requirements to get marry in the philippines

[hbk8941 0]

hi i am a us citizen and want to marry my fiancee in the philippines what are the documents and requirements to get married in the philippines? do i need to go there twice to receive all my requirements needed

[Scott and Mhay 57]

You will need a legal capacity to marry from the US embassy in manila. If you a civil wedding you can probably get it done in one trip. the marriage license takes about 10 days to get once applied for. If you do the catholic wedding like we did, you need a month because you will have to attend a seminar at the church in most cases and at least in baliuag, it was only basically given once a month...(2 separate sundays for parts one and 2) If you have been married before bring your divorce decree as you will need it at the embassy and to apply for the marriage license. I was able to do it all in less than 26 days....I arrived on 8 august and was married on 29 august. There was quite a bit of running around to do. I suggest you have your fiancee talk to her municiple hall to see if there is any other surprizes there too...they might be able to help you along too.

Here is a helpful link to read:

http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwha009.html

If you have any specific questions, I might be able to help you some. I am in the military too, dont know if you are also.

Another thing, you will have to change your visa to a CR-1

Edited February 20, 2010 by Scott and Mhay

[A and T 82]

Bring your passport, and if you have been married before, bring the divorce papers.

You have to go to the US embassy in manila (its where I went) And go early, be there at 8am. You get a legal capacity to marry , its just a stamped paper saying you swear you arent married.

Then we went to another building, I forget what it was , but they tell where you to go, and finished it there.

Watch out for fixers or anyone walking inside the buildings that claim to want to help you, its a scam

[Scott and Mhay 57]

yeah that affidavit is like $30 US...it doesnt take very long. i think i went at about 830 and was out in about an hour. when i did it in august you went to one window to submit your information and another one to sign the affidavit.

[Scott and Mhay 57]

I did forget...you will have to go to another room to pay the bill for the affidavit, but they will tell you where to go and there will be no doubt other americans that will be doing the same. The guards are helpful too. You realize what a small world it is when you go to an embassy in a foreign country. I am stationed in alaska near fairbanks....i met a guy stationed in anchorage...(about 7 hours from me in alaska)

[RVIANE♛ 5]

hi i am a us citizen and want to marry my fiancee in the philippines what are the documents and requirements to get married in the philippines? do i need to go there twice to receive all my requirements needed

if i may add your fiancee needs to get a CENOMAR (cert of non marriage) from NSO also

[babybud 0]

You will need a legal capacity to marry from the US embassy in manila. If you a civil wedding you can probably get it done in one trip. the marriage license takes about 10 days to get once applied for. If you do the catholic wedding like we did, you need a month because you will have to attend a seminar at the church in most cases and at least in baliuag, it was only basically given once a month...(2 separate sundays for parts one and 2) If you have been married before bring your divorce decree as you will need it at the embassy and to apply for the marriage license. I was able to do it all in less than 26 days....I arrived on 8 august and was married on 29 august. There was quite a bit of running around to do. I suggest you have your fiancee talk to her municiple hall to see if there is any other surprizes there too...they might be able to help you along too.

Here is a helpful link to read:

http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwha009.html

If you have any specific questions, I might be able to help you some. I am in the military too, dont know if you are also.

Another thing, you will have to change your visa to a CR-1

[babybud 0]

hi!can my fiance get the "legal capacity to marry" from the USA before coming over so we will no longer go to the US Embassy in Manila?Thank you!

You will need a legal capacity to marry from the US embassy in manila. If you a civil wedding you can probably get it done in one trip. the marriage license takes about 10 days to get once applied for. If you do the catholic wedding like we did, you need a month because you will have to attend a seminar at the church in most cases and at least in baliuag, it was only basically given once a month...(2 separate sundays for parts one and 2) If you have been married before bring your divorce decree as you will need it at the embassy and to apply for the marriage license. I was able to do it all in less than 26 days....I arrived on 8 august and was married on 29 august. There was quite a bit of running around to do. I suggest you have your fiancee talk to her municiple hall to see if there is any other surprizes there too...they might be able to help you along too.

Here is a helpful link to read:

http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwha009.html

If you have any specific questions, I might be able to help you some. I am in the military too, dont know if you are also.

Another thing, you will have to change your visa to a CR-1

[babybud 0]

will it be possible for us to be married in a civil ceremony(city hall) in a week time?my fiance plans on a week stay only.just wondering if its possible we get things done in a week time assuming all papers are ready before that week.Thanks !

[Scott and Mhay 57]

hi!can my fiance get the "legal capacity to marry" from the USA before coming over so we will no longer go to the US Embassy in Manila?Thank you!

NO, it has to be done at the embassy in manila as there is no way to track marriages in the US. Please read this link fully http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwha009.html

will it be possible for us to be married in a civil ceremony(city hall) in a week time?my fiance plans on a week stay only.just wondering if its possible we get things done in a week time assuming all papers are ready before that week.Thanks !

Well, the wait for the marriage license is like 10 days...(working days...2 weeks). Unless you know someone that can push the process along on the inside..no it cannot be done in a week.

[PhiLandShiR 18]

hi i am a us citizen and want to marry my fiancee in the philippines what are the documents and requirements to get married in the philippines? do i need to go there twice to receive all my requirements needed

I am thinking there is a 21 day requirment to be in the counrty be for you can get a church wedding...

As well as posting notices and attending counseling sessions...

[Kevin-n-Merlaine 14]

You need-

Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage from either Embassy in Manila or Cebu (got mine in Cebu)

CENOMAR for her

Crazy lady at registrars office made me get a CENOMAR

Marriage counseling seminar

Final divorce decree (original)

Passport

Birth Certificates for both of you

Barangay clearance

Police clearance (possibly)

We were cheated out of a few extra days because of the waiting period. It is not business days-it is 10 calendar days. The woman in charge was quite difficult throughout the whole process though and admitted after the 13th day that it was supposed to have been a 10 calendar day wait. A civil wedding can be done quickly compared to a church wedding. If you're not Catholic and do not have a RECENT baptismal record with you, forget it. You won't be able to have a church wedding. If you are and do have, it will still take as much as a month to go through the process within the church (seminars, banns, etc.). I was there for 32 days and it took nearly all of that time to get it all taken care of.

[Scott and Mhay 57]

I am protestant and we had a catholic wedding. It is up to the church..we also had to have the archbishop (I forget the other name for him) sign off on it (he did with the recommendation of the priest that did our interview). I did it all in less than 26 days....but my wife's mom had connections everywhere to help us along. I dont think there is a 21 day waiting period, but you do have to have your picture posted at the parish to see if anyone objects to the marriage. Either way you go there is hoops you have to jump through to get it done.

Just to give you a little timeline...I arrived the philippines on 8 august at night...went to first seminar with the church on 9 august. Second day of seminar was 23 August and married on 29 august. I think we got the marriage license on 24 august...applied for on 11 august. we couldnt pick up the license until 24 august....10 business days later. They would have done it quicker, but we had the time to wait.

This was my exerience...others may have better or worse luck...or more or less help through the process by municiple hall and the church if they decide to go that way.

[skidivawannabe 2]

Reading all the requirements, I'm so thankful we didn't get married in the Philippines Too much paper work. Not to mention, weddings back home are always a circus.

Edited February 25, 2010 by skidivawannabe

[ivantulier 1]

hi!can my fiance get the "legal capacity to marry" from the USA before coming over so we will no longer go to the US Embassy in Manila?Thank you!

How can you do this before going to the Philippines to get the legal capacity to marry?