Marriage Contract Authentication

[edp333 9]

Can someone tell me what the U. S. Embassy wants for an authenticated marriage contract?

All I can find sarching VJ is directions from last year: (has to go to authentication office in malacañang (ofc of the president) to have it authenticated. if she's lucky enuf, she can get it authenticated same day, if not she has to go back the next day to get it. Lastly, she has to go to Dept of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to have a seal and red ribbon on it. this might take 3 days processing.)

Friends of my wife tell her the NSO does the authentication now. But none of them have been through the K3 interview.

[kyle_lairic 0]

ask your wife to go or call NSO, i think they can order to online a certified copy of your marriage certificate. I think the price is P300. so there is no need to authenticate it coz it's certified copy.

Edited June 7, 2007 by kyle_lairic

[vsmtghdy 2]

No need to authenticate the NSO-MC. NSO's copy are certiefied and on security paper and would only costs you p125 plus p50 (gov't fee/processing). Get more than 1 copy (3 at the least) for your personal files and future use. Some Country like Japan and other European Countries requires aunthenticated copies of documents from Malacanang but not the U.S.

[edp333 9]

No need to authenticate the NSO-MC. NSO's copy are certiefied and on security paper and would only costs you p125 plus p50 (gov't fee/processing). Get more than 1 copy (3 at the least) for your personal files and future use. Some Country like Japan and other European Countries requires aunthenticated copies of documents from Malacanang but not the U.S.

Thank you vsmtghdy. My wife will be happy with not having to travel to Malacanang.

[luvbugs4ever 0]

Hi, just want to share some info. based from personal experience.... US embassy requirement is a copy of MC from NSO printed on secpa. Authenticated MC will not be acknowledge by them nowadays. As i checked your timeline it says you got married March this year, so it is possible that NSO still DON'T have a record/copy of your MC. So what your wife should do is, GO to Parañaque Local Civil Registrar were you applied for your marriage license and then REQUEST from them for your MC to have an SPECIAL ENDORSEMENT to NSO since you need it for the visa application petition. Just tell your wife to ask from them (LCR) the process on how she can do it, might require for her to personally send the MC to NSO. Dont forget to request several copies of your MC once it is already forwarded to NSO because it is actually cheaper if it is done or printed manually rather than online. Hope this will help...Good luck!

[edp333 9]

Thank you for the information luvbugs4ever.

I still remember the Parañaque Local Civil Registrar well. They were not prepared to have an USC in the marriage consuling. But, that is another story.

[vsmtghdy 2]

Sine you're married only last MArch, your documents are not forwarded to NSO yet. LCR forwards documents after 6 months. What you have to do is to go to your LCR and request for the 1st endorsement letter addressed to NSO. LCR will make and send the letter with your MC-LCR to NSO through LBC. You will also receive a copy of the letter through mail or LBC (whichever you paid for at LCR).

When you receive your copy of the endorsement letter, go to NSO-Vibal Building at Quezon City (cor. EDSA and not the Main NSO at QC). Bring your endorsement letter, the guard will tell you to proceed to 3rd floor (or 4th floor?). Request for more than 1 copy. After that you will be asked to come back after about 2 weeks for the release of your "Unconverted" copy of MC (on security paper).

[edp333 9]

Sine you're married only last MArch, your documents are not forwarded to NSO yet. LCR forwards documents after 6 months. What you have to do is to go to your LCR and request for the 1st endorsement letter addressed to NSO. LCR will make and send the letter with your MC-LCR to NSO through LBC. You will also receive a copy of the letter through mail or LBC (whichever you paid for at LCR).

When you receive your copy of the endorsement letter, go to NSO-Vibal Building at Quezon City (cor. EDSA and not the Main NSO at QC). Bring your endorsement letter, the guard will tell you to proceed to 3rd floor (or 4th floor?). Request for more than 1 copy. After that you will be asked to come back after about 2 weeks for the release of your "Unconverted" copy of MC (on security paper).

Thank you kindly.

[RobinAtAileen 0]

Can someone tell me what the U. S. Embassy wants for an authenticated marriage contract?

All I can find sarching VJ is directions from last year: (has to go to authentication office in malacañang (ofc of the president) to have it authenticated. if she's lucky enuf, she can get it authenticated same day, if not she has to go back the next day to get it. Lastly, she has to go to Dept of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to have a seal and red ribbon on it. this might take 3 days processing.)

Friends of my wife tell her the NSO does the authentication now. But none of them have been through the K3 interview.

Ed,

My understanding is you must have the NSO cert. copy of the marriage contract on NSO security paper. The local registrar or place you submitted the marriage cert. should eventually send this to the NSO. HOWEVER, this can be a slow process, up to 6 to 8 months we were quoted.

We were told to contact the NSO to expedite the process by asking for the marriage cert. to be "Endorsed." This puts it on a fast track process.

My wife's mother took an original certified copy from the local registrar and personally ran it up to Manila NSO. They said to come back and pick it up 2 weeks later. This is because she pre-paid for the copies when she dropped it off. I believe she could have simply dropped off the marriage cert. and requested it be "Endorsed" (or fast-tracked) and then ordered the copyies online.

So I recommend to check with the local registrar where you sent the marriage license and also call or visit the regional NSO office and ask about the processing time and possible endorsement of the NSO certification.

We were first given an estimate of 6-8 months for processing. After we fast-tracked it via "Endorsement," it took only a few weeks, +/-.

-Robin