Englishman marrying Filipina in Philippines

[Paulypoos1973]

Hello :) Im new to these forums and looking for any advice. I am an Englishman in my 30s and I plan to marry a lovely Filipina woman this year in the Philippines. It will be a very simple civil service as neither of us are rich. So far I have applied for my CNI here in England (certificate of non-impediment) as proof I am unmarried (never been married). I understand that I need to hand this into the British Embassy in Manila and ... if Im correct ... they give me a local CNI. Then what do I do? The marriage will be in the Cavite area.

Im told I have to wait 10 days to marry after declaring my intentions. Then hopefully the wedding will go smoothly and not cost a great deal (Ive been warned they might try to charge me more as Im foreign). Then I will come back to the UK and will have to start the whole proceedings surrounding getting my bride back to the UK (most certainly will require advice on this at some point :-s ).

What documents will my partner need for the wedding? So I can advise her and ensure they are ready.

Thanks for reading and I hope all goes well :-)

[Paulypoos1973]

Sorry forgot something....once Ive handed UK cni into embassy how long does it take to be issued filipina one for the wedding? Next day? Same day?

[Englishman2010]

Welcome and congratulations:xxgrinning--00xx3:

I'd just like to state for the record for the forum, that it is not me, Englishman who is getting married :yikes: The thread title is a little confusing given that Englishman is my forum name :icon_lol:

[daff 'O dill]

Welcome and congratulations:xxgrinning--00xx3:

I'd just like to state for the record for the forum, that it is not me, Englishman who is getting married :yikes: The thread title is a little confusing given that Englishman is my forum name :icon_lol:


:icon_lol:loool:omg::laugher:

[stevie c]

Well spotted Ian i see what you mean :omg: :D

[Englishman2010]

Well spotted Ian i see what you mean :omg: :D

:icon_lol: I saw the thread title and thought, hang on, is there something I don't know about here:omg::icon_lol:

[stevie c]

:laugher:

[Paulypoos1973]

:-|

[sheriel]

Ok i read your post Englisman,ask others if you will,but its a long process,i have been there and done it on reflection i would have got Visitors Visa for my Filipina and married here, i have many freinds who have done that ,just take a step back and consider it for all concerned :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[bigmarco]

Hi and welcome to the Forum.
I recently got married in Malabon.
Yes you need to get a Local CNI from the Embassy. I booked an appointment before I left london and they actually issued the Local CNI to me at the appointment. Check the Embassy website for the documents you need because I had to also provide proof of divorce. Definitely worth booking the appointment before you leave the UK as you are not allowed to just turn up.
After that off to Malabon Municipal hall to book wedding and yes you're right you have to wait 10 days. In that time you have to attend a class for half a day with your partner which is compulsory before they will marry you. I provided local CNI proof of divorce birth certificate passport and fee. Get your partner to check now what she needs. All the fees for ceremony and class are itemised so I didn't feel ripped off at all.

Good luck to you both :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[febmary]

Best wishes in advance for your upcoming wedding. Be patiently to browse the threads and u will find a helpful tip.
Hope your future wife have the Cenomar, birth certificate, etc. Better check the website for additional requirements.

Goodluck!:xxgrinning--00xx3::xxgrinning--00xx3::xxgrinning--00xx3:

[grahamw48]

I agree it's pretty straightforward once you've gathered together the required paperwork.....and the beer at the reception is much cheaper. :D

[lastlid]

Hi Paul. Whereabouts in Cavite?

I married a girl from Cavite province in June 2011. We initially made plans to marry in the civic hall there but struggled to find a way to fit everything in within a short space of time (issues with not being able to get enough time off work ) so we ended up using a marriage agent that other members of her family had already used, who set us up with a civil wedding in Paranaque City and this did the trick (the main stumbling block was the seminar and we managed to get dispensation for that) and thus managed to fit it all in including the 10 day requirement, that you refer to.

We didnt really need the seminar but it appears to be mandatory unless somehow you can get dispensation. We had a problem selecting a date that would fit in with the available timetable and the mayors calendar LOL.

(BTW, we used Island Cove for the reception and stayed there in the lead up to the advanced wedding ceremony and a few days the other side of that.)

On the CNI exchange, we didnt have to make an appointment but I gather that is the case now. The UKBA do a set of notes on their requirements for CNI exchange. Once we got the local CNI from the UKBA we then gave it to our agent, so I cant help you there, unless of course you use an agent too. The agent dealt with the Paranaque City authorities from then on in. We had to make a preliminary appearance at the Paranaque Civic hall but the agent dealt with everything on our behalf, we just had to be present.

BTW. We managed to squeeze in a trip to VFS, which was worth doing.

Documents? I recall she had to submit her Cenomar (CNI) and passport and photos and (not a document I know but) her mom had to give her signed authorisation / permission as she was 23 yo .....dont know if I have missed anything there. She had her Cenomar and passport at the UKBA too for the CNI exchange.

I notice that some advise on marrying back here in the UK but opinion is split on that. One of the drawbacks to marrying in the UK is that one has to fork out for both FLR and the Fiancee visa. Approximately a doubling of fees. In our case we had no choice as her mom insisted on marriage in the Philippines ( I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong on the fees )

[Arthur Little]

:icon_lol: I saw the thread title and thought, hang on, is there something I don't know about here:omg::icon_lol:

:cwm24: ... you and me BOTH, Ian ...

