International marriage has become the absolute norm in modern societies across the world. In the US, around 20% of couples have one foreign-born partner; in South Korea, it’s 1 couple in ten; and in Germany alone, there have been over 42K international marriages, which is a common trend in Europe.
These numbers make foreign brides not just desired but an accepted and popular choice of marriage partner. Are you also looking into getting a mail order bride? Read on and learn everything about the peculiarities of relationships with foreign women who are interested in marrying abroad.
3 Best mail order bride & dating sites for singles
According to the K1 visa statistics, around 55% of applicants have met online. Our team of experts selected the most effective mail order brides sites to help you find a real foreign wife.
- SofiaDate — a Slavic mail order bride service with convenient search and easy chat and 20 free credits for a free premium after signing up.
- SakuraDate — a niche Asian mail order bride site with thousands of Asian brides and a generous welcome bonus and 1st purchase discount.
- LatiDate — a Latin dating site for easy matching and communication with potential Latin brides with 30 credits and $10 off bonuses for all new users.
Not sure which site will help you find a bride most comfortably? Let’s explore how to pick a trustworthy dating site with girls who are ready to start a family abroad.
How to choose a reputable mail order bride service
Only last year, the statistics show that over 58,000 Americans were victims of romance scams and lost over 700 million. These numbers highlight the importance of choosing a trustworthy platform to search for a bride. Not all sites that claim that you can buy a wife there are legit. Here are some tips that can help you pick the right and safe dating service:
- Explore your options. Don’t join the first platform you see on Google; do your research and have some options specialized in a particular region or international mail order bride services.
- Read user reviews. Marketing makes it difficult to find what is good and not so much. So, check what real people have to say about a platform you are interested in joining.
- Check security measures. The site you choose must have a strict security system with moderation, the ability to block and report users, and also profile verification.
- Pay attention to success stories. If the platform doesn’t have any success stories, and it’s not a brand new platform, that is a red flag. As all reputable platforms encourage their users to share their love stories.
- Check if the platform fits your budget. A foreign wife search should not make you broke. Check the prices beforehand, so you are not hit by unexpected expenses.
Love should not be rushed, nor should the choice of the dating site. Go only for reputable recommendations to save your money in your pocket and your nerves from burning.
Mail-order bride: Modern concept
The mail order bride meaning might be quite a confusing concept when you hear it for the first time. It’s hard not to assume that it is women being mailed to the doorstep of potential grooms. Though such a service would definitely be a hit in theory or easy matchmaking, women are not products that can be shipped.
Let’s make it clear that no one buys or ships modern mail order brides anywhere. But then, what are mail order brides?
The definition of mail order bride goes back to the 17th American frontier, where there was a lack of women. Men posted ads looking for wives and received letters from interested brides—hence the name. But if we dig deeper into history, we’ll see that the tradition of royalty marrying their daughters abroad has been around for centuries.
However, the modern mail-order bride concept has changed significantly. We live in a digital era where matchmaking happens online through specialized mail-order bride sites. These platforms connect women who are ready for marriage with suitable husbands, mainly from Western countries.
So, mail-order brides are not something out of the ordinary—they’re just regular women from all over the world who aren’t just looking for fun but are genuinely searching for a lifelong partner. The majority of these women are open to relocating and starting fresh in their husband’s country.
Why are foreign men attracted to single foreign women?
There are so many things that attract foreign men to single women from other countries. Let’s explore the main ones:
- Growing acceptance of international couples. The US population is becoming more ethnically diverse and 94% of adults approve of intercultural marriages, which is a quantum leap from 5% in the 50s.
- Cultural curiosity and admiration. Some men are just more attracted to women from other countries. For example, according to online dating statistics, white men like Asian women the most, black men have a strong preference for black and Latina women, and both Asian and Latino men prefer Asian and white women. However, if we take interracial marriages, men predominantly marry within their race. According to the research, only 0.5% of white males have a black spouse at the age of 30 in the US.
- Same values or preferable values. 74% of all international couples share religion, and an additional 7% share mixed Christian traditions. That’s an important factor of attraction as both the couple share morals, beliefs, and visions on dating, marriage, and family dynamics. Also, many foreign guys opt for more traditional spouses in countries that are more conservative than the West.
As there are so many women who are open to international relationships and families, getting a mail order wife is no longer a challenge in 2025.
Why do women want to become mail-order brides?
When you visit any of the popular mail order bride sites, you can see thousands of gorgeous women signed up. And naturally, you wonder why girls who are so hot want to marry abroad, as they probably have so many suitors locally. And they do, but lack of attention is not why online brides exist. The most popular reasons are:
- Gender gap and lack of right men in the bride’s hometown.
