CIVIL WEDDING REQUIREMENT - HOW TO GET MARRIED HERE IN PHILIPPINES WITH FOREIGNER FIANCE

A SIMPLE GUIDE ON HOW TO GET A MARRIAGE LICENSE

POSTED BY RICH TASE OF WONDER - JULY 27, 2021

I am a Filipino bride and I marry a Korean Foreigner here in the Philippines. I know some other Filipina are wondering where to start and how to process a Marriage License. You may find a lot of guidelines on other websites on what are the requirements. These are the detailed process and I will walk you through from getting the Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage to getting the Marriage License and of course! a lot of tips. Let's get started! 💪

What is a Marriage License?

My husband is always confused about Marriage licenses and Marriage Contracts/Certificates. Yes, they are two different documents. The marriage license is a document that authorizes a couple to marry anywhere in the Philippines. This needs to be secured before marrying.

What is a Marriage Contract/Certificate?

A Marriage Certificate is a document that shows social unions or legal contracts between the couple that unites their lives together legally, emotionally, and economically. After the civil wedding, this will be released in more or less than 2 months.

What are the requirements for a Marriage License?

a. FILIPINO FIANCE/FIANCEE BIRTH CERTIFICATE -  The Filipino fiance/fiancee should secure an original copy of his/her Birth Certificate from PSA (Philippine Statistic Authority) if you already have a Birth Certificate you don't need to get another one. You just need to photocopy your Birth certificate and secure 3 copies. 

This is where you will need it:

1 photocopy- Will be submitted at Municipal Hall

1 photocopy- Will be submitted at Korean Immigration

1 photocopy- Extra copy (Always have an extra copy with you cause some offices are asking for more than 1 copy)

b. FILIPINO and FOREIGNER fiance/fiancee CENOMAR - Cenomar is (Certificate of No Marriage) also known as "Certificate of No Record of Marriage" you can also get this at PSA (Philippine Statistic Authority). The municipal hall is requiring these documents to know if you or your fiance/fiancee is still single. If in case you are married. You cannot marry your fiance/fiancee anywhere unless you filed an Annulment to your current spouse. You have to secure at least 1 original copy of this and make a photocopy for your Municipal Hall.

This is where you will need it:

1 original copy- Will be submitted at Korean Immigration

1 Photocopy- Will be submitted at Municipal Hall

This is how your PSA should look like. This is valid for only 6 months.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

                                          We certify that (Name of Applicant) who is alleged to have been born on (Date of Birth) in (Place of Birth) to (Father's Full name) and (Mother's full maiden name), does not appear in our National Indices of Marriage.

                                            This certification is based on the record of 1945-2021 marriages enrolled in the database as of May 31, 2021.

                                            Issued upon the request of (Name of Applicant) for Marriage.

TIPS: You can get this Cenomar within the day if you will visit the nearest PSA office. 1 copy of this in PSA office is 210pesos. But if you are too busy you can also apply online. Make sure that all the information you filled up is correct or else, you cannot exchange the documents for the correction you have to request a new copy again. For the online application, it can cost you 420 for 1 copy. I suggest that if you are just near to the PSA office it's better to visit. This is to avoid paying the double amount plus you will get your documents within the day. 

Other TIPS: If you are planning to visit the nearest PSA make sure to be there in the early morning, a lot of people are falling in line to get their needed documents. Since it is pandemic they are limiting the number of applicants to 500 people only.

c. LEGAL CAPACITY TO CONTRACT MARRIAGE FOR FOREIGNER FIANCE/FIANCEE

This is the documents that your fiance/fiancee has to get in Korean Immigration to know if he/she is still single. 

These are the requirements before getting the LCC (legal capacity to contract marriage)

Korean Fiancee/Fiance

- Passport Original

- (1) copy of passport bio-page

- (1) Korean Marriage History (issued within 3 months)

- PSA Cenomar (Issued within 3 months

FILIPINO Fiancee/Fiance

- (1) photocopy of Birth Certificate

- (1) original copy of CENOMAR

- (1) copy of Valid ID with Birthdate

Both couples have to fill up the application form below. The left side should be filled up by the Korean Fiance/Fiancee and the right side should be filled up by Filipino Fiance/Fiancee it is translated into English it will be easy for your to understand if you are not yet fluent in Hangul. 

