Marrying a foreigner in the philippines

[wyeesh]

im engaged to a dutch guy and i want to know what are the legal requirements (for both of us) so we can have our wedding here in manila. can u at least point me to an agency, website or something? thanks.

[TGS]

I am not a lawyer or an expert on this subject. I am sharing you of my own experience and experiences of those who are close to me and my association with some lawyers in the Philippines. If you are currently living in Manila, Philippines and you are a Filipino(a), planning to marry a non-Filipino, you better contact the nearest civil registrar in your place. They will give you all the necessary list of requirements and procedures on how to get a marriage license. You start from those requiremetns. Also contact the Dutch Consulate or Embassy in Makati, Phil.

Since you are marrying a non-Filipino citizen, he has to show an evidence that he is free to marry under the Phil. laws that he has no legal impediment to marry you. Your fiancee needs to show an Affidavit that he is free to marry you that affidavit has to be issued or certified by his own Dutch Consulate or Embassy in the Phil. If he is a divorcee, he has to give you those decree divorce papers that his divorce papers are approved and final. I am sure the Civil Registrar including the church in the Phil. will ask you to show and evidence that your non filipino fiancee is allowed to marry you under the Phil. Civil Code. THESE REQUIREMENTS UNDER PHILIPPINE LAW WAS PROMULGATED TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF EVERY FILIPINO BRIDE MARRYING A NON FILIPINO CITIZEN.

I believe you have an access to the internet, check the website of the Dutch embassy.

Good Luck

[ginapeterb]

Updates on Marriage to Foreigners in the Jurisdiction of the philippines.


12th September 2004

This informtion has been updated for any questions regarding Foreigners wishing to hold a marriage ceremony in the Philippines.


The Philippines Civil Registrar general has decreed that all marriages that take place in the Philippines and to a Philippine natiional must have from their respective overseas Mission in Manila a:

(CNI) Certificate Issued by their respective Embassy of No Impediment to Marriage otherwise known in the Philippines of a Legal Capacity for Marriage.

It does not matter which country the foreigner is residing in, the certificate is required for all nationals of other countries who are seeking to marry either a filipina or filipino respectively, however the decree is mainly to protect filipina brides from exploitation and bigamous agendas.

The Foreign resident must go to their District Registrar of Briths, Marriages and Deaths, and obtain a local form of this (CNI) if you are resident in the United Kingdom and have right of Abode in the United Kingdom but may be a national of another country such as Federal Republic of Germany, Holland, Italy etc, and your main place of residence is the United Kingdom, you are technically and EEC National and therefore as the UK is your place of Residence you will be required to obtain this CNI locally.

Once having obtained this CNI, it only has a validity status of 3 months only.

This Must be presented to the British Embassy in Manilia on arrival to exchange for the Embassy's own CNI, which the Philippine authorities will accept, again it must be presented to a Philippine district court or City Court building within 3 months, if it is over 3 months old when you present it, it is invalid and will not be accepted.

If you arrive in the Philippines without this document, you will still be able to apply for a CNI locally, but you must do so under the Marriage to Foreighners act 1906 this means that you can only apply once you have been resident in the Philippines for 21 days, not including your day of arrival.

You must apply for a CNI and a Notice of intent to Marry, You will be asked to swear an affidavit which is a legal statement of truth (if false punishable by imprisonment) in front of a embassy official that "you know of no lawful impediment that would prevent you from carrying out a marriage ceremony" (Such as you already have a wife or husband), once 21 days have elapsed you may visit the British Embassy and collect your documents, this is to comply with the residency requirements of the Phiilippine authorities.

You cannot circumvent this procedure, failure to comply will result in any marriage being null and void, you must comply with the established procedures and requirements, further information for UK Residents and the British Embassy Guidelines for applications for visas etc are to be found in this Forum under "Courting and Relationships - Spouse and Fiancee visas"