- Search for a better chance in life in terms of education, career, and future of the children.
- Cultural curiosity and attraction to men from a particular country.
- Negative experience with local men and desire to be with a different mentality partner (including divorced women and women with children).
- Societal pressure to marry young and also young maturity.
- A desire for stability, both financial and psychological.
- Running from the cultural expectations of being stay-at-home wives.
- A romanticized vision of Western men as perfect husbands and fathers.
Sure thing, that all mail order brides are different, and the list of potential reasons is way more varied. But those are the most common ones.
Are mail-order brides legal in the world?
Modern mail order bride services that offer to meet foreign brides are legal in the US and all Western countries. The right work of such platforms is heavily regulated by the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) to avoid exploitation and trafficking in the US. Mail order bride sites:
- Are NOT selling women
- Brides are not getting any compensation
- Mail order bride sites are basically dating platforms for people with serious intentions
- Singles build authentic romantic relationships online and meet IRL
Cross-cultural and cross-racial relationships and marriages are also recognized by the majority of countries in the world, and there are different laws regulating such relationships depending on where the bride and groom come from. For example, in the UK, there is the Modern Slavery Act (2015), and in the European Union, GDPR rules and anti-trafficking laws. All of the laws out there are to protect both parties before and after marriage.
As for legal aspects of marriage, in most cases, a foreign bride needs to get a fiance visa to get married in the country of her future husband. In the US, it’s a K-1 visa.
So, relationships with mail order brides are legal, accepted, and common in the modern world. But the key is to use reputable mail order bride platforms to avoid scammers and illegal activities disguised under foreign bride platforms.
What countries do single brides come from?
Modern mail order brides come from the 3 main regions—Latin, Eastern European, and Asian. Those are the most popular bride regions, based on the recent K-1 visa statistics.
For some guys, it’s easy to decide on the type of foreign bride they want to meet, as they have the type of ladies they like. But when you don’t have a particular type or different nationalities match it, choosing the best country for the search can get quite difficult.
Sure thing, there are always international dating sites with mail-order brides worldwide, so you can postpone choosing and rely on chance or destiny.
The process of looking for a girl for marriage can already be difficult. To make it a bit easier for you, our international dating experts analyzed the success rates in the world’s marriage market and made a list of the countries that like Western men, especially Americans, the most.
| Country | Number of K-1 visas in 2023 | Average marriage age | English speaking % | Site to meet GEO women |
| The Philippines | 2,747 | 25.4 | 63.7% | |
| Mexico | 1,696 | 32.6 | 12.9% | |
| Colombia | 850 | 18.1 | 4.2% | |
| The Dominican Republic | 749 | 28.6 | 12% | |
| Vietnam | 610 | 25.1 | 5.2% | |
| Brazil | 657 | 35.6 | 5% | |
| Russia | 286 | 26 | 5% |
The sources are Travel State, Wikipedia, Wikipedia (2), US Embassy, Cultural Atlas.
If you want to pick one of these countries or learn more about the peculiarities of women in each bride region, read on!
Eastern Europe
Local women have long been respected and admired by Western men who prefer natural beauty, femininity, and strong characters. Eastern European mail order brides are elegant, smart, and have a perfect balance of modern ambition and deep-rooted traditions. They are highly educated, value family, and embody strength and grace.
These qualities, boosted by the smoking-hot beauty that makes many guys confuse Eastern European women with models, make local brides a popular choice for marriage. Only in 2023 did around 900 brides come to the US to marry their US partners.
Another big perk of choosing Eastern Europe as a bride destination is that Slavic women are into Western men. They admire their ambitions and go-getter mentality, strive for a better quality of life, and believe guys from the West to be better husbands.
Asia
American men like Asian women, and they were the most popular brides in 2023. In that year alone, over 7,000 Asian brides flew to the US to marry. The number of successful marriages is not surprising, as Asian women are unique. Many guys adore their youthful looks and petite figures. But local girls are way more than just beauty.
Though Asian mail-order brides might seem a bit distant at first, you can easily see how wise, nurturing, and devoted local women are when they open up. The Asian region is very diverse, and you can choose from more modern South Korean or Japanese ladies or more traditional Vietnamese, Filipino, or Thai brides.
Asian mail order brides bring so much to a relationship as they carry a century-long tradition of right family values with a strong emphasis on loyalty and no fear of hard work. Those are the partners who will stand with you through thick and thin.
Latin America
It’s also a very popular bride-search destination among West European men. In 2023, over 4,000 Latin brides came to the US to get married. Latin curvy beauty is one of the most adored beauty types worldwide.
