If you want to get married in the Philippines, you have to know the requirements and procedures before your big wedding day. I am sharing here the documents needed and the steps to do in preparation for your marriage whether it’s a church or civil wedding, a beach, garden or anywhere you like in the Philippines.
This is marriage 101 and it contains everything you need to know about marrying in this country whether you are both Filipino citizen or one of you is a foreigner from the US, UK, Canada, etc. Also included in this post is application of marriage contract, getting a marriage license and finally PSA (NSO) authenticated marriage certificate.
How to Get Married in the Philippines – Requirements
- Application of marriage license
- Attending required seminars and counseling
- Celebration of wedding or solemnization of marriage
- Release of marriage license
- Getting official PSA marriage certificate
How to Get Married in the Philippines – Procedures
The first step of getting married in the Philippines is applying for a marriage license. This is the most important requirement and document needed for your marriage in the church or civil wedding. You and your spouse must get this because it is needed to verify your eligibility for marriage. All other documents are already included in getting marriage license so I listed them all here. I advise you prepare original and photocopy of each document.
- Application Form (provided by the LCR office)
- PSA / NSO Authenticated birth certificate
- Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) issued by the PSA / NSO
- Community Tax Certificate (Cedula)
- Recent 1 x 1 Photo
- Affidavit of parental consent (if the bride and/or groom is 18-21 years old)
- Affidavit of parental advice (if the bride and/or groom is 22-25 years old)
Important notes:
If the applicant is a widow or widower, death certificate of the deceased spouse is needed.
If the applicant is a foreigner or not a Filipino citizen, he or she must provide a Certificate of Legal Capacity to marry issued by the embassy of his/her country in the Philippines.
How to get a marriage contract or license in the Philippines?
You and your spouse must go to the LCR (Local Civil Registrar) office of the Municipal’s Office where you will be wed. Fill up the application form. This is usually called marriage contract application form too. There’s a section there for the groom’s info and the bride’s info. Please be careful in filling out the form and double check your info before submitting the paper. You don’t need to encounter errors at the NSO / PSA in the future. Once you’re done, you will be asked to attend the required seminars before your wedding.
Marriage Seminar and Counseling in the Philippines
In the moment, there are two required seminars to be attended by both marrying parties whether they will have a church wedding or a civil wedding. Husband and wife need to complete the said seminars to have certificates of attendance. The certificates are required before the release of their marriage license.
- Pre-marriage counseling from the Church (DSWD for civil marriages)
- Family planning and Responsible Parenthood Seminar from your Municipal’s Office
Church and Civil Wedding
A Church Wedding is a dream come true especially for women. Walking down the aisle and saying “I do’s” and exchanging vows in front of the altar is part of the Sacrament of Marriage. It makes the bond and relationship sacred. As we all know there are many devoted Catholics in the Philippines and there’s no divorce. Marriage is a lifetime commitment and it’s a bond blessed by God. The celebration of marriage in the church may be one of the most important and most unforgettable moments in a Filipino’s life.
There are times and circumstances though when both spouse choose to have a Civil Wedding before anything else. It is also an official wedding celebration. People choose this nowadays because wedding dates must be scheduled and booked months before the big day. Civil weddings don’t need a grand preparation just like a church wedding. You don’t need a grand entourage, big reception venue and nuptial parties much.
You need to make an appointment to the authorized official for your civil wedding ceremony. Unlike church weddings, civil weddings are officiated by a judge, mayor or any authorized official in a city hall court. You need at least two persons (on their legal age) to witness the ceremony. In case one of the spouses is under 18 years of age, the presence of a parent or guardian is needed.
Release of Marriage License
Your marriage license or marriage contract can be claimed after you have completed the requirements. Present the Certificates of Attendance to the LCR office where you filed or applied your license. It is advised that you file the registration within 15 days from the date of wedding celebration. It will be released after 10 days from the time of application. It will be valid in any part of the Philippines for 120 days (four months) from the date of issue.
How to get a marriage certificate in the Philippines?
I think you can get a copy from any PSA (NSO) office after that period if you like the official PSA (NSO) authenticated marriage certificate. It’s in yellow paper as of now. If your marriage registration is already in the PSA (NSO) database, you can get one to any NSO office or SM and Robinson’s malls nationwide. It costs around P155 right now.
hi! gotta question here, as i was browsing, i’ve seen so many questions about OFWs who want to get married in the Philippines but has a limited time to stay.. what is the best option to apply for a marriage license kaya? my Fiance and I are planning to get married on December but both of us are here in Dubai.
