smoothly, and help your life partner with the process of dealing with immigration services. You don’t want to run afoul of immigration law, so it’s best to do all of these things by the book. You and your new bride should also discuss whether she wants United States citizenship or not.

Challenges and Opportunities When Choosing the Best Mail Order Brides

When you think of this topic do you picture brides in a catalog just waiting for man to select them, pay a fee, and have them shipped home? That’s not how things work in a reputable, international marriage agency. The mail-order bride industry has changed a lot during the 21st century, and there are both challenges and opportunities in your journey to find love.

Greater opportunities

Time was, traditional online sites offered real mail-order wives and all operated alike. They presented photos with small bits of information. Men went through and picked out those of interest – sort of like a mail-order bride catalog. Today, platforms operate like other online dating sites with matching and communication features.

Also in earlier years, mail order bride countries were pretty limited. Today mail order women come from almost everywhere, so men have freedom to look for a bride from different cultures, either on niche or larger sites, and to develop their own search and communication strategies.

Another trend in the mail order wife industry is the offer of “dating tours” to specific nations. Services organized parties and other events at which men and single women could meet. This was paused during the COVID pandemic but may be re-started.

Challenges remain

Cost

Once a live meetup has been set, travel and accommodation costs kick in. These are pretty pricey dates, normally more than one.

Language barrier

While many in the online mail-order bride industry have incorporated translation features into their sites, face to face meetups may require other devices. And it’s tough to express emotions and feelings in a foreign language. You should consider learning some of her language before you meet. Also, if it’s important to you, request only women who speak English.

Avoiding disreputable sites

They’re out there. Finding a good one will take research, including reviews and personal navigation through any site being considered.

Cultural differences

It can be challenging to make relationships work with women in different nations. It’s important to communicate, learn as much as possible, and work with an online dating site that promotes cultural understanding.

Current Mail Order Bride Stats

One way to gain a better understanding of this industry is to take a look at some recent statistics.

• The percentage of American guys who use dating sites and mail-order bride platforms is increasing by about 2 million each year. While these are not divided out by platforms, the total number is expected to reach 53.3 million during 2024.
• There are about 10,000 mail-order bride marriages each year, almost half of which are with U.S. men.
• There are close to 100 million such marriages in the U.S. as of 2023.
• About 20% of mail-order bride marriages in the U.S. end in divorce – this is in comparison with a 47% divorce rate overall.
• More mail order wives are now more educated, intelligent, and financially independent. Today almost 31% of them have college degrees and they want to find foreign husbands with the same status. Men should no longer picture brides who are helpless and totally subservient. These women are able to make informed choices.
• The average age of women using such platforms is 20-30 years. Men using them are older, usually in the 40-50 year age range.
• Most U.S. men looking for mail order spouses fall within the median income range, earning less than $100,000 per year.

What Really Motivates Women to Become Mail Order Brides?

Several things may motivate women to join mail-order brides websites. One of the myths about mail order wives is that they are only motivated by a desire for financial stability. This may have been true years ago, but mail order brides are a different breed today. Here is what they say about why they join such websites.

1. They are looking for a mail-order marriage with a husband who honors and respects her and will give her the equality and freedom she doesn’t find in her own country.
2. She wants to have and raise children in a better environment than in her home country.
3. She wants to escape common problems in her country – alcoholism, infidelity, and poverty as examples.
4. She had a bad marriage and divorce and is looking for a mail-order marriage with a different kind of man.
5. She has decided that mail order brides have the chance for a successful relationship and a move to a country that provides more opportunities for herself and her future children.
6. The political climate in her home country is unstable or unsafe. She doesn’t want to live there anymore and doesn’t want to raise her children there either.

There is no reason to picture brides from any online dating site as matching some stereotype. They aren’t a monolith. And in most cases, the reasons are a combination of the ones listed above. The point is they are looking for something in a relationship and marriage they cannot find at home.

The Most Popular Mail Order Brides Countries Right Now

The most popular mail-order brides countries have changed over time. Long ago, mail-order bride agencies focused on countries where it was easy for men to visit and bring their legit bride home with them. As the world got “smaller,” though, popular countries expanded.

Today, men can meet a single woman almost anywhere. But these seem to be the most popular countries today.

