Visas to Spain or Greece - Married in Philippines certificate not apostle stamped

[Filipino]

Hi does anyone have any experience of getting visas to either Spain or Greece if they were married in thePhilippines and have a NSO marriage certificate that is stamped seen and noted by the Phillippines embassy in London but is not apostle stamed.

Anyone been issued one for a short holiday?

Or to any EU country?

Thanks for your help.

[johncar54]

You will require a Schengen Area Visa. The requirements should be the same no matter at which consulate you make the application.

From a personal point, I would suggest you try the Spanish Consulate in Makati, although your choice will depend on where you are in RP.

I found the Spanish consular staff very friendly and helpful, but I am biased as I have chosen to live in Spain.

Certainly, the visa for my wife to settle in Spain was straightforward, other than actually getting the paperwork.





(In the web site shown below, please note the language button which permits one to read the info in English).





http://www.maec.es/subwebs/Consulados/Manila/es/home/Paginas/Home.aspx


Useful address:_

Cónsul General: D. Álvaro Lozano Cutanda.
Dirección: 5th floor, A.C.T. Tower. 135Sen. Gil J. Puyat Av.1200. Makati, Metro Manila.
Apartado de Correos: P.O.B. 1114, Makati Central Post Office. 1251 Makati City, Metro Manila.
Teléfonos: 818 35 61, 818 35 81, 818 55 26 y 759 29 70.
Teléfonos desde España: 63 2 818 35 61, 63 2 818 35 81, 63 2 818 35 81, 818 55 26 y 63 2 759 29 70.
Teléfono de emergencia consular: 0 91 789 66 046.
Fax: (63 2) 810 28 85.
E-mail: con.manila@maec.es

[Filipino]

Sorry didn't make it clear. I am currently in UK on a spouse visa issued in Philippines in my passport. So I do not have the resident card I think people have if married here in UK. We were married in Philippines and have a NSO marriage certificate signed seen and noted by Philippines embassy in London but not apostle marked... They are not authorised to do this in the Philippines Embassy in London. So my question is really as anyone received a short holiday visa to Spain, Greece, or another EU state on the same documents. I.e overseas marriage certificate married to UK national but not apostle stamped?

Also anyone have any experience of getting a visa for Cyprus for short holiday?

Thank you :)

[Terpe]

Filipino

With your Phils passport you will need to apply for visa to travel anywhere within Europe.

Normally this would mean making application for a Schengen Visa.

Generally speaking with a Schengen visa, you may enter one country and travel freely throughout the Schengen region during the validity of the visa.
Border controls are limited with few stops and checks.
However you would be well advised to check on the regulations to determine which embassy to make your application.

Make internet search for the embassy of the country you wish to visit.

Schengen countries are:-

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,Spain, Sweden

These countries joined the Schengen Agreement on 21st December 2007

Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia.

Normally the application of a Schengen Visa requires personal appearance at the Embassy. Additionally (with Phils passport) you will normally not be issued with the visa on the same day. It may take up to 3 weeks.

[Filipino]

Thnaks Terpe, yes understand all that. The question is mainly the marriage certificate really. And the certiifcate only being stamped seen and noted by the Philippines Embassy in London and not apostle stamped.

[johncar54]

.. They are not authorised to do this in the Philippines Embassy in London.





I am surprised that the Phil embassy (consulate) cannot / will not produce an authorised copy of your NSO marriage cert. The RP honorary consul in Malaga does it (while one waits 20 mins) and also the RP consulate in Madrid. I cannot understand why the RP consulate in UK can't do the same. Is it possible that there has been a misunderstanding ?

[Filipino]

I am surprised that the Phil embassy (consulate) cannot / will not produce an authorised copy of your NSO marriage cert. The RP honorary consul in Malaga does it (while one waits 20 mins) and also the RP consulate in Madrid. I cannot understand why the RP consulate in UK can't do the same. Is it possible that there has been a misunderstanding ?

No they were very clear. They can stamp the NSO copy seen and noted but they can not do the apostle seal. £18 is the charge for seen and noted stamp. They have no authority to do an apostle seal which can only be done in Manila they said.

[johncar54]

OK I misunderstood. You are referring to the 'red ribbon' copy issued at Malacañang. It was that which we had translated / authenticated. I think the info is correct and you will need to get that done in Phil. But I would have thought that you would need to have had that when you got the spouse visa for UK. For the equivalent visa for Schengen countries (Spain in our case) the red ribbon copy is an absolute requirement.

[Filipino]

I may have missed something but what I believe is required is an certificate to say that the NSO copy is a legally valid document proving the marriage.


No any non UK marriage certificate needs an apostle stamp by embassy.

http://www.greekembassy.org.uk/ConsularAffairs/MajorConsularIssues/VisasForeignCitizensOnly.aspx
Near the bottom... Family member of EU citizen.

B) Required documents
■ Original passport (with a valid UK residence permit) and the passport of the EU citizen.
■ Original certificate that proves the relationship of the applicant with the EU citizen (marriage certificate, other partnership certificate, birth certificate etc., please note that the marriage or the partnership needs to be registered with the competent authorities. Marriages between a Greek citizen and a third country national need to be registered with the relevant Municipality in Greece according to the Greek legislation). In case the marriage certificate has been issued from another country (other than the UK) an apostille stamp is needed or a validation from the relevant Embassy.