Can we let our parents apply for it with our authorization letter? or can we apply for a marriage license here in dubai and do the ceremony there? hope someone can help. thanks!
hi! i still have aproblem with my birth certificate, nso auth copy.. is it ok if i use the municipal registrar’s birth certificate copy instead?
Planning to get married (civil) next month. My bf and I are both from QC but we want the wedding to be held in Cavite, since they have a nice place there. The City hall advised us that Judge can’t officiate the wedding outside QC area so they suggested pastor. Will this be valid? Tnx po.
hi ~~ just want to clarify some things.my bf and I are planning to get married in march 2015.he is Korean and from the very informative comments above; he only needs to secure
1.”cert. of legal capacity to marry” from the Korean embassy here
and no need for cenomar… right? and then we can apply for marriage license…yes???
i hope i didnt miss anything
thanks
Ask ko lang if enough b ang 2 weeks to complete all requirements for civil wed? ung bf ko kc 2 weeks lng vacay nya because of his work. Any reply is much appreciated thanks in advance.
Hello po
Ask KO LNG po me and my bf
We plan to married this yr ask KO po
Kung anu yong mga requiment na dapat nya dalhin dTO sa pinas tga Germany po sya
Hope to hear you
Or send po sa email ko
Asap
My bf Belgian wants to get married,he wants us to get married next year.how to process if i am still here in singapore .can my sister do the processing without me and my bf?
Hello everyone, i have read most of the comments and queries here and i would like to raise my personal concern about marriage… My american bf and I are planning to get married during his visit here in the Philippines come July.. Unfortunately he can only stay here for 9 days because he has to go back to work immediately… We really want to get married as soon as he arrives. but the problem is we need to wait for 10 days for the issuance of marriage license… IT will be his first time to visit the country and we would like to work out all the necessary requirements for visa application…
My questions are:, Can we possibly get married in less than 9 days? Can we get married at the US embassy? Can we apply for the license prior to his arrival?
We have known each other for 10 years and we have been through a lot of challenges already,,,we badly need to get married Can somebody help us please… I would sincerely appreciate if you can give us clear and reliable answers… Thanks so much!
I am an American and I just married my Filipina wife in April. One of the requirements is that he has to have lived here for 6 months.
Hi. Ask ko lang kung anong nangyayari sa registration ng mga kasal sa civil at church wedding? Kelangan ba iregister pareho? Anong ilalagay pag nagrequest ng marriage license pag 2 separate dates and places? Were planning to have church wedding first before civil? But i want it to be both registered. Ndi kasi kami pareho ng religion. Possible ba un? Thanks
Hi poh me and my gf are planning to get married next year and we both here in taiwan my gf is going home for finish contract ang me are filling for vacation may be 2weeks…my question is do we have a chance to get married…pwede din poh b ipalakad s kakilala ung papers nmin para mabilis pagdating nmin galing taiwan kunti nlang asikasuhin nmin? Tnxxx….poh asap eply to my email
Hi,
Tanong ko lang. May Marriage License kami nakuha sa Taguig (Home ni Mrs), at ikakasal kami sa Tagaytay. Ang Pastor namin ay taga Leyte (Family Friend), Ang sabi ay after ng Kasal, ireregister nya ang Marriage Contract namin dun na sa Leyte, pero sa form nakalagay na Place of Marriage at Tagaytay.
Pwede po ba ito iregister kahit hindi dun sa Munisipyo ng Place of Marriage?
Thanks,
Ray
Hi Fehl ,, I and my fiance are planning to get married in July and he has only 2 weeks leave ,, he is a foreigner and we want to get married in Manila or Makati city.. My question is can we get married in Makati or Manila although I am from the province .. Please I need your reply asap.. Thank you so much. 🙂
I think you can 🙂
gud day po ask ko lang paano po mag avail nang “secret marriage? ” anu po yung required..valid po ba yun??
Hi good day po….may plano po kmi ng fiance ko na mgpakasal dito sa pinas bago din kmi ikasal sa australia…kasi po ng process na kmi ng fiancee visa ko for australia required kasi na ikasal kmi sa australia…ang tanong ko lang po pwede kya kmi maksal dito kahit ng process na ang fiancee visa ko for australia?ano po dapat gawin?
Hi Ms.Fehl,
Ask ko lng makakuha po ba aq ng Marriage license kahit wala ung gf ko sa Pinas? then if yes possible po ba na mailabas ung Marriage license in less than 1 week?
what if the woman is only 24 years old yet the man is already 27??? do we still need to get affidavit of parental advise??? pls reply asap. thanks!
