Whether you have been living in the Philippines for decades or have just arrived in the Philippines on a visa, it’s common for people to want to be aware of the local regulations.
This includes learning how to get married in the Philippines if that’s what you wish to do.
There are specific legal stipulations around getting married in the Philippines.
For those who want to understand this in greater detail, we are going