Help with marriage requirments in Mindanao

[dnavinnie 132]

I have a question regarding marriage requirements. I am getting married in June in Iligan City, Mindanao. My fiancé just sent me the requirements from the municipality:

a. Legal Capacity to contract marriage

b. If divorced, Divorce papers

c. Passport + CNI (Certificate of no impediment)

d. Application for Marriage Fee

 

I know I need to get the 'Legal Capacity to contract marriage' from the US Embassy in Cebu but I don't know how to get a CNI. Do I take my divorce papers to the municipality?

Also, has anyone had experience in paying someone to speed up the ten-day waiting period from filing the application to the issuance of the marriage license?

Thanks for any help.

[Carpe Vinum 2,327]

https://ph.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/getting-married/

 

It looks like the CNI and Legal Capacity to marry are the same thing. I'm sure others will be along shortly to weigh in...

[John & Rose 7,239]

20 minutes ago, dnavinnie said:

I have a question regarding marriage requirements. I am getting married in June in Iligan City, Mindanao. My fiancé just sent me the requirements from the municipality:

a. Legal Capacity to contract marriage

b. If divorced, Divorce papers

c. Passport + CNI (Certificate of no impediment)

d. Application for Marriage Fee

 

I know I need to get the 'Legal Capacity to contract marriage' from the US Embassy in Cebu but I don't know how to get a CNI. Do I take my divorce papers to the municipality?

Also, has anyone had experience in paying someone to speed up the ten-day waiting period from filing the application to the issuance of the marriage license?

Thanks for any help.

We got married last June in Manila.  The Embassy doesn't issue the Certificate.  Instead they issue the "Affidavit in Lieu of Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage".  Make sure they accept the affidavit.  Some local registrars don't.  You can get a CENOMAR in place of the CNI.  That is what we did.  You need your divorce papers and a CENOMAR to show that you aren't married to another Filipina.  

 

The 10 day period cannot be sped up.  That is the time they need to make sure the announcement is in the paper long enough for people to see who may want to protest the marriage.  That is part of the law and can't be worked around.  It is 10 working days too.  Weekends don't count.  When you apply for the license they will tell you when it becomes active.

 

You will also need a Family Planning Seminar.  It is a 6 hour class.  That you CAN get out of.  We still paid the fee but they just gave us the certificate.  We are older and both have adult children.

[dnavinnie 132]

Thanks John...can I get a CENOMAR before I go back or do I have to apply when I get there? Also, what do you mean you are older? You guys are still kids...hahahaha

[John & Rose 7,239]

52 minutes ago, dnavinnie said:

Thanks John...can I get a CENOMAR before I go back or do I have to apply when I get there? Also, what do you mean you are older? You guys are still kids...hahahaha

Your fiancee can get that when she gets hers.  I think all she needed was a copy of my BC.  I didn't do anything for it.  

LOL  We were able to convince the seminar teacher that we were not having any more kids and since we have raised a 16, 18, 19 and 22 year old we kind of have the family planning thing under control.  We still paid the fee and we gave a little extra so the could buy snacks.  Filipino style business...

Edited January 28, 2019 by John & Rose

[Noe&Estella 57]

6 hours ago, dnavinnie said:

I have a question regarding marriage requirements. I am getting married in June in Iligan City, Mindanao. My fiancé just sent me the requirements from the municipality:

a. Legal Capacity to contract marriage

b. If divorced, Divorce papers

c. Passport + CNI (Certificate of no impediment)

d. Application for Marriage Fee

 

I know I need to get the 'Legal Capacity to contract marriage' from the US Embassy in Cebu but I don't know how to get a CNI. Do I take my divorce papers to the municipality?

Also, has anyone had experience in paying someone to speed up the ten-day waiting period from filing the application to the issuance of the marriage license?

Thanks for any help.

Perhaps you can also check in the city where you live. Maybe CNI is being issued where you're at.

My husband got a certificate of single status here in the USA. It's basically a certificate issued by the county clerk stating he has no record of marriage. That's what he used.

It's the same as CENOMAR .

[John & Rose 7,239]

1 minute ago, Noe&Estella said:

Perhaps you can also check in the city where you live. Maybe CNI is being issued where you're at.

My husband got a certificate of single status here in the USA. It's basically a certificate issued by the county clerk stating he has no record of marriage. That's what he used.