Maam ano po requirements pg nagpakasal sa 34 y.old na koreano tas ako po 18 y.old salamat
hi po me and my bf plan to get married in civil wedding this month of August this year…his from Faroe Island,Denmark…and tanong ko lang po ay ok lang po b n ang Legal Capacity of Marriage niya doon mismo s country nila kinuha at hindi dito s Denmark Embassy office s pinas?looking forward your answer…thanks po!!!
I think it’s valid. Tell us if they accepted it 🙂
Hi christy, ur fiancé need to get legal capacity from the Denmark embassy here in philippines. Or else the legal capacity that ur fiancé brought from his country Is invalid.
I and my partner plan to get civil merraige. We’re live in partner more than 5years, what would be the process do we need to follow? And we would like to know whats the cost for civil wedding in city hall?
Hope you could help us.
Thanks for your very informative post. Would you know the current schedule of the family planning seminar in QC? If one party is a foreigner, will s/he attend the same seminar? Finally, is it allowed to authorize a representative of the couple to claim the marriage license? Thanks in advance. 🙂
Hi I have question me and my fiancée are planning to have a civil wedding here in Philippines .his ghainian and I’m filipina ..what requirements are needed to comply since his Muslim and I’m catholic ? Help please..
hi.im getting married this year. my boyfriend is vietnamese. what required documents does he need to bring? thanks!
Hi i am a South African citizen and my fiancee is a filipina .We are planning to get married in the Philippines in Mondoro White Beach , in civil can you give me details of where we can get married and what is required also what documents do i need .
Hi there I am a South African citizen and my fiancee is a filipina.We planned to get married in the Philippines this coming June, I would like to know how long will a civil wedding and new passport take to process as I only get 30days leave and want to use it so we can get married and bring her to South Africa.I dont find anything online regarding costs and time it will take. Thank you for the information in advance.
hello which comes first in preparing for marriage is it getting the marriage license at LCR or reservation of dates in church???
hi miss fehl
Indian po ang bf ko at balak namin dito magpakasal. Pero hindi pa siya agad makapunta dito dahil sa work niya. Gusto nya pagpunta dito ay makasal kami agad. Pwede bang ako lang mag-isa ang maglakad ng requirements namin? Ano ang mga requirements nyang kelangan nya ipadala sa akin? Btw, he is 24.
Thank u and Godbless
me and my bf is planning to have our wedding in the philippines. i am also a filipino but i’m working abroad. would it be okay if only him would go to the municipal office and process the requirements and file the application for marriage license? Anyway i will send all the forms that is needed from me. it’s just that during the filing to the office only he can come. this is because i am only allowed 2 weeks vacation and that would not be enough if we still have to wait 10 days for us to be wed. I was thinking if he can apply in advance then when i arrive there we can have our wedding..
Hi mam
Im a filipino residents in a province of samar and my fiancee is an American wr planning of getting a marriage license in manila city hall or makati while were in manila and conduct our marriage ceremony in. Our province do you think its allowed. To get a marriage license and gt married in my hometown
Are we not going to have a problem pls enlighten us ty
I think it’s allowed
Hi! should both parties get CENOMAR? cause my bf insists that its not necessary. So I’m so confused! I don’t have time to actually confirm it in the “munisipyo” so pls help. Thanks!
Yes, both parties need to secure CENOMAR to prove no marriage record
Hi Mam! This is so helpful. Thank you so much… But I have a very important question and I hope you can answer it. I am planning to marry with my boyfriend in April but actually he is on overseas. He can only come here for 15 days and as I read the requirements we need to be present during the time we apply for marriage license. The trouble is that we even need to wait for 10 days posting. All the other requitements would be done perfectly. But I am so concern what to do with the marriage license since my boyfriend who is an American citizen will only stay for 15days. Do you think it is possible? If we got the marriage license how long should we wait for the appointment of either to the judge or mayor? We badly want to get married soon!!!
Hi! thanks a lot for this very informative article. BTW, my foreigner fiancé is from Mauritius. His country doesn’t have embassy or consulate in the Philippines. How is he going to have that Certificate of Legal Capacity to marry if we plan to have the wedding in the Philippines? Thank you
He can request it directly from Mauritius then
What are the requirements for Muslim marriages in the Philippines? My fiance is FIlipina Muslimah and I’m a Muslim foreign national
hi.I just wanna ask if possible ba aq magrequest ng cenomar ng bf q?kht wala xa d2 s pinas?actually nksal kamI dis mth sa manila city hall at nagbyad kmi ng 5k.mtgal ko n kc nrrinig n kasal n daw un bf q s iba.nun nsa city hall kmi ngsbi un minister na kapag kasal na daw isa sa amin hindi daw papasok.pero nalaman ko sa city hall na ready na un papers namin.medyo hindi pa rin kasI ako naniniwala na hindi sya kasal sa iba kaya ask ko kung pwede ba ako ang magrequest ng cenomar nya at ako ang mag ppick up?
