Certificate of Non Impediment advice please.

[maintman]

Hi lads and lasses,
I hope someone can give me some advice here. My fiance and I are planning to marry in the Philippines, so as a consequence I have to apply for the CNI. I've phoned my local registrar and was given an appointment for the end of September but she was very vague on exactly what I needed. Very vague actually is an understatement, she actually said she wasn't allowed to tell me what I needed, "just bring everything" were her words. Trouble is, what is everything? Obviously her name, address, date of birth, but what else? She said she did need to see my passport, proof of address which was to be a council tax bill, NOT utility bills and driving lisence.
Also, she said that once issued, I need to send it off to the Foreign Office to have it authenticated but I've seen on here that you have to take it to the British Embassy in Manila to have one issued that is accepted locally. Do I need to go the FO route? It's a postal service apparently, How long does it take?
Lots of questions I know, but I would be grateful for some answers please.

[Steve.r]

Hi Maint.

What a rubbish registry office worker Not allowed to tell you whatever next

Ok, when you go to the office for your appointment take your passport, birth certificate a current utiity bill, council tax bill. All is proof of who you say you are. If you have been married before you need a your original final decree, stamped by the courts as final proof that your last marriage is completely finished.
You will also need some details of your fiancee. You need her address, date of birth. But no documentary evidence is required by you to give to the registra. It costs about £33 for the certificate.
Your details are then taken and posted in your local main council office for 21 days so that if there are any objections they can be raised and sorted. But I would hope that no-one objects.
After the 21 days the certificate is posted to you and that is that..... this end. You do not need to contact the FO.

When you arrive in Manila, you now need to make an appointment to visit the British Embassy. You need to do this so you can exchange your UK CNI to a local version. Again you will need your passport and birth cert, UK CNI and final decree as before. You go there with your fiancee, who will need to produce her birth certificate and her proof of annulment CENOMAR(if she has been married before) The paperwork takes about a half hour to complete, and then a day's wait for the production of the local cert for your marriage. It costs about 5500peso (ish)
Once you have your local cert you can then go and arrange your marriage, but once you have your cert, you need to register your intent of marriage at your local municipal who then post it again for 10 days, until the paperwork is done and you can get married.

I hope that helps a little

Others will add comments if I missed anything

[sars_notd_virus]

just go with your appointment with the registry office ,passport ,utility bills or any proof of address ...it will be posted in the registry office for 3weeks theN u can go and collect your (CNI)...bring that with you when u go to the Philippines,take it to the British Embassy in Manila and exchange it with( a large amount of cash) for the local equivalent of CNI..then your off to marry provided your fiance also got her CENOMAR.

..its the first time i heard that u need to authenticate your CNI via FO...my husband didnt need to authenticate his CNI.

[Steve.r]

..its the first time i heard that u need to authenticate your CNI via FO

I just think the person Maint talked too was talking from her rear Mari

[sars_notd_virus]

I just think the person Maint talked too was talking from her rear Mari

she probably is

[maintman]

Ohhh, and the registrar that I spoke to was so rude. I started to ask a question and she interrupted me with "I'm coming to that, let me just explain this first!!!" I must say I was just a little annoyed (understaement) but didn't say anything in case I pissed her off even more and she started delaying things. The appointments a long way off as it is, the end of September. It costs nothing to be civil

[lastlid]

Ah

We married in June so we didnt need to make an appointment with the embassy for the CNI. But evidently from July onwards you do.

[Arthur Little]

Ohhh, and the registrar that I spoke to was so rude. It costs nothing to be civil

Reminds me of my factfinding trip to the local Registrar's Office in Perth to ascertain what needed to be done in order to obtain a CNI. Like Maintman, I was a widower, and wanted to find out what bearing this would have on the procedure for remarrying abroad.

Despite being hard of hearing, *I tried to keep my voice as low as possible in a main public office ... where, about a dozen or so female staff seated in front of their computer screens, were within earshot of my questions to the receptionist. And *with good reason ... out of the corner of my eye I could see I was obviously being overheard by those nearest the counter ... as I glimpsed a couple of them exchanging glances and clearly having a at my expense.

Now, I'm not being paranoid in saying I could easily guess exactly what these young lassies were thinking: 'another goes off to the Philppines to marry/bring home his young Filipina bride'!

Imagine how embarrassed and self-conscious I felt!

[Terpe]

maintman,

I have a habit of giving people plenty to read.
Please look at the these links :-

Certificate of No Impediment. How can I get one - UK?
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-...CNI-nulla-osta

Local Certificate of No Impediment. How can I get one - Philippines?
http://ukinthephilippines.fco.gov.uk...ply-for-a-cni/

I'm sure there will be more questions to follow about marriage in Pinas

[maintman]

Ok thanks everyone for the information.
I've been married before but sadly widowed, I'm assuming that I'll need to take my late wifes death certificate to both the registrar and the British Embassy in Manila, please correct me if I'm wrong but I'll take it anyway Also, another question, after registering our intent to marry in the local municipality and the lapsing of the above mentioned 10 days are we then granted lisence to marry and if so is there a time limit on this?
Thanks agin people.

[Steve.r]

are we then granted lisence to marry and if so is there a time limit on this?
Thanks agin people.

I was just coming to that!!!!

Yes, after the 10 days wait for the licence to marry, you are free to do it at your liesure... but as memory serves me, your CNI only lasts for 3 months from the date of submission at the Uk registry office. Already 21 days have gone, then your trip, the changing in Manila to local CNI, then the 10 day wait again, it soon adds up.