Europe:

Both western and eastern. Countries such as Spain, Poland, and Hungary. As you see, finding a mail-order bride in these regions is not limited to women from Russia or Ukrainian women. There is a wider demographic to choose from, especially if you have a hope of finding non slavic women in Europe still keen on the entire concept of mail order brides.

Asia:

When people picture brides from mail order sites, they often assume the women are green card seekers from Thailand and other Asian nations. While men can find potential partners all over, Asia is certainly home to many nations with Asian brides who are looking for their perfect match among Western Men.

Philippines, China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan are the Mecca for finding mail order brides. Foreign men (mostly from the US) praise Korean women, Filipino brides and other local women from Asian countries extremely. Don’t forget that this region has a history of smartly arranged partnerships with rose brides way before any international marriage agencies came to play.

Latin America:

Latin American countries: Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, and Columbia. Most mail order bride services focus on Eastern European countries, but the good ones allow people to find mail brides from all over the world. 

So, we have established that you can seek national background specialized mail order brides. But how do you know that the woman who lists herself in catalogs is a real deal? And how do you make women worldwide see you as a good fit?

What Qualities Do Mail Order Brides Typically Look for in a Man?

Being good-looking, smooth-talking guys on dating websites won’t be enough to hook quality mail order brides. These women are a different breed today, and men need to know what they are looking for.

• Support. Mail-order brides want to settle down with a man who will support them through all of life’s ups and downs – someone who will always “have their backs.” In this sense, there is no difference between, for example, Latin women and Vietnamese brides.
• Stability. It’s not about how much money you have or make but about reliability. Do you have a solid job/career? Can this bride rely on you to give her a stable life? When you join mail-order bride websites, you need to make this clear. Not all women need to escape poverty, but economic factors are important when making informed choices. This is especially true with women who are not from developed countries.
• Respect and manners. Be polite and gentlemanly, not sarcastic or patronizing. Many mail order brides get that from men in their home nations. Also, many of these brides originate from good families and have an education. A lot of women seeking men outside their country are seduced more by calm and respectful attitudes and non-threatening behavior than anything else. 
• Common values. Do you agree on what is important in life? Are you in sync with standards of behavior with the women on the site you like? When you communicate with women on typical websites, you need to be clear about your values. No marriage will work if partners do not share them. 
• Desire to have a family. This is important to mail order brides. They want a husband but also a wife finder who wants children and a solid family unit. If you don’t want children, say so. Ladies are often seeing a man for marrying as a father for kids. Mail-order bride is a woman who already has an idea of her perfect family — don’t be afraid to ask.

Mail Brides from Dating Sites: The Legal Stuff You Should Know

First, mail-order marriages are completely legal. They happen everywhere, every day. But as always, the “devil is in the details”.

The government frowns upon a man marrying a woman just so she can come to the U.S. Your relationship must be authentic, even if you have used a mail-order bride website. When your bride-to-be applies for a Visa, you will have to show that you have met in person within the previous two years. Mail order marriages are not a new thing, and officials know what to look for and which questions to ask. However, if you have feelings, if you have met a few times and know each other, the fact that you have chosen your destiny among, for example, the best Asian women profiles.

If you use an agency or a marriage broker, you pay a fee. Beyond that, you will have to provide a criminal records check, and that will be delivered to the mail-order spouse.

When you use a legit website, you develop an authentic relationship, but you don’t pay fees other than for registration and features you want, and you are not required to present background checks.

What’s left?

Complete the required documents.

Summary of How Much Mail Order Brides Cost

So, let’s understand something. You are not buying a wife online. You have joined a mail-order bride site to find a perfect match and a potential life-long partnership. And you are willing to do what it takes to find this perfect bride. So, let’s take a look at one part of this journey – the cost.

Will there be expenses? Of course. Finding perfect mail order brides comes with expenses, and you will need to estimate your own. Here are the factors to include:

• Your location and hers. What’s the distance?
• The costs of joining a site and additional costs of features you choose for your dating strategy
• Your choice of where to meet up in face to face. What are the travel and accommodation costs? Are they all on you or will they be shared?
• How many trips will there be before you decide to propose?
• What are the Visa expenses and who will pay what?
• Personal choices when you and your bride-to-be get together – virtual gifts, etc.
• Wedding costs.