Hi! First of all, thank you for the informative article! I just have a question – My fiancé and I plan to have a civil marriage abroad first, then have a church wedding a year after. If our civil marriage abroad will be recognized by the Phil government, do we still need to get a marriage license in the Philippines or do we just go straight to getting the church requirements? Thanks again!
Hi. Tanong ko lang po. Is there a way to process a Marriage License if one of the parties (ie fiance) is not here (ofw). Is there a way to waive something so I the fiancee can process the application of marriage license by herself? (I don’t know if I’m making any sense her).
So the fiancee*
(..making any sense here*)
Hi! Happy New year! I really need help and advise.
Me and my fiance are set to get married this coming March. We have applied for all necessary documentation but it looks like there may be a delay in getting his CNI – Certificate of Legal Capacity. As much as we want to move the dates – it is looking impossible and expensive for us to do that 🙁
By any chance there are ways around this where we can apply for marriage legalizations few days or couple of weeks after the wedding? Can we just have all other documents ready filled in and signed during the ceremony and we will submit it only once we received the CNI?
Please help! Im getting a bit too stressed and helpless. Some people said it is ok and it is possible, some say it is not.
Hi Goodeve po.
Itatanong kolang po kung pwede ba magpakasal pero uunahin po muna mag seminar. Konti lng po kasi ang time, ilang days lang po kse ang boyfriend ko dto sa phil pero ang nabasa ko kailangan makumpleto lahat ng requirements. 22days lng po sya dto alam ko hindi kakayanin ang 22days para makasal kami dto sa phil. Pwede po ba na mag seminar kame this coming february then sa May or June kame ikakasal? Ty.
Kinasal po kami last august. Avaiable napo kaya ung marriage cert namin sa nso? Thanks po.
is it legal if you get your marriage license in caloocan city but your ceremony was done in quezon city?
Hello, I’m a little bit confused here.
I’ll have my civil wedding here in Europe, this month. I’m a filipino citizen, and he’s not. We are planning already to have our grand wedding in the Phil, we still do want to get married by a pastor, but we don’t want any of those paper works in the Phil. Since we’re already registered as married in our country, do we still need to go through that paper works stuff?
Immediate response is appreciated 🙂
Since you’re already legally married in Europe and you only want to celebrate here in the Philippines, I think it’s fine if you just celebrate the occasion. But if you want to register your marriage in the Philippines, of course you need to do some paper works.
hi ,I just want to ask,,how long to get the married contract ,,from the day of registered ,,,? and if I want to apply residence visa to my fiancée country do I need to change my name in passport before process my document paper to embassy?
If you are applying for fiancee visa, you don’t need to change you’re surname coz you are a fiancee not a spouse yet and not yet married 🙂
Hi Me and my fiance is planning to get married this December or January 2015 he will come over here in the Philippines this December 23 and he is only stay here in the philippines for 30 days may I know how long we can get our marriage contact after our wedding? we are planning to have a civil wedding coz we dont have enough time to prepare.
Good pm.. Ask ko lng kc gf ko is 19yrs old and ako ay 22.. Gusto nmin makasal pwede ba kmi? Khit witness lng ? Or need sundin yung procedure sa taas? Thanks
You still need to follow the requirements
Hi.m from Pakistan ..and I have philpino g.f and want get marrig .her family know about us.. So I just want to ask about proceger and requirement of marriage…
Thanx..
Hi ang 26 years old po ba kelangan prin kumuha ng affidavit of parental advice?
Hi I had a girlfriend that I truly like and love her. I want to marry her in Philippines but I am already married. We are separated. What is the best thing I can do?
You must be legally separated / divorced. Then prepare the requirements for marriage mentioned above
Magkano po aabutin ng gastos sa civil wedding?
In Manila city hall does a foreigner also need to have Cenomar from nso to apply marriage lisence?? I already have Legal capacity to contract marriage. Anyone knows??
The foreigner doesn’t need NSO CENOMAR since he’s not a Flipino citizen, therefore he has no records in NSO 🙂 He needs Legal Capacity for Marriage taken from the embassy of the country he’s from
yes you need to get Cenomar both of you even you are not a filipino i am also doing my papers for marriage next year, civil wedding then the city hall required me to get it,i thought my partner cant get the Cenomar because he is not a Filipino but he got Cenomar already.