[Arthur Little]

... Stevie too, it seems ... :yikes: ... press-ganged into wedlock!


Well spotted Ian i see what you mean :omg: :D

[Terpe]

Hello :-) Im new to these forums and looking for any advice. I am an Englishman in my 30s and I plan to marry a lovely Filipina woman this year in the Philippines. It will be a very simple civil service as neither of us are rich. So far I have applied for my CNI here in England (certificate of non-impediment) as proof I am unmarried (never been married). I understand that I need to hand this into the British Embassy in Manila and ... if Im correct ... they give me a local CNI. Then what do I do? The marriage will be in the Cavite area.

Im told I have to wait 10 days to marry after declaring my intentions. Then hopefully the wedding will go smoothly and not cost a great deal (Ive been warned they might try to charge me more as Im foreign). Then I will come back to the UK and will have to start the whole proceedings surrounding getting my bride back to the UK (most certainly will require advice on this at some point :-s ).

What documents will my partner need for the wedding? So I can advise her and ensure they are ready.

Thanks for reading and I hope all goes well :-)

Here is some useful general information about overseas marriages and civil partnerships (http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/your-trip/overseas-weddings)

and some CNI information here including the British Embassy appointment system and how to apply

CNI information here (http://ukinthephilippines.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-the-philippines/how-to-apply-for-a-cni)

Please do remember the CNI has only 3 months validity, so plan out carefully what needs to be done and when. It's a good idea to make a project plan from wedding day backwards so you can line it all up.

The CNI is available from your local registry office. It takes 22 days from time of application. It's 21 days for the 'bans'.


Generally, if you can get all your 'ducks lined up' with your paperwork etc, and things go fairly smooth along the way you should have no problems getting married within a 20-30 day timeframe.
I'm sure there are many who will say you can achieve it in only 14 days, and in my opinion that can be done if you are very lucky and the organisation is real slick.
Probably even more will tell you that 21 days is easy. Well I think on balance that's a reasonable time without major problems, but not much time left for honeymoon, that's why I suggested 20-30 days. I do kn ow that getting
that must holiday leave from your employer may be an issue.

I suggest you always check the latest information for paperwork needed etc but in principle you need:-

Birth certificate - original
Passport

CNI - (Certificate of No Impediment to Marry)
Present this document to the British Embassy in the Philippines to be issued a Philippine version called a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry.
This certificate is needed for the application of a marriage license.

BTW many Brits are now reporting that you may well be required to obtain a your own CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage) from NSO (National Statistics Office) so you might need to include this contingency as well.

Marriage License - Apply for this in your fiancée's home town at the registry office. (or locality of where marriage will take place)
You might also be requested to attend the "Pre-Marriage Seminar" counselling sessions prior to being allowed to be married. Check and ask when you apply for the marriage license

After you apply for the license there is a mandatory 10 day waiting period while the marriage banns are published

To apply for the Marriage License you should consider having the following:-

Your birth certificate
Your passport
Your C.N.I.
Your NSO CENOMAR (if needed, please check well beforehand)
Your Divorce decree asbsolute (if applicable)

Certificate of 'Pre-Marriage Seminar' (if needed, please check well beforehand)

Her N.S.O. birth certificate (This should be fresh from NSO on latest type of security paper. Check)
Her Passport (or other appropriate ID)
Her Barangay clearance (if needed, please check well beforehand)
Her community tax certificate (often called Cedula)
Her postal I.D. Address
Her cenomar
Her Parents signed advice form (for under 25 years)
Her Parents I.D.


Hot tip

Always take extra time to very carefully and very thoroughy check and read through all paper work at each step before signing anything. If there are any typing errors/mistakes/mismatches etc it can cost you dear in time and money.

Hottest Tip

Always smile and always remain relaxed, calm and cool.

BTW, is it civil wedding or Catholic Church wedding ?

[lastlid]

Oh yes, as Terpe says, I had to submit my birth certificate. But my wife didnt need Baranguay clearance or Cedula, as far as I know, unless the agent dealt with that for us. She didnt have a postal I.D. at the time so she could not have used that as part of the process. I didnt have to provide my own Cenomar.

I have to admit I didnt always completely comprehend some of the process anyway. Even now, becasue of the way it is organised at a civil wedding, I am not entirely sure of the exact wedding date. It specifies a certain date on the marriage certificate but in reality the ceremony took place 10 days before that so the date on the certificate is just the official date for the records. Even just a few days ago my wife was wondering what date should we consider our wedding anniversary.

I had visited my wife previously in April, hence the reason why I only had a limited time available to fit everything in. I didn't set out to do it all in a limited time frame, it was just the vacation circumstances I had left to play with.

Not including flights from and to the Isle of Man we did it in 16 days, including 2 days to exchange the CNI.

[juvyjones28]

A warm welcome to the forum! :D

I'm also from Cavite and just recently got married (Oct 2011) with my British man. So here's what we did.