It's the same as CENOMAR .

The difference is the US does not track marriages.  That is why the US can't issue the Certificate of Legal Capacity.  Your document says he wasn't married in that and only in that county.  He can be married in any other county.  That is why the registrar in the Philippines required a CENOMAR for me.  

[Noe&Estella 57]

5 hours ago, John & Rose said:

We got married last June in Manila.  The Embassy doesn't issue the Certificate.  Instead they issue the "Affidavit in Lieu of Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage".  Make sure they accept the affidavit.  Some local registrars don't.  You can get a CENOMAR in place of the CNI.  That is what we did.  You need your divorce papers and a CENOMAR to show that you aren't married to another Filipina.  

 

The 10 day period cannot be sped up.  That is the time they need to make sure the announcement is in the paper long enough for people to see who may want to protest the marriage.  That is part of the law and can't be worked around.  It is 10 working days too.  Weekends don't count.  When you apply for the license they will tell you when it becomes active.

 

You will also need a Family Planning Seminar.  It is a 6 hour class.  That you CAN get out of.  We still paid the fee but they just gave us the certificate.  We are older and both have adult children.

We didn't go through the seminar too. It's more like an interview. Maybe because we're older too lol. I was 33, my husband was 39.

[Noe&Estella 57]

3 minutes ago, John & Rose said:

The difference is the US does not track marriages.  That is why the US can't issue the Certificate of Legal Capacity.  Your document says he wasn't married in that and only in that county.  He can be married in any other county.  That is why the registrar in the Philippines required a CENOMAR for me.  

That makes sense. 

[John & Rose 7,239]

3 minutes ago, Noe&Estella said:

That makes sense. 

Rose got my CENOMAR.  It was no big deal and it only cost like 300 pesos.  

[dnavinnie 132]

16 hours ago, John & Rose said:

Rose got my CENOMAR.  It was no big deal and it only cost like 300 pesos.  

Thank you so much for your help. I sent my BC to me fiancé and she is going to get my CENOMAR at the same time as  her's. You saved a big problem for us also because we need to change our wedding date knowing we have to wait 10 working days to get our wedding license. My fiancé also found out they will accept my "Affidavit in Lieu of Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage".  

[John & Rose 7,239]

44 minutes ago, dnavinnie said:

Thank you so much for your help. I sent my BC to me fiancé and she is going to get my CENOMAR at the same time as  her's. You saved a big problem for us also because we need to change our wedding date knowing we have to wait 10 working days to get our wedding license. My fiancé also found out they will accept my "Affidavit in Lieu of Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage".  

Excellent.  I've heard some registrars dont and people are scrambling at the last minute to change everything they have planned.  

 

We found the whole process to be pretty smooth and straight forward but it did take a bit of organization.  We were married by the Mayor of Pateros as the Justice Hall didn't have openings when we needed them and they kept raising the price...LOL  It is still the Philippines!

[dnavinnie 132]

20 minutes ago, John & Rose said:

Excellent.  I've heard some registrars dont and people are scrambling at the last minute to change everything they have planned.  

 

We found the whole process to be pretty smooth and straight forward but it did take a bit of organization.  We were married by the Mayor of Pateros as the Justice Hall didn't have openings when we needed them and they kept raising the price...LOL  It is still the Philippines!

Money rules there...that's for sure! My fiancé has never been married so we will have a big wedding a hall so getting the date right is very important now.

Were you able to bring back your finished marriage documents when you returned to start the CR1 process?

[John & Rose 7,239]

14 minutes ago, dnavinnie said:

Money rules there...that's for sure! My fiancé has never been married so we will have a big wedding a hall so getting the date right is very important now.

Were you able to bring back your finished marriage documents when you returned to start the CR1 process?

We had the registrar expedite the PSA certificate and we had it in one month. Once we had that in hand we filed the CR-1. 

 

I was was lucky to have a friend there who was visiting his fiancée so he brought the certificates back with him. 

[dnavinnie 132]

2 hours ago, John & Rose said:

We had the registrar expedite the PSA certificate and we had it in one month. Once we had that in hand we filed the CR-1. 

 

I was was lucky to have a friend there who was visiting his fiancée so he brought the certificates back with him. 

Awesome...I'm sure we are on the right track thanks to your help. I wish you guys good luck with the rest of your process.