Where did your foreign fiance get the CENOMAR? Can I request for it online?
hi. how long did it take your foreign fiancee to get his CENOMAR? is it really possible to do that? kc i thought it only applies to FIL. But the LCR here also require my foreign fiancee to get one also so I’d like to know. thanks
Foreign spouse needs Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry and he needs to get it at the embassy or consulate of his country here in the Philippines
Hi my bf is working abroad and only 24. Is it possible n aku lng ung mg aaply ng lisenced since s january p cia uuwi..need b ng personal appearance nia? Db need p ng parental advice? Panu kya mgandang gawin? Kc 2weeks lng vacay nia at d nmin alam if maeextend p cia. Civil wedding lng nman kmi. Tas feb ung target date namin. Hay panu b toh? Thanks.po.
And is it going to be problems about getting married in Manila. I am from Finland and husband from Tawi-Tawi. My embassy warns to travel there. Sibutu mayor said it’s okay to do process in manila. Any advice please??
Yes, I think you can also get married in Manila
Hi. Planning to get civil marriage in manila in january with my Philippino husband. I am from Finland. Do you know how fast can get civil ceremony after getting wedding licence? I can stay there only for 30 days. And is it possible to book the ceremony date in advance? Thank you so much!
Hi, need some advice. I’m a Filipino by birth and recently got my spanish citizenship, my boyfriend and I plan to get married in the Philippines next year. Do I need to attend all thoseseminars? I am only allowed for a one month vacation. Lastly, do I need to get the certificate of legal capacity to marry from the Spanish embassy? Or just need to comply the same requirements as my husband to be.
I think if you’re still a Filipino citizen, you wont need the certificate from the Spanish embassy. Yes, you need to have those seminars
Hi, ang legal capacity ba sa embassy (Canadian embassy) lang dito sa Philippines pwede kunin? Pwede ba sa bansa nila kunin then ipadala na lang dito sa Philippines? Tnx
We are planning to have a civil wedding dis coming december 1, 2014 possible ba na makuha namin agad ung marriage license namin within the wedd day or a day after?
hi my f and i plan to get married this january 2015… his british and wedow,… i got his orig. live birth and the death cert of the x wife… he send me already the permision latter to allow to get his cni in british embassy manila… it is okay if im only the one to get the paper i need for our marriage in the embassy? please i need some advice,,, thanks in advance
Hi, thanks for the information. This is very helpful. Me and my fiancee are planning to get married on May 2, 2015 sa church but we’re both working abroad. Ask ko lang po, pag kumpleto na po kami ng lahat ng requirements and signed na lahat ng forms, at kumpleto na kmi ng seminars sa church, pede po bang parents nlang ang magpasa ng requirements namin? Sa april 25 pa po kc kmi makakuwi ulit ng pinas so no time to go sa munisipyo. Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks in advance.
Hello,
I was told by NSO I need to personally appear at their East Ave. branch for manual verification of my Report of Marriage (submitted from overseas) before I could request the MC document in their system. Since I am residing overseas, any alternative to do this?
I don’t know any alternative since that’s their Main NSO office
@rosie
Yeah i wanted to know too as my bf will arrange our petition so how long are we gonna wait for the nso marriage license so i could change my name on my legal documents and passport too .
Thanks
After the wedding, how many days are we going to wait for the marriage certificate to be released in NSO? Thanks
my gf have a permanent resident in japan and her husband is already deceased last feb 2014 can we get married this january 2015 what are the requirements she need so we can get married im single and she widower badly need your answer
She may need to get certificate of eligibility to remarry from the Japanese embassy
hi Ms. Fehl Dungo,
my fiancee and I is planning to get marry on March 2014 here in Cebu particularly in lapulapu city. He is American citizen. Aside sa Certificate of legal capacity to marry, kailangan pa ba sya mgprovide ng cenomar?
Thanking in advance ur advice. God Bless!
Nope. CENOMAR is for the Filipino citizen
hi, i would like to know more about what are requirements need to comply for my british boyfriend and we are planning to get married? aside from the requirements mentions above thanks.
i mean what other requirements do we need aside from the requirements you listed above because we are planning to get married by next year for us to get the marriage license thank you your information really help us a lot.