He applied for CNI in the UK and he got it after 22 days. He arrived in Philippines early October then the next day we went to the British embassy (you need to book appointment by e-mail). We got his exchanged local CNI after an hour so its the same day process.

you can check out their website to have better view of the process:

http://ukinthephilippines.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-the-philippines/how-to-apply-for-a-cni/

After our appointment at the British embassy we went straight to my church ( INC Temple in QC) to get his local CNI checked but on your situation you won't need to do this as your having your wedding ceremony at civil service hall. We then went to my Local Registry office at City hall to apply for marriage license. So we finished it all in 1 day :D

here is the checklist of documents we submitted(original & 1 photo copy)

Me:

Birth Certificate
Cenomar from NSO
1 passport size or 2x2 photo
Barangay clearance
Cedula
Parental consent as I was 22 when we applied for marriage license.
My parents ID


My husband:

Birth Certificate
Passport
Local CNI (Certificate of No Impediment)
1 passport size or 2x2 photo

We submitted pre-marriage counselling & family planning certificate too. (my husband laughed at this he said he's old enough to know this things :icon_lol: but its mandatory to get marriage license so he had no choice)

They posted our marriage license application for 10 days. At the 10th day they asked us to go back and collect our marriage license.

All in all the whole process only took 13 days for us. We had all documents ready before starting the whole process so its a plus :xxgrinning--00xx3: We had church wedding and all went well.

He was only here for 3 weeks and I'm so glad we got everything done in 3 weeks. We got married late Oct and still had 3 days honeymoon in Tagaytay :icon_lol:. I can't wait to be with him again its hard for a newly wed couple to be apart from each other :doh But I'm about to lodge my spouse visa application at the end of January so hope everything will be ok.

I also got our marriage certificate(from NSO) in 2 weeks(thru advance endorsement) and my new passport(with his name on it) in 7 days. I'll post tomorrow my experience about it when I have time.

Goodluck to you and to your soon to be wife, I hope you can get everything done without too much hassle. Best wishes in advance :Jump::xxgrinning--00xx3::wedtoss:

[lastlid]

I seem to remember her mom gave belated parental consent on the day of the advanced wedding ceremony i.e. on day 1 of the 10 day period. She had to whizz across the road to the civic hall for that :icon_lol: ..... (not as an afterthought or belated consent but just because she wasnt present when we first went to the civic hall the day before).

[lastlid]

I also got our marriage certificate(from NSO) in 2 weeks(thru advance endorsement) and my new passport(with his name on it) in 7 days. I'll post tomorrow my experience about it when I have time.


It took us a little longer for the marriage certificates, about a month, which by all accounts is still quite quick but 2 weeks sounds superfast indeed!

[lastlid]

A
We submitted pre-marriage counselling & family planning certificate too. (my husband laughed at this he said he's old enough to know this things :icon_lol: but its mandatory to get marriage license so he had no choice)


To this day I dont know why, but we didnt do the seminar. The agent somehow got us clearance on that. In truth my wife didnt need the family planning thing as she has a very sensible head on her. I dont know what would have been in the pre marriage counselling but the reverend that married us gave that to my wife.

[juvyjones28]

It took us a little longer for the marriage certificates, about a month, which by all accounts is still quite quick but 2 weeks sounds superfast indeed!

Yes normally it takes 6 months to get from NSO. but for those who need it asap they can use fast track or what they call 'Advance Endorsement'. In my case I was so lucky and got it for 1 week & 6 days :D :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[lastlid]

In my case I was so lucky and got it for 1 week & 6 days :D :xxgrinning--00xx3:

Possibly a forum record? :xxgrinning--00xx3:

Arthur?

[juvyjones28]

To this day I dont know why, but we didnt do the seminar. The agent somehow got us clearance on that. In truth my wife didnt need the family planning thing as she has a very sensible head on her. I dont know what would have been in the pre marriage counselling but the reverend that married us gave that to my wife.

LOL lucky you :D:icon_lol:. Some registrar officers consider you cos you are a foreigner and won't ask you to attend pre-marriage counselling and family planning seminar. But in our case we had to go through it :doh. Its ok though in the end we got everything okay :D:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[grahamw48]

We got ours immediately from the judge's secretary, duly stamped with the gold -embossed stamp.

I believe it is called 'cash advance to the judge'. :D

[lastlid]

We got ours immediately from the judge's secretary, duly stamped with the gold -embossed stamp.

I believe it is called 'cash advance to the judge'. :D
:D

[Arthur Little]

Hello :) Im new to these forums and looking for any advice.

:) Hello to you ... and :welcomex: to the filipino/uk forum. I got married in the *Phils ... but that was more than 3 years ago, and the protocol *there is forever changing (almost as frequently as the British weather, it seems!) :rolleyes: Therefore, I would go along with the helpful suggestions provided by those members who've gone through the process much more recently ... all the while, carefully following Terpe's links.

Good Luck. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[stevie c]

It took us a little longer for the marriage certificates, about a month, which by all accounts is still quite quick but 2 weeks sounds superfast indeed!

My wife & i had our marriage certs back from NSO in 2 weeks also :)

[Paulypoos1973]

Thanks everyone for advice, especially Juvyjones28. Blimey such a complex process!!! I knew a lot of it but it appears I will have to book a 3 week trip to fit it all in, certainly hope I can get out of the marriage/family planning seminar :-p AND that the marriage licence comes QUICK so we can have our civil service immediately after the 10 days. Thanks again everyone.