Latin America is the land of confident girls who know their worth and have strong characters. They are comfortable in their bodies and like to enhance them with feminine looks and hard work in the gym. Yet, plastic surgeries are also quite trendy for polishing perfection.
Many local women are brought up in tough conditions, which make them mature quite young. That’s why marrying in the early 20s is quite common in the region, but everything depends on the particular country as the region is quite diverse. But young maturity makes Latin brides hard-working and devoted to family. Yet they are more laid-back, passionate, and able to find joy in the smallest things, which many people appreciate as their friends’ and lovers’ features. Also, the expressiveness of local women is very liberating, and being with a Latin woman can bring a spark of light and energy into your life.
How much are mail order wives?
You now know that no mail order bride has a price tag, but there are still costs associated with the process of search, dating, and marriage. Let’s explore the main components of the average mail order bride price!
Dating sites costs
The first expense you’ll stumble upon when looking for a perfect foreign wife is online dating. The majority of the reputable mail order bride services work on a credit basis. Credits can be bought in bulk and used for premium services, like communication, advanced search or matching, and extra photo/video content.
With such a system, users don’t pay any recurring subscription fees and pay just for the specific service they use and only when they use it, which is quite convenient. The cost of credits (they can also be called coins or tokens) often ranges from $2.99 for 20 credits to $399 for 100. However, the cost of credits varies depending on the site. On average, a member can expect to spend around $100–$150.
A little pro tip is to look not just at the cost of credits but at what those credits can actually give you on a particular platform.
Trip to the bride’s country
Another common expense field comes when you meet a person you like and want to have an IRL date in her hometown. Usually, men are expected to come and visit, but some couples meet in the third destination, and some arrange for a bride to fly over. The common cost of the roundtrip ticket depends on the region. Here are some examples:
- From Washington, USA, to Warsaw, Poland — from $530
- From Washington, USA, to Mexico City, Mexico — from $300
- From Washington, USA, to Manila, the Philippines — from $900
To get the best cost of the flights, it’s better to go off-season and check the airlines’ discounts. The average trip to your foreign girlfriend lasts around 2 weeks and you also need to budget for:
- Accommodation — around $700
- Transportation — around $200
- Food — around $420
- Entertainment — around $260
- Additional expenses — around $500
So on average, a 2-week trip comes to $2,600-$3,000.
Application for a visa
To apply for a K-1 visa as a fiancee in the US, you need to pay around $2,200:
- $535 for I-129F
- $265 for the consulate fee
- $1,225 for I-485
- Medical exam $150-$200
If you choose to marry in your bride’s country and then apply for a CR1 visa, it will cost you around $1,200:
- $535 for I-130
- $325 for the US State Department to apply
- $120 for I-864
- $220 for the green card fee
Also, you need to budget for moving expenses, which can be around $500-$2,000.
Wedding
The average cost of a wedding in the US in 2025 is usually around $36,000. But a lot depends on the type of wedding you want to have. If you are ok with just having a court ceremony, getting a marriage license can cost you from $20 in Michigan to $110 in Wisconsin. And a small wedding for 10 people can cost you around $11,700.
If you choose to marry abroad, the cost of the wedding can strongly vary but is often lower. For example, the average cost of a wedding in the Philippines can range from PHP 50,000 to PHP 300,000 ($800-$5,000), and in Mexico it’s $5,000-$20,000. So, as you can see, a lot depends on your preferences.
| Region | Online dating per month | Roundtrip flight | 2-week stay in the country | Presents & additional expenses | Visa | Total |
| Asia | from $400 | $900 | around $1,460 | $500 | $1,200-$2,200 | $4,460 |
| Eastern Europe | from $400 | $530 | around $1,060 | $500 | $1,200-$2,200 | $3,690 |
| Latin America | from $400 | $300 | around $1720 | $500 | $1,200-$2,200 | $4,120 |
Success stories of users who found love through Dating services
Stephan, 51
“I was married before and had two beautiful children. But after 10 years of marriage, everything crumbled, and I never thought I would love again. Frankly, I thought that was it for me. After two years of being single and many failed dates, I made peace with it. But spending my senior years alone was never how I imagined my life, and that’s why I turned to international dating. Now, I’m so glad I did.
I used a European dating site, where I met a woman who, over time, completely changed my life. My now-wife is from Moldova, and she is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can’t say it was love at first sight or even after the first message. But as we exchanged letters and chatted for hours, we grew closer and, eventually, became a couple. Going through all the legal paperwork and managing a long-distance relationship was hard—won’t lie. But I’d go through it all again in a heartbeat just to meet my love once more”