[johncar54]

Sorry I corrected that post, after I checked the paperwork we have.

[Terpe]

I checked the Greek site for Schengen Visa and this is the wording I found:-

Original documents (marriage certificates, birth certificates e.t.c) issued by other countries (other than the UK) need to have the apostille stamp or being ratified by the relevant Embassy.

Source:-
http://www.greekembassy.org.uk/ConsularAffairs/MajorConsularIssues/VisasForeignCitizensOnly.aspx

Schengen Visa applications are full of twists and turns that can never be truly understood unless application is made. Yes, I know it's very frustrating but that's how they work. Each member country has their own slight (but important) differences.

The fact is that most supporting documents (not issued in UK) need to have the apostille stamp or being ratified by the relevant Embassy.

Your marriage certificate IS ratified (validated)

If you want to travel (say to Greece) then you will have to be compliant with the requirements. You only have what you have, and that actually does meet the stated requirement.
The only way to know 100% for sure is to make application.

I strongly suggest you also read the other requirements for supporting documents also.

Good Luck

[johncar54]

May I suggest that you shelve the idea of a holiday just now and get the necessary copy from Malacañang.

You do not need to be in RP to get it, as someone can do it on your behalf. You may need to give them a signed authorisation to act for you. My wife's was obtained for us by a 'fixer' in Manila.

[Filipino]

OK I misunderstood. You are referring to the 'red ribbon' copy issued at Malacañang. It was that which we had translated / authenticated. I think the info is correct and you will need to get that done in Phil. But I would have thought that you would need to have had that when you got the spouse visa for UK. For the equivalent visa for Schengen countries (Spain in our case) the red ribbon copy is an absolute requirement.

No did not need that for UK spouse visa, but this may have been because my husband was working there in Philippines when we applied so applied while we were both in the Philippines prior to my husbands work contract finishing there. On ly requirement was a NSO copy. Seems strange to me while the UK accept that then just a short holiday visa don't accept it!

[Filipino]

I checked the Greek site for Schengen Visa and this is the wording I found:-

Original documents (marriage certificates, birth certificates e.t.c) issued by other countries (other than the UK) need to have the apostille stamp or being ratified by the relevant Embassy.

Source:-
http://www.greekembassy.org.uk/ConsularAffairs/MajorConsularIssues/VisasForeignCitizensOnly.aspx

Schengen Visa applications are full of twists and turns that can never be truly understood unless application is made. Yes, I know it's very frustrating but that's how they work. Each member country has their own slight (but important) differences.

The fact is that most supporting documents (not issued in UK) need to have the apostille stamp or being ratified by the relevant Embassy.

Your marriage certificate IS ratified (validated)

If you want to travel (say to Greece) then you will have to be compliant with the requirements. You only have what you have, and that actually does meet the stated requirement.
The only way to know 100% for sure is to make application.

I strongly suggest you also read the other requirements for supporting documents also.

Good Luck

Thanks it's no charge for the visa so maybe we just try and apply.

[johncar54]

No did not need that for UK spouse visa, but this may have been because my husband was working there in Philippines when we applied so applied while we were both in the Philippines prior to my husbands work contract finishing there. On ly requirement was a NSO copy. Seems strange to me while the UK accept that then just a short holiday visa don't accept it!

As most of us here know, one cannot assume that anything is the same anywhere else, in fact usually most things are different everywhere. As Therpe said, even within Schengen, where the law re visas is the same in all the countries, the interpretation can be different form country to country.

[Filipino]

On another note if anyone applied for a Schengen Visa did they book their flights and hotel before applying? Anyone got the visa by saying they will get a last minute holiday or without a booking? Thnaks.

[johncar54]

On another note if anyone applied for a Schengen Visa did they book their flights and hotel before applying? Anyone got the visa by saying they will get a last minute holiday or without a booking? Thnaks.

We booked the flight when the consulate confirmed that the visa WOULD be issued on a certain date.

No 'story' is going to make them ignore the Schengen Directive on visas !

[keithAngel]

this is new one apostille stamp ? I want to apply to the Portuguess or rather my Wife does but we cant get any replies from the Embassy in Indonesia that now handles visas applications for the Phillipines since its embassy shut in Manila I have also emailed the Portuguess Consul Generals Office in London also with out sucsess

Any info would be appreciated if anyone has info on the apostile seal can I get this john if needed in Spain from Portugal?

or what is the office here N.S.O.? Im still waiting for the N.SO. copies of the Wedding Certificate:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[Filipino]

We booked the flight when the consulate confirmed that the visa WOULD be issued on a certain date.

No 'story' is going to make them ignore the Schengen Directive on visas !

I ask about the booking of flights / accomdation / holidays because it seems to be a stipulations that you have to book them before you apply for a visa to EU countries. With the question mark over the apostle stamp it's not really a chance I want to take. Oh well... it's a lot of hassle! I am missing the sun.