[grahamw48]

As with everything, money talks....nowhere more-so than in the Phils. :rolleyes:

Just make sure all Filipino documents are genuine, on National Statistics Office 'security' paper where that is a requirement, and acceptable to the British authorities. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[RickyR]

As mentioned above, make an appointment with the Embassy as early as possible (can be done via e-mail, address on the website). Conversion is normally a very quick affair, but they occasionally ask people to come back the next day if they have a backlog of paperwork.

Also you need a CENOMAR for BOTH yourself and your wife, these can be ordered online and you fiance can pay for them both locally and they'll get delivered to her house.
www.ecensus.com.ph

[Arthur Little]

My wife & i had our marriage certs back from NSO in 2 weeks also :)

OURS was fairly quickly dealt with too :rolleyes: ... despite the intervention of the Christmas/New Year hols.

[malditako]

Welcome and congratulations:xxgrinning--00xx3:

I'd just like to state for the record for the forum, that it is not me, Englishman who is getting married:yikes: The thread title is a little confusing given that Englishman is my forum name:icon_lol:

thought its you who's getting married :))

[Rory]

Every time i read a thread like this i am double checking that i have everything that i will need and the best way to get any documentation that is missing. We are planned to get married early May so i have not even applied for my CNI here and Cenomar's there as the lifespan on these documents are 3 months.
This pre-marriage seminar, this is a new one to me and just another obstacle to get over. Can this seminar be pre-booked in advance or is 10 days while we are waiting for the licence to arrange one enough time, if needed?
We will be getting married in Cebu, does anyone know if we need to sit this seminar in this region?

[juvyjones28]

This pre-marriage seminar, this is a new one to me and just another obstacle to get over. Can this seminar be pre-booked in advance or is 10 days while we are waiting for the licence to arrange one enough time, if needed?
We will be getting married in Cebu, does anyone know if we need to sit this seminar in this region?

Rory please do not worry about the pre-marriage seminar. It could be done within the 10 days waiting period for marriage license or you can have it done on the day you submit your marriage license application. The seminar and counselling is mandatory to get the marriage license but other registrar officers won't bother you to attend, others give consideration, others are strict so just see how it goes. Every City hall in the Philippines has this law so I'm afraid Cebu is not excepted. Goodluck and best wishes in advance.:D:xxgrinning--00xx3::wedtoss:

[juvyjones28]

Thanks everyone for advice, especially Juvyjones28. Blimey such a complex process!!! I knew a lot of it but it appears I will have to book a 3 week trip to fit it all in, certainly hope I can get out of the marriage/family planning seminar :-p AND that the marriage licence comes QUICK so we can have our civil service immediately after the 10 days. Thanks again everyone.


Sure everything will be okay Paul, 3 weeks should be enough to accomplish everything for the wedding. fingers crossed for you. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[sarahheller]

Hi englishman, I know all the requirements because we've been there at the british embassy, yes your right you have to get your local CNI in your town hall and present it to the british embassy manila and then after 2 hours they will release your local CNI.. The embassy will release your local CNI if you have complete requirements as well as your wife to be. Yes your right you have to wait 10 days posting till you can get married and don't worry it not cost too much in applying. Your fiancee needs to comply birth certificate from the NSO, CENOMAR and passport thats all the rest will be made by the civil registrar office, what important is that you will complete all the requirements that need to submit in the civil registrar office in Cavite. Remember also that you also get your CENOMAR

[lastlid]

Every time i read a thread like this i am double checking that i have everything that i will need and the best way to get any documentation that is missing. We are planned to get married early May so i have not even applied for my CNI here and Cenomar's there as the lifespan on these documents are 3 months.
This pre-marriage seminar, this is a new one to me and just another obstacle to get over. Can this seminar be pre-booked in advance or is 10 days while we are waiting for the licence to arrange one enough time, if needed?
We will be getting married in Cebu, does anyone know if we need to sit this seminar in this region?

Initially we were in the process of prebooking the seminar in advance ( we had a date lined up with the mayor ), through a friend of the family but when we found that it didnt fit into our available schedule we had the wedding set up through an agent that managed to get us dispensation on the seminar.

We were told we couldn't do it during the 10 day waiting period, as we enquired about that, but no doubt that can vary from one area to another.

[Rory]

We were told we couldn't do it during the 10 day waiting period, as we enquired about that, but no doubt that can vary from one area to another.

We would be pushing it if we could not fit the seminar in the 10 day waiting period. I have only planned to be the full 21 days that my visa will let me. I know i can pay for another week but i will have my return flight booked.
As i have been told on here, 21 days will be enough, i just getting more and more nervy the closer it all gets.

[stevie c]

Rory i was married in the phils & it took me 15 days only i paid 300 pesos to skip the seminar.

In fact i was maried on the 27th september 2010 & believe it or not my wife was here in the uk on a spouse visa on the 9th of november 2010 thats the visa granted cfo completed, the marriage certificate recieved back from the NSO & flights booked.


So dont worry just be prepared have everything in order & you can be married within in 21 days comfortably.

[Terpe]

....As i have been told on here, 21 days will be enough, i just getting more and more nervy the closer it all gets.

Rory, 21 days will be enough just as long as you and your Fiancee get all the correct ID's and paperwork and have all the organisational 'ducks lined up' ready to go.

90% of cases get done and dusted between 14-21 days.

Just remember it's the Philippines and things can go wrong.