It’s a bit complicated. Of course you want to be frugal, but you just can’t “cheap out” when it comes to finding a life partner.

Breaking down expenses & estimated prices

It’s time to put more detail into your costs for a better idea of a budget. You’ll need a strategy for saving enough and for keeping expenses as low as possible.

Online dating expenses

To find a mail order bride online to marry, you have joined a dating service. You’ve done this because these sites are the best sources to find women for the purposes of getting married. On these platforms, users purchase features a la carte. It’s common for men to spend about $100 per month on features. Once you have been on the site for a month, you will have a good idea of your costs. The best dating sites to find a bride may charge a tad more for the features, but it is normally really worth it.

The costs of dating foreign brides

Remember, the law requires that there has been an in-real life meeting at least once in the previous two years before the nuptials. But, if you are like most men, you will have two dates that involve travel, accommodation, and miscellaneous costs. Normally, American gentlemen find these affordable. Also, you decide on the best nations to meet — women choose to become mail brides when they are ready to travel. 

You can estimate these costs with online research. Once you decide where the dates will take place, you will be able to nail down the cost. This estimation works, of course, if you follow the most common pattern for men seeking a mail order bride.  If not, your costs can easily skyrocket.

Time is money

Some men approach finding a mail-order wife online emotionally. They become a “kid in a candy store” without a clear strategy. They spend more time on the site; they begin communicating with several women. And they may even arrange expensive real-life dates with more than one of these foreign wives.

Romantic spending

These are individual choices. But once a man finds his mail-order bride online, he naturally wants to present romantic gifts. Set a budget and remember that being personal in your gifts pays off more than just following an increased price tag. Chinese women like different things than Ukrainian mail-order brides. Vietnamese women have different tastes than Filipina mail order brides.

The visa

If the marriage will be in the U.S., a K-1 visa will be required. Depending on her country of origin, fees can range from $850-$1010 for petition, application, and medical exam. When costs for adjusting her status to permanent resident are added, the figure is closer to about $2200.

The wedding

This expense can be nailed down accurately. Consider your budget and plan accordingly.

Approximate costs for different regions

These are estimates as you find a bride and then calculate mail-order wives costs moving through the process.

Once you have decided on your target region, set up a simple spreadsheet and list the costs for each expense – online site costs, travel to the region, housing, meals, in-country transportation, gifts, K-1 visa, travel with your bride back home, wedding, and even miscellaneous.

This estimate lets you plan a budget at the beginning of such relationships.

Our Success Stories from Mail Order Bride Sites

Feel free to read the following 4 success stories from our site.

Kenneth and Sonja	“As a small child, Sonja and her parents left war-torn Bosnia for Bulgaria. She finished her IT degree and was ready to spread her wings in new directions. She joined an online mail-order bride site and met Kenneth, who had had a series of failed relationships with local women. They clicked immediately, sharing their same interests and values. It wasn’t long before Kenneth traveled to Sofia, and their dreams came true.”
Randy and Mitsuko	“Randy took a year of study in Japan and fell in love with everything about the country, including its women. Back in the States, he couldn’t get over his admiration for Japanese women. He joined a Japanese bride website and there was Mitsuko. The rest is history. They’ve been married for three years, have a wonderful son, and, since both work remotely, split their time between their two home nations.”
Wayne and Emilia	“Wayne’s best friend married a beautiful, smart, and vivacious Brazilian woman. He was determined to find such a wife for himself, so he joined the same mail-order bride service. Emilia popped up. They spent about a month getting to know each other online before Wayne his first of several visits. They married in Brazil among her family and friends. They are happily settling into their new home, Emilia has enrolled in grad school, has great friendships with many women in their neighborhood, and they look forward to a life of joy.“
Charles and Belinda	“Charles is employed by an international corporation and spent 6 months in the Philippines as a part of his position. While there, he dated and fell in love with a Filipino woman. He returned to the States determined to keep the relationship alive and marry her. His heart was broken when she told him she had met someone else. But his spirit wasn’t. He joined a service that specializes in Asian mail order brides determined to find a new love. He found Belinda within a month. After several trips to the Philippines, both personal and business, they were married. That was 4 years ago. Today, they have 2 children, have started their own business, and are looking forward to many wonderful years to come.“

Alternatives to the Best Dating Sites to Find a Wife

You don’t have to look for online brides only on mail-order bride sites. You can meet foreign women in several other ways.