There you go! after this, you will wait for your number to be called and submit the necessary documents. We visited the immigration at 9:30am and we submitted all the requirements. You will have to pay 100 pesos for the certificate and they will give you this form below and ask you to pick it up at 3:00pm within the day your partner will get his/her Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage and he/she has to return the form given below.

d. VISIT THE LCR IN YOUR MUNICIPALITY TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED AND APPLIED FOR MARRIAGE LICENSE

In our Municipal LCR (Local Civil Registrar) these are the requirements that I need to submit.

Note: Couple should be present during application.

In my case, I submitted 1 photocopy of my Birth certificate and 1 photocopy each of our Cenomar we got from PSA (Philippine Statistic Authority), and an Original Copy of LCC of my fiancé (Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage), and photocopy of his valid ID. After that, they ask us to fill up the application form for the Marriage License. I attached the sample below.

 

After you signed, double-check your information in application you have to return it to the LCR and pay at the cashier for the Marriage License 150pesos, Marriage Application 50pesos and Seminar Certification Fee 50pesos.

After getting the schedule for seminar. You have to attend the couple counseling seminar. They will discuss about family planning before entering marriage. Since it is still pandemic we attended the seminar online. We went back to city hall to get the Seminar Certification and we submit it to LCR. They gave us all the papers back and we submit it to Hall of Justice and check our RTC (Regional Trial Court) Branch number, we are  assigned in Branch 59. We paid 310pesos for Marriage Fee.

In our branch only 1 Ninong (Male Godparents) 1 Ninang (Female Godparents) are allowed to enter, we have decided to change the RTC Branch to 118. Our Presiding Judge is Hon. Rene E. Reyes. They also limit the attendees but they are not so much strict. I also want my parents to witness our wedding. I am so happy that at the most important day of my life my dad was there to witness it before he passed away November 2021 due to heart stroke.

Here are the sneak peak of our wedding.

Before going to City Hall

Picture with our Dog Thalia

While we are waiting our Judge

During the wedding

Exchange of vows

and Officially Married!!!

The total cost we spend for our wedding processing is only 

PSA Birth Certificate -155

Cenomar mine and his -420

Legal Capacity to Marry -100

Marriage License- 150

Marriage Application - 50

Seminar Certificate Fee- 50

Marriage Fee - 310

Total of 1,235.

Other expense 

2000 Bride expense (Dress, shoes and etc) - If you don't have money to buy, you can just borrow white dress and shoes to your friends. For me, I only bought my dress and belt. I just did my own hair and make up and wear my old shoes.

2000- Groom expense (Shirt) - My groom only bought white polo in M&S and shoes in department store. Again, if you don't have money to buy you can just borrow these. He just wear his old pants too.

2000 Transportation expense - Since we went to Manila to get the Legal Capacity to Marriage we have to pay some gas and toll fees. Also, we have to spend transportation going to city hall.

15,000-Food expense - This one it doesn't need to be a fancy restaurant. We just booked our reception to our favorite seafood restaurant nearby. But again if you don't have a budget. You can just ordered few food tray from catering good for the number of people you have. 

If you are near from Concepcion Tarlac, you can buy here at Kuya Fher Buffet & Catering. Here is their pricelist below good for 25-30pax.

  You can just buy 3-4 food tray and cooked your own rice and do it at home.

Ex. 

Chicken BBQ -1500

Chopsuey- 1200

Pancit Bihon - 900

Rice - 1500

Total of 5100pesos for food expense.

In less than 10,000 you can already have your civil wedding. 

As for ours since we bought some clothes too and we went to manila for our Legal Capacity Certificate. We have spend more or less 22,000 for our civil wedding the most expensive is always the food, we held it in our favorite crab restaurant nearby and our Godparents love it. This is our giving back to them since they risk traveling even during pandemic time for us. Hope you enjoy my blog and you got some tips. Good luck and Congratulations for your upcoming wedding.