As an Engineer, I always think postive and always plan for the worst. Well it works for me :rolleyes:

It's not difficult if you make a good plan that's not too tight. Your fiancee can help a lot to get things organised.
Be sure to be very focussed on getting married and enjoying the day,
Do not get diverted from the basics.
Do not get talked into anything that might create delays or problems.

Good luck.

[Englishman2010]

thought its you who's getting married :))


:yikes: I made that mistake once before

[lastlid]

We would be pushing it if we could not fit the seminar in the 10 day waiting period. I have only planned to be the full 21 days that my visa will let me. I know i can pay for another week but i will have my return flight booked.
As i have been told on here, 21 days will be enough, i just getting more and more nervy the closer it all gets.

Yes. You have more time to get through the necessaries than we had. That breathing space that Terpe refers to is available to you in a 21 day time frame that wasnt there in our case. Our time frame was a little tighter. Also, we couldnt do the CNI exchange in one day (June 2011) but it sounds like since they changed it to an appointment system it may be possible to do it in 1 day giving a full day back to your schedule.

We took our honeymoon in the 10 day gap. That worked well.

To be perfectly honest, I sweated a little over the first few days, owing to the tight schedule, which did take a little bit of the gloss off things. I adopted a bit of an ostrich approach to it. But everything went to plan despite some typhoon dodging upon arrival and once we had got the advanced wedding ceremony done and dusted (day 6) it was downhill from then on in. We also had an added area for concern which was the Isle of Man factor but it turned out okay, thank god.

Our time line...

Day 1 Thursday. Dropped of UK (Isle of Man in our case) CNI to embassy.
Day 2 Collected local CNI
Day 3 Saturday
Day 4 Sunday
Day 5 Delivered all required documents to agent and visited civic hall in Paranaquay with preliminary paperwork. Couldnt do this on the friday as we were only able to collect the local CNI in mid afternoon. And you know what the Manila traffic is like.
Day 6 Advanced wedding ceremony and wedding reception.
Day 7 and onwards...honeymoon and flight home after the 10 days had elapsed. My wife collected the marriage certificates about a month later.



You should be able to do it more comfortably than us. We were struggling for a Plan B but you should be okay......

[toging]

Welcome and congratulations:xxgrinning--00xx3:

I'd just like to state for the record for the forum, that it is not me, Englishman who is getting married:yikes: The thread title is a little confusing given that Englishman is my forum name:icon_lol:

thats what i thought:yikes::yikes::icon_lol::icon_lol:

[Ian S]

I'm hoping it doesn't take that long to get married. I'm going to Phils to get married soon, and I'm only going for 2 weeks. Think I might be cutting it a bit fine.

One tip I can give that I haven't seen here yet: Get your fiancee to apply for your CNI before you go there. This will give you less things to do when you are there. Actually in my case I am getting my fiancees sister to apply for my CNI as my fiancee is still in USA. You just need to give her a letter of authorisation, and other necesary documents.

[grahamw48]

Good tip. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[DeltaRomeo]

I married a girl from Cavite province in June 2011. ..... so we ended up using a marriage agent that other members of her family had already used

Can you tell a little more about the marriage agent please?
Based in Cavite? What duties were carried out - where these unprompted (i.e knowledgeable about all requirements)? What was the cost?

Cheers

[Terpe]

I'm hoping it doesn't take that long to get married. I'm going to Phils to get married soon, and I'm only going for 2 weeks. Think I might be cutting it a bit fine.

As long as your fiancee or her sister can set up a slick process you have a reasonable chance.
The biggest part of your available time will be taken up by the 10 days wait for the marriage licence.
I have known people who have gotten married within 14 days so I do know it's possible.
Not advisable, but possible
I wish you best of luck and a happy wedding

[stevie c]

As long as your fiancee or her sister can set up a slick process you have a reasonable chance.
The biggest part of your available time will be taken up by the 10 days wait for the marriage licence.
I have known people who have gotten married within 14 days so I do know it's possible.
Not advisable, but possible
I wish you best of luck and a happy wedding

asTerpe said it can be done in 14 days as i was one of the lucky ones who actually got married in that timescale.

So plan everything before you go get your mahal to double check everything is correct there & you should be ok ...Good luck :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[Ian S]

I've read on here many people say it is hard to do in 14 days but I'm not really sure why. All I can I think that we need to do is apply for marriage licence, wait 10 days, have ceremony. Ok, so some people need to attend seminar, but we have already been told that is not necessary (maybe because of our age etc).

So why should we need more than 14 days, and what would the agent actually do apart from book appointments for marriage licence and ceremony?

[grahamw48]

Ian, things (more often than not) don't always go according to plan when dealing with any kind of officialdom in the Philippines.

I don't know why you're limited to 14 days, but as it's your marriage and future together that you're seeking advice about here, my advice to you would be to allow as long as you possibly can for the various processes to take place.

You're permitted 21 days visa-free anyway, so if it was me I'd be using it. :)

[LastToKnowMovie]

Hello :) Im new to these forums and looking for any advice. I am an Englishman in my 30s and I plan to marry a lovely Filipina woman this year in the Philippines. It will be a very simple civil service as neither of us are rich. So far I have applied for my CNI here in England (certificate of non-impediment) as proof I am unmarried (never been married). I understand that I need to hand this into the British Embassy in Manila and ... if Im correct ... they give me a local CNI. Then what do I do? The marriage will be in the Cavite area.