[imagine]

Hi lads and lasses,
I've phoned my local registrar and was given an appointment for the end of September but she was very vague on exactly what I needed. Very vague actually is an understatement,

she actually said she wasn't allowed to tell me what I needed, "just bring everything" were her words.

(what she means in professional terms is ,,,, she doesn't know)

[lastlid]

MY CNI went exactly as described by Steve above. Same process, so I too can say that the advice you were given by the registry office worker is nonsense. We didnt have to make an appointment, incidentally.

Where my story differs is that my wife and I went through an advanced marriage ceremony with the actual marriage being concluded on paper, 10 days later. We had to wait about 5 weeks for the marriage certificates from the NSO.

I am still confused to this day how it worked but it did. It was arranged by my wife so I didnt get involved in the organisation so much. It was a civil wedding by the way.

Anyway, you definitely need to visit the UK embassy in Manila to exchange your UK CNI for a local Philippine one. This is essential.

[maintman]

Again, thanks for the info guys.
I'm interested in what you are saying lastlid because your experience is sounding a bit like what is being planned for us. My fiancee is arranging everything there, ceremony, reception etc and because of the paperwork and what I've read on this forum I was having my doubts as to any of this going ahead. Apparently the day I get there we are hotfooting it to the embassy to get the local CNI. Then a couple of days later we are getting married. But because of what I've read today from Steve and others is that there is a 10 day wait, I was having my doubts about the ceremony being able to go ahead. She is adamant though that there won't be a problem. She tells me that one of her aunts works in the municipal in Quezon City so there's no problems. I'm starting to get a bit confused by the whole situation. I'm only there for just over a week in November!!!
I think I need some more info lastlid...... or a drink!!!

[Terpe]

................ I'm only there for just over a week in November!!!
I think I need some more info lastlid...... or a drink!!!

Seriously....................... If you have only one week (7days) in Pinas to get married, you better have a magic wand or similar, otherwise it aint gonna happen.

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

I wish you good luck and good contacts.

I had a friend who actually managed to get married within 15days. He was married in Manila and had all his ducks lined up precisley.
These days there are extra days to be added.

[maintman]

Thanks John, and congrats by the way.
I've explained my anxieties and I'm thinking along the same lines as you.
So is the missus with you now here in the UK, and if so how long did you have to wait for the settlement visa? Again, I'm reading the stories of how long it takes to get the NSO marriage certificate and visa application times.
I think I'll just have to give up trying to put a timeline on when she will finally be here with me.

[Steve.r]

Maint,

I really think you need to realise that timescales in Phils do not really work. I mean there is never a hurry or sense of urgency, specially when a westerner is involved, it is just the way it is.
As we said, there is a 10 day wait for the banns, just like the 21 days here that you wait for your cni. Unless your finacee is able to pull some pretty major strings in the municiple .... even if that is possible (with a nice under the table bung) a week is not going to be enough.

Sorry to say that Maint, but I think some re-calculation is necessay. Can you take time off without pay? that is what I have to do if I go over my allowence.

[lastlid]

I had a friend who actually managed to get married within 15days. He was married in Manila and had all his ducks lined up precisley.
These days there are extra days to be added.

Yep. Same here. Had all the ducks lined up. Problem with it was, potentially, if something went wrong. No leeway for problems. Fortunately everything fell into place. A bit of typhoon dodging was suceesfully achieved.

[lastlid]

Yes.

No margin for error if the local CNI from the UK embassy was delayed at all etc etc

I used up all my existing leave, except a day, to able to fit everything in including flying time. I might add that it was a little nerve racking because of tightness for everything in the schedule.

[maintman]

Thanks terpe, that's what I was thinking hence the question earlier about the time limits after the issue of the marriage license.
I don't have any more holiday for this calander year to spend more time there, but of course my new holiday entitlement starts January. Even that seems unlikely if the 3 month limit on the CNI starts the day of application here and not the date of actual issue. I have the appointment with the registrar 30 September which means if it's 3 months from that day it would run out end of December but if it's from the date of issue then no problem because it will cover 3 weeks into January.
She is insistant, no problem. That's why I'm interested to hear lastlids experience. Maybe she has a similar plan. I'll talk to her when i get up tomorrow, until then I'm in the dark.

[maintman]

I can imagine Arthur but really I couldn't give a toss what they think, anyway, my young fiancee is 38. I just want it all sorted

[Arthur Little]

I can imagine Arthur but really I couldn't give a toss what they think, anyway, my young fiancee is 38 I just want it all sorted

... quite right, too!! There's only 15 years between MY wife & I ... That's nothing really either, in the greater scheme of things.

[lastlid]

Yes and I was confused too. Its a bit different out there. And whats more I get the impression that it can be different in different areas of Phils. But we had to have a 2 week window to work in where 2 days were spent delivering and collecting the CNI from the embassy. A day was spent delivering the CNI to the Reverend with an advanced marriage ceremony the following day. Then the marriage was certified 10 days later.
It took me a long while to get my head round it especially as although we got married on 14th June, we wernt officially married until 24th June even though we had been on honeymoon in between!

Bottom line was that I had to spend 10 days in Phils after the 14th. Plus the extra few days getting the CNI exchanges at the embassy.

[grahamw48]

I can imagine Arthur but really I couldn't give a toss what they think, anyway, my young fiancee is 38. I just want it all sorted

That's the attitude.

Soooo much jealousy.

[grahamw48]

Embarrassed Arthur ?

I was proud as punch for the first 12 years.

The scruffy fat English ones had had their chance.

[Arthur Little]

The scruffy fat English ones had had their chance.

, Graham ... or - in MY case - the skinny Scottish ones !!!