Those are the primary requirements. I didn’t mention the reception and money (budget) involved since it’s up to the couple
My Fiance is american we’re planning to get marry on June 2015… I read that would be 3 months processing na for wedding? He will stay only for a month here… Any suggestion to get marry in a month… Or can I file now to get schedule… Thanks
Hello po we are planning to get married next year i have heard from a friend whose having civil wedding next march na 3 months na daw po ang processing ngayon sa pg aapply ng wedding is it true po kc we are planning to have ours by july but we are both working abroad and families lng po nmin ang mg aackaso ng mga requirements for the wedding.please gusto ko lng po malinawan.thanks in advance po
It depends upon the place but yes, it’s around 3 months na nowadays kasi usually there are no more available slots anymore and wedding schedules are fully booked already
Me and my fiance are planning a civil wedding…he is divorce…what would be the first step to do and process to follow…he is a US citizen
Hope you could help me
Thank you
he needs to go to the US embassy and get Certificate of legal Capacity to Marry. Then follow the steps discussed above
hi ask kolng po halimbawa december 2014 kme kinasal civil lqng muna ng japanese livein partner ko ng 9years .how long po un time pra marelease sa NSO mismo un MC namin?
hello po..ask ko lang po if magpakasal po kami sa civil…pwd po ba after 1 year magpakasal kami sa catholic church?
thanks po
Yup, you are free to do that
If Groom is from Pakistan and Bride is Pakistani they can marry online on internet is it possible ?and what is procedure if above not admit able in Philippines for an Pakistan person .???waiting for your response.
There is no online marriage done in the Philippines right now.
Hi thanks for the blog. Big help, i just have a question. Me and my partner are living together for almost 2 years and we already have a child. Do we still need to follow the usual requirments like getting a lisence? Please help. Thanks.
Hi gud day. Ask ko lang poh what if foreigner and divorce his age was 50+ of age and his fiance’ was 30+ of age what will be needed requierements for them to get married here in the philippines?
The foreigner needs to get Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry issued by the embassy of his country in the Philippines and prepare the other requirements mentioned above
Is there any needed requirements to get certificate of legal capacity to marry. And do they need to get an appointment to the US embassy or you can just go there anytime? How long it will take for the process of the said needed document. Please help. Thanks in Advance
Yes, if you are requesting at the US Embassy in Manila or any US embassy in the Phil. you need appointment to get certificate of legal capacity to marry. The whole process and requirements are in this page: http://manila.usembassy.gov/marriage.html
Thank you very much, this was very a big help. God bless…
Hi, kasal kmi ng asawa ko via civil wedding here in Canada. We are both Canadian citizen. Gusto nmin mag karon ulit ng wedding ceremony sa Philippines with my family and friends but not in church or catholic revalidation. What are the requirements to do that?
Hello po. Kakatingin ko lang po sa QC Requirements, nakalagay po dun na “Persons 21 years and below 25 years old need advice from parents.” Bakit po nakalagay sa inyo na ang 25 ay kaylangan pa ng Parents’ Advice? Salamat po.
Below 21 and 25 is not 25
Hi. My partner and I are planning to get married on August. We were living together since 2008 and had two kids. We know that living together for at least 5 years will exempt us from getting a marriage license and that we only need a CENOMAR and an affidavit of cohabitation.
Do you know the process of getting married under that circumstance? Your help would be very much appreciated.
hi good day just wanna ask need to clarify something about civil wedding do the ceremony done after the 10th day or before the 10th day
I think it’s after I just ask last day. They said it’s 11th, or maybe more.
For a civil wedding they give a 10 day break period for the couple to decide if they want to get married. After 10 days the couple (if they still want to go through with it) can get married .
I am only in the Philippines for 4 days just to get married, then I back again in the Philippines 1 month later, do I have to be there for marriage license for 10 days?
Oh I check that it will be 10 to 11 days before you can get married in civil wedding at cityhall. SO me and my fiance have a problem with his vacation. He is not sure if her can stay for two weeks. I was asking him to stay for 15 days or more. They will actually xerox the passport date of arrival so we cannot do it in advance. He will be here in Philippines for the first time so we cannot fake it. I heard if you have been here before and you have earlier date of arrival in your passport then you can use that to make your process early. But well mine is impossible since it is his first time, I just hope the people from cityhall will stop taking advantage of me and my fiance an will give us the right amount instead of the package that they keep asking us. Many are just corrupt.