Would love-to-know of other-people's-experiences.:)

Im told I have to wait 10 days to marry after declaring my intentions. Then hopefully the wedding will go smoothly and not cost a great deal (Ive been warned they might try to charge me more as Im foreign). Then I will come back to the UK and will have to start the whole proceedings surrounding getting my bride back to the UK (most certainly will require advice on this at some point :-s ).

What documents will my partner need for the wedding? So I can advise her and ensure they are ready.

Thanks for reading and I hope all goes well :-)

I-too plan-to-marry a Filipino 'girl' [she will-be 25yo in-June]; I suspect she MUST register for-a-visa BEFORE coming-to the-UK:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/partners-families/citizens-settled/fiancee-proposed-cp/apply-visa/

This is likely-true, even-if we marry in Manila.

I am British, born-in Manchester England. :)

[Ian S]

Ian, things (more often than not) don't always go according to plan when dealing with any kind of officialdom in the Philippines.

I don't know why you're limited to 14 days, but as it's your marriage and future together that you're seeking advice about here, my advice to you would be to allow as long as you possibly can for the various processes to take place.

You're permitted 21 days visa-free anyway, so if it was me I'd be using it. :)

Ok, I see your point. Unfortunately I've already booked the flight so there isn't anything I can do about that. We'll just have to hope everything goes ok, and if not I'll have to make a return visit. I'm going in a weeks time, so I'll let you know what happens.

[grahamw48]

Ok, best of luck Ian. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

Flight dates can be changed of course, and visas extended.

It's only money.

[joy_86jm]

Welcome and congratulations:xxgrinning--00xx3:

I'd just like to state for the record for the forum, that it is not me, Englishman who is getting married:yikes: The thread title is a little confusing given that Englishman is my forum name:icon_lol:

lol that so funny :crazy::laugher:

[joy_86jm]

Yes. You have more time to get through the necessaries than we had. That breathing space that Terpe refers to is available to you in a 21 day time frame that wasnt there in our case. Our time frame was a little tighter. Also, we couldnt do the CNI exchange in one day (June 2011) but it sounds like since they changed it to an appointment system it may be possible to do it in 1 day giving a full day back to your schedule.

We took our honeymoon in the 10 day gap. That worked well.

To be perfectly honest, I sweated a little over the first few days, owing to the tight schedule, which did take a little bit of the gloss off things. I adopted a bit of an ostrich approach to it. But everything went to plan despite some typhoon dodging upon arrival and once we had got the advanced wedding ceremony done and dusted (day 6) it was downhill from then on in. We also had an added area for concern which was the Isle of Man factor but it turned out okay, thank god.

Our time line...

Day 1 Thursday. Dropped of UK (Isle of Man in our case) CNI to embassy.
Day 2 Collected local CNI
Day 3 Saturday
Day 4 Sunday
Day 5 Delivered all required documents to agent and visited civic hall in Paranaquay with preliminary paperwork. Couldnt do this on the friday as we were only able to collect the local CNI in mid afternoon. And you know what the Manila traffic is like.
Day 6 Advanced wedding ceremony and wedding reception.
Day 7 and onwards...honeymoon and flight home after the 10 days had elapsed. My wife collected the marriage certificates about a month later.



You should be able to do it more comfortably than us. We were struggling for a Plan B but you should be okay......

We able to collect our local CNI at the same day, we just waited about 30 mins there at the embassy.

[grahamw48]

We able to collect our local CNI at the same day, we just waited about 30 mins there at the embassy.

So did we...only problem was that halfway through the wedding someone at City Hall noticed that there were some spelling differences between the British and the Filipino docs (fiancee's name)....so had to go back to the embassy THEN to get corrected ! :NoNo:

That's why I tell people NOT to rely on everything going smoothly as planned. ;)

[Iani]

Hi, silly question maybe, but I am reading that if I got married in Phils, one thing I would need is a CENOMAR - and am I reading this right - I would need to apply for that in Phils?

Surely this isn't right, I mean, my divorce won't be registered there, my birth won't be registered there - how would they know I am ok to marry?
Obviously I'd get the CNI here and get it converted, but this CENOMAR is confusing me

[jonnijon]

Yes you need a cenomar,they just want your money :icon_lol: you can get it online. www.ecensus.com.ph

[RickyR]

The Cenomar is to check you haven't been married in the Philippines previously, since there is no obligation to actually inform the British Embassy or the UK if you get married in the Philippines.

[grahamw48]

I'm a bit confused about this . :Erm:


So does that mean that folk like me who got married in the Phils but subsequently divorced in the UK, can't get married again in the Phils....obviously having shown CNI. ?

[Iani]

they just want your money :icon_lol: www.ecensus.com.ph

That I can well believe :icon_lol: ok then

[RickyR]

I'm a bit confused about this . :Erm:


So does that mean that folk like me who got married in the Phils but subsequently divorced in the UK, can't get married again in the Phils....obviously having shown CNI. ?

I imagine it would throw a spanner in the works and take quite a bit of running round providing everyone and their dog with a photocopy of everything.