If you looking to find a foreign girlfriend, here are some other options:

• Try social media and other networking sites. You can filter searches by gender and nationality looking for matches. These platforms have become dating sites too.
• Find chat rooms. There are plenty of these where you can meet foreign women, even hot mail order brides. Just be aware that not all women in these rooms are genuine and sincere.
• Use mainstream apps and sites. There are plenty of these to be found via a simple search. You can look for a mail order bride without the expense of joining a fee-based site.
•  Travel. This one is pricy and may be a bit high-risk, low reward. Sure, it will be amazing if you can go to Korea and meet Korean women to date. But the likelihood of your finding a wife quickly is almost nil.

The benefit of these alternate options is obvious – they are mostly free. The drawback is there are no safety protocols in place so they aren’t as popular among international brides.

Advantages of Using Mail Order Bride Sites for Men and Women

For men

First, for you men. If you are an American man, why is a mail order bride dating a good option for you? Think about the following:

• It’s a great option if you are an introvert who has a tough time taking the initiative to meet women in person. Using international dating sites lets you relax as you communicate.
• Mail-order bride dating is much cheaper than real-life dating. You’ll spend maybe $100 a month to meet your mail order bride.
• International dating sites let you get to know a woman very well before you make plans for an in-person and costly date.

Let’s face it. The entire mail order bride industry was created with you in mind. Why not to benefit from it?

For women

Global dating services are also great for women.

Here’s why:

• Worldwide dating sites are commonly free for their female members. They make their money from male members and want as many female brides as possible on their sites.
• It’s the best way to meet an American man whose goal is getting married. You both begin with the knowledge that this is a common goal.
• You get to spend as much time as you need getting to know him before you decide on an IRL encounter.
• Women are eligible to receive help if they are victimized by domestic violence or human trafficking.

How to Find Love At the Right Mail Order Bride Service

You might be looking for free mail-order brides or be ready to pay for a better experience by joining one of the legit sites and paying for that experience. If you do choose the better experience, then you will want to pick the best site for your needs. Here’s a list of what to look for.

1. Large female membership of mail-order brides who want to be married
2. Visually pleasing site easy to navigate
3. Plenty of ways to communicate
4. Transparent and clear pricing
5. Responsive customer support

Red Flags that Point to Mail-Order Bride Scams

The Internet is a marvelous thing. It has made the world smaller and lets people from all over the planet meet, talk, and become friends.

The Internet can also be a dangerous place, and the mail-order bride industry is no exception. In 2023, about 70,000 Americans reported being victims of romance scams to the Federal Trade Commission, with an average loss of $4,400. Many more go unreported. These scams are run by both individuals and mail-order platforms, so don’t ever think that because you are on a website, you are safe.

Avoid becoming a victim of a scam by recognizing the red flags and running away fast.

Here are those red flags of international dating

• You accept a friend request on social media. She becomes romantic quickly and/or sends suggestive photos; she puts pressure on you to move quickly. No. Block her.
• She can’t meet up with you in person because she is in the military or taking care of a sick relative and can’t leave. It’s probably not a real woman.
• Scant profiles with photos that look too good. Run a Google search of the image to see if she is a real woman or not.
• She asks you for money to come see you or for some other emergency. Scam platforms do this too. Don’t ever send money or personal information to someone you haven’t met in person.

Don’t be a victim. Be smart.

Wrapping It All Up

The mail-order bride industry is popular and growing, and stats show that such marriages have more staying power than the average marriage in the U.S.

A large population of American guys look for a foreign wife, and just as many foreign ladies are looking for American husbands. If you are an American man seeking a foreign wife, do it right. Research the industry itself to understand the features of legit mail order bride sites and services vs. the scams. Have a strategy in place. Know what you are looking for in a mate and be clear when you join a mail-order marriages site. Narrow your choices to one, then communicate in all ways possible. Know her well before you arrange to meet her. Take care with budget and expenses.

Do these things and your chances of finding a bride overseas and the best marriage are great.

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