Hi Mam! I have the same concern with my fiancè. He was here last November. In December we decided to get married in April. The trouble is that I am aware that we need to wait 10days fir posting, my boyfriend will onmy stay here for fifteen days and I am so afraid it would not be possible for us. Can you help me out with this?
naku wag ka magtanung sa cityhall ng ganun concern, ako kasi I ask kung pede less than 15 days panu kung one week lang vacation nya. bale the officers in cityhall in quezon city will ask for brive dyan na if they can copy the last arrival date ng fiance mo. kasi you mentioned nanggaling na sya dito so pede yan na yung dating arrival ang ilagay nila at iadvance ang request nyo ng marriage licence, pero ang alam ko they will ask money sayo na malaki pag tinulungan ka nila. anyways 15 days is enough naman ata wag ka lang nilang idelay kasi baka hindi marelease sa exact date, alam mo naman dito sa pinas ang system eh. try to do it in province baka mas madali.
Hello, one of my korean friends wants to marry his pinay girl friend but he heard recently the procedure for applying for a marriage contract has changed. i’m married to my philipina wife 2 months ago and all i needed for it was a legal capacity from korean embassy. but my friend said now he needs some more kind of documents, like a clearance from korean police, some proof which shows he has more than 20,000 dollars in his bank accounts and so on..
is it true? if so, where can he check all the new, exact requirements?
thanks..
Embassies have different rules as countries have different laws too. If the Korean Embassy requests those additional documents, then your friend needs to comply and submit them.
Hi what if ur at the age of 19 and u just want to get married secretly and our
witnesses is our friends how was that?
Only your friends (witness) then and the wedding-officer will know
Wow, this is so very full of really important information for marrying a sweet person in the Philippines. I learned a lot here reading this, Fehl. Getting married is a serious thing in your country, but it sounds very organised. Thank you for sharing some great information with us. Philpad scores with another great useful article.
This is the best website and blog for Filipinos and Filipinas… oh and yes, us marrying folks here as well. *smiling here*
Have a sweet day. <3
Cathy
I was trying to find about the requirements and more about the topic but couldn’t find a complete guide so I published it all here. 🙂 It’s June now and it’s wedding month. I know this post will be so useful 🙂 Thank you for dropping by, Cathy <3
Hi. Me and my boyfriend were planning to get married secretly. Im only 22 and he is 21. Are we eligble to get married? May we know the requirements for this? Hope you give us feedback.
Yes, but you need the requirements mentioned above
hello sir i am frm India what to get marred in the Philippines can u help me
Do you know how much is the real price of getting married in cityhall? They are asking for 10,000 but I know it is not the real price. I am going to get married to an AMeRICAn so I know they will really trick me with the price. Maybe you can help me on how to process the papers and pay for the real amount. The customer service and all of the help desk are all making income out of people who want to get married.
All I know is it’s higher on cities. Everything is pricey if the Municipal is a city, taxes, fees etc. Try local municipalities and pay only when they issue you the Official Receipt bearing the municipal logo. That way, they cannot cheat on the real price 🙂
I live in Quezon City so I was hoping to get married in Quezon Cityhall and the Mayor is Herbert Bautista. I know all I have to do is pay for papers, and All papers are just 150 and so on but they are offering package like P10,000 I heard that it is employees trying to earn money from foreign grooms, When I have ask a security he sent me to a guy inside a room and he was even actually whispering the Ten thousand package, then I also tried asking a receptionist and he also said I can do that I will assit you getting married it’s 10,000. I know it is not the right price all I have to pay is the papers not actually package deal because it is just a civil wedding not a church wedding. When I called over the phone before, they immediately transfered me to someone when they heard it is foreign groom. We always experience that like gettin a cab and expecting us to pay more and will be mean to us if we don’t. He is foreign but it doesn’t mean he is rich, we are struggling with money and we are always making sure we are paying the right amount since He is also paying some mortgages and taxes and some hospital bills for both of us. I am still thinking on how to be able to process without the fixers inside, There is also so many attorneys inside Cityhall that are all making illegal papers for work abroad. Maybe I will just try to talk to someone again and ask who can process us that is not illegal.
Geez that sounds so unjust. I will ask the price from someone who had civil wedding before and return here to comment the price. I don’t know if there is a different price for foreigners but I agree that 10K is pricey.
Hi again Amee. I asked people who had civil marriage and they only paid for the papers and the cost won’t amount that much. Actually won’t amount even 1,000. I can help you and I want to. If you would like to have your wedding instead in the municipal in a province I know. You won’t pay any fee for the wedding. You can contact me if you want.