[Mr newbie]

do you need origanal birthcert? what if you lost it ...and got a replacement from the births and deaths authorising body?????????????/ would that still count? as origanal? when you speak of origanal...i suppose you mean not a photocopy?????????????????????????????? is a replacement copy legal???
:Erm:

[Mr newbie]

S:Erm:o you need this cenomar to inform the church people you are/havnt been wedded in the filipines before ...as well as you need to have a CNI which you get from the british embassey in london ...which you take with you to the filipins , which then gets converted......so you end up with two forms....1.a cemnomar and a 2 CNI........

[Mr newbie]

If you do not have a CENMOMAR cert......does that mean you wont be allowed to wed ........by the church minasters?
:Erm:

[Mr newbie]

1.passport 2. birth cert (not photocopy)..3. Cenmomar cert(not been married in filpines before )...4.CNI cert.................send CENMOMAR ahead ...and CNI .....? is that correct?
:Erm::Erm: all confusing a bit?
need to re-read before penny drops in ...i think :$

[RickyR]

Have you eaten too many E Numbers? Anyway, original in this context refers to an official copy from the registry office.
Yes you need a CENOMAR from the Phils and yes you need a CNI from the Registry Office in the UK converted by the British Embassy in Manila (There is no British Embassy in London, maybe will be one in scotland in the near future....)

[grahamw48]

(There is no British Embassy in London, maybe will be one in scotland in the near future....) :icon_lol:


...and Leicester ? :Erm:

[somebody]

I'm a bit confused about this . :Erm:


So does that mean that folk like me who got married in the Phils but subsequently divorced in the UK, can't get married again in the Phils....obviously having shown CNI. ?

I am not an expert on this but I can remember its a complicated one and make sure you tread carefully Graham and get the official view discretely as in the worse scenario you would be committing bigamy which would not be with handy in pinas.

[grahamw48]

Thanks, yeah, that thought had crossed my mind. :rolleyes:

Looks like it'll be a while yet before I need to investigate though.

[lastlid]

Hi, silly question maybe, but I am reading that if I got married in Phils, one thing I would need is a CENOMAR - and am I reading this right - I would need to apply for that in Phils?

Surely this isn't right, I mean, my divorce won't be registered there, my birth won't be registered there - how would they know I am ok to marry?
Obviously I'd get the CNI here and get it converted, but this CENOMAR is confusing me

I ordered my Philippine CENOMAR online from the UK. Had my wife pay for it in Phils and had it sent to her home address in Phils. At the time it wasn't a requirement but seemingly it is now.

On the "how would they know" bit. Thats what I thought but they just took my word for it that I was divorced. No proof required. Daft eh!

[Ian S]

Ok, I just arrived back from the Philippines a married man :). I was only there for 2 weeks but luckily everything went ok and we managed to get married without any problems. We went to the office one day to give the details and sign the forms, and then went back 10 days or so later for the ceremony.
In my experience this was easily achieveable in 2 weeks, but I still think it's best to follow other peoples advice and allow more time incase something goes wrong.
Once again my main advice is to get your fiancee to get the CNI for you. This will save your precious time when you are there.

[lastlid]

Ok, I just arrived back from the Philippines a married man :). I was only there for 2 weeks but luckily everything went ok and we managed to get married without any problems. We went to the office one day to give the details and sign the forms, and then went back 10 days or so later for the ceremony.
In my experience this was easily achieveable in 2 weeks, but I still think it's best to follow other peoples advice and allow more time incase something goes wrong.
Once again my main advice is to get your fiancee to get the CNI for you. This will save your precious time when you are there.

Thats pretty much what we did. :xxgrinning--00xx3: Except we did the ceremony 10 days in advance. So we didnt have to go back, save to pick up the Marriage Certificate, which my wife did. I just had to be in the country for 10days after the ceremony.

[bigmarco]

Ok, I just arrived back from the Philippines a married man :). I was only there for 2 weeks but luckily everything went ok and we managed to get married without any problems. We went to the office one day to give the details and sign the forms, and then went back 10 days or so later for the ceremony.
In my experience this was easily achieveable in 2 weeks, but I still think it's best to follow other peoples advice and allow more time incase something goes wrong.
Once again my main advice is to get your fiancee to get the CNI for you. This will save your precious time when you are there.

Congratulations to you both :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[lordna]

Ok, I just arrived back from the Philippines a married man :). I was only there for 2 weeks but luckily everything went ok and we managed to get married without any problems. We went to the office one day to give the details and sign the forms, and then went back 10 days or so later for the ceremony.
In my experience this was easily achieveable in 2 weeks, but I still think it's best to follow other peoples advice and allow more time incase something goes wrong.
Once again my main advice is to get your fiancee to get the CNI for you. This will save your precious time when you are there.

Congratulations..join the club of us who married in Phil!....Next stage is getting a Visa for your wife to join you here. Good Luck to you both

[Paulypoos1973]

Hi folks, nice to see this thread still has life lol Im the guy who originally started it so feel a tad guilty Ive not been on for a while.

Good news is Im now married :-D

Went to the philippines and JUST managed to squeeze wedding in on my LAST day there of a three week visit. Despite having all my documents (I thought) and a ready booked appointment at the embassy a day after landing...I was shocked to learn I was one document short (cenomar?) so applied for that the same day waited 4 days to get it (well 6 as weekend not included in 4 day waiting period grrrr) then of course I had to wait the regulation 10 days before the wedding AND attend the silly course on birth control (all in Tagalog, only recognised the word CONDOM). Wasnt a fun course as I was severely hungover on the local Red Horse strong beer.

Anyway, married by the mayor on the last day then jetted home :-(

Now folks, just need your expert advice on getting my beloved wife back to the uk.

Is is correct that basically she has to make an appointment at the British Embassy for a settlement visa?

Looking forward to your help/advice :)

[Terpe]

Congratulations on your marriage, best wishes for a great future together.


Take a look here for 'Applying for a UK visa in the Philippines' (http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/countries/philippines/?langname=UK%20English)


Here's how to book an appoinment with VFS Global (https://www.vfs.firm.in/pl-apptsystem/appscheduling/appwelcome.aspx)

Please do take some time out to review this thread on How To Apply For A Spouse Visa (http://filipinaroses.com/showthread.php/36554-How-To-Apply-For-A-Spouse-Visa)

Finally, watch this space as some significant changes for settlement visa's are expected soon.

[Ian S]

Hi folks, nice to see this thread still has life lol Im the guy who originally started it so feel a tad guilty Ive not been on for a while.

Good news is Im now married :-D

Went to the philippines and JUST managed to squeeze wedding in on my LAST day there of a three week visit. Despite having all my documents (I thought) and a ready booked appointment at the embassy a day after landing...I was shocked to learn I was one document short (cenomar?) so applied for that the same day waited 4 days to get it (well 6 as weekend not included in 4 day waiting period grrrr) then of course I had to wait the regulation 10 days before the wedding AND attend the silly course on birth control (all in Tagalog, only recognised the word CONDOM). Wasnt a fun course as I was severely hungover on the local Red Horse strong beer.

Anyway, married by the mayor on the last day then jetted home :-(

Now folks, just need your expert advice on getting my beloved wife back to the uk.

Is is correct that basically she has to make an appointment at the British Embassy for a settlement visa?

Looking forward to your help/advice :)

Ha ha ha. I see you got bitten by the Red Horse too! It's strong stuff and gets you drunk quicker that you think (as I found out). Congratulations, it was a close call but I'm glad everything went ok for you and you don't need a return trip.
My wife and I are about to start the visa process too. I'll keep you updated and try to help where I can.

[grahamw48]

Even the ordinary San Mig is supposedly 5-6% proof...in case you've been blaming the climate and the women for that light-headed feeling. :Cuckoo::D

[Paulypoos1973]

Thanks for the help folks and Im glad Im not the only one bitten by the red horse :-s

Anyway Ive been looking through the list of documents required for my wife to apply for a visa and one is "evidence of your English language ability" well her English is first class but how can she prove it? Theres the need for her to present documentary evidence of this, some kind of certificate. Any ideas folks?

[lastlid]

Thanks for the help folks and Im glad Im not the only one bitten by the red horse :-s

Anyway Ive been looking through the list of documents required for my wife to apply for a visa and one is "evidence of your English language ability" well her English is first class but how can she prove it? Theres the need for her to present documentary evidence of this, some kind of certificate. Any ideas folks?


She needs to take and pass an English Language test at an approved test centre. Where does your wife live? My wife took hers at Hopkins Manila.

http://filipinaroses.com/showthread.php/36297-TOEIC_Hopkins-(A1-level-tests)?highlight=Hopkins

http://filipinaroses.com/showthread.php/38549-Language-Test-for-Fiance-Visa?highlight=language+test

[jonnijon]

Get taught to speak english abroad :icon_lol::NoNo:

[Istoryahe]

Ive been going out with my gf for over a year. I was wondering what is the 1st step i need. What form of ID to start the ball rolling. I know one thing is for sure, and thats to have the blessing of the parents, but i would rather do that in person and not over the phone.

Ive looked on other websites, namely Americans marrying a filipina and one of the requirements is to prove you've been baptised. As i'm CoE, i gather RCC would not accept this. Would i need to convert to Roman Catholic before they except.

I also followed the link which someone gave to the British consol in Cebu for the CNI, but thats the last thing i need to do/collect. I need the other stuff 1st which i'm unsure of.

Can anyone tell me please. Thanks

[grahamw48]

Welcome to the forum.

Forget looking at American sites. They will have different requirements.

You need to look at the UKBA website for current and accurate information regarding settlement visas for UK.

I'm an Atheist and that certainly didn't stop me getting married in the Phils, but civil ceremony.

If you use the search facility on here you'll find the answers to most of your questions, after checking the UKBA site.

[Steve.r]

Ive been going out with my gf for over a year. I was wondering what is the 1st step i need. What form of ID to start the ball rolling. I know one thing is for sure, and thats to have the blessing of the parents, but i would rather do that in person and not over the phone.

Ive looked on other websites, namely Americans marrying a filipina and one of the requirements is to prove you've been baptised. As i'm CoE, i gather RCC would not accept this. Would i need to convert to Roman Catholic before they except.

I also followed the link which someone gave to the British consol in Cebu for the CNI, but thats the last thing i need to do/collect. I need the other stuff 1st which i'm unsure of.

Can anyone tell me please. Thanks

If you search this site there are loads of threads all about the procedure. Do some looking/research yourself first, everything is here.

Use the search top right to narrow your vast question. Or look at the UKBA website for forms and guidence.