Thanks, I really feel bad everytime people try to put higher price on us. I experience a cab tryin to ask more from me and a foreign friend and yelled at us to eat in turo-turo next time, and yelled kuripot because we did not gave him what he want. The problem here in Phil is if they see a foreigner they think their all rich, but the truth is most of them are struggling with money too. My fiance lost his job and almost lost his house, he also had accident that cost him back problem and several operations. Me I also had operation from cervical lump at a clinic and also have a polycystic ovary. Plus a disc problem that gives me tingling and numbness at my right leg. I was even rejected at PGH because I am not indigent but I actually can’t afford the operation. We wanted fiance but it is more complicated so we plan to do civil and make it the easiest and cheapest possible. He will just stay in my place not really a hotel or something. We are always on a tight budget. I just hate it that people always think we have so much money just because he is white.
Hi, You mentioned province but isn’t it gonna cost the travel too, so if I get married in a far away place that will also cost much. We actually plan on getting married in Quezon City since I have been living here for a very long time now. And my papers are all address here. And we don’t need to pay for a hotel because he will stay in our place. We always have a postponed schedule because of his job, he is getting difficulty having a vacation and financially saving for it. I am expecting maybe this february he can come, and I also told him that 1 week is not enough. I just hope we can get through all the fuzz and trouble and hopefully be married soon. I appreciate your willingness to help Fehl even if you don’t know me, but I think it’s more complicated to be married in another place. Thanks for being nice and God bless.
The province I refer is only an hour away from Manila. I asked the councilor and he told me you can marry there even if you live in QC or somewhere else. I also told him about your situation. If you want this to happen, just contact me privately so I can send you his name and contact. Always happy to help.
Oh okay, If things really gets so bad in cityhall here and I can’t get them to process me the right way, I will send you a message. We still don’t have the schedule untill now, he’s waiting for his boss for approval of vacation. I’ll still try to check the counter in cityhall about the right price and if I can’t really get them to be honest about it, then maybe I may contact you for the province your tellin me. Thank you.
You’re welcome!
Hi just sharing my opinion.it’s better to get married in the US it’s easy for the processing of papers in the embassy and it’s not cost that much as long as you have all the supportING evidence they need it only take 6 month for processing of the paper works and your ready to fly.if you married in the Philippines it might gonna take a while like 2 or 3 yrs to wait.
huh, bakit antagal naman ata 2 to 3 years. I heard it’s just 9 months to a year diba.? kasi I dont have a visa and it’s hard to get a visa. So we plan on just getting married here. The fiance visa is only 6months pero the requirements is more difficult. My co-worker before tried fiance tapos in the end nagpakasal na lang kasi they did not pass the requirements. I know it will take more time talaga pag dito kinasal pero yun lang kasi ang medyo madali ang requirements. ANyways baka matagal pa nga talaga kami ikasal kasi he is having problems with budget and vacation, hindi sya pinapayagan ng boss and second problem wala pa syang pera. I am really sad I need to wait more years. Kasi I am 38 and I might be able to get pregnant na if I keep waiting, tapos ayoko din dito mabuntis o manganak, and I have polycystic ovary pa. If only I can be a puppy for a while nga sana ha ha para macargo na lang papunta dun wala pang visa quarantine lang, di na ganito kahirap ang problema namin.
My husband now wen he file petition for me as a fiance visa before he don’t even have a job that time.pgmka bkasyon na dyn bf mo na puti next step is easy na lahat.to amee
I have a question.. What is the diffrence between a fiance visa and a spouse visa in the STATES for a (filipino citizen marrying a US Citizen)? Which would be the quickest process. I am a US citizen and my boyfriend/fiance is a Filipino citizen. We are planning to get married but, everytime we try to work on the papers we hit more problems. We have evidence of us being and traveling together for two years, so hopefully that will help out with the process of getting a visa. Soooo…. MY ULTIMATE QUESTION IS.. Get married in the Philippines? OR apply for a Fiance visa/Spouse visa for US? URGH NEED HELP!! huhuhu…
I think fiance visa is for those who are not married yet and plans to get married in the US while spouse visa is for those who are already married thus the term spouse
Don’t believe sa 10,000..its not true..150 sa application form..then seminar.then sa application form for judge to wed is only 300 pesos..
Thank you soo much Iearned so much on what is needed to get married in the Philippines because I learned so much off of this site I passed it on to my friends who were also engaged to a Filipina/Filipino 🙂
Thank you for the nice words. God bless!
Hi fehl sana mbasa mu itong message ko..i have polish boyfriend now and we are planning to get married this year in our province ang concern ko lang po is what kind of documents do we need to prepare for church wedding but he is divorced with his ex wife…pls.help me..
Hi, the requirements you need are all posted in the article above. Just read everything 🙂
hope you can share the requirements for cohabiting cople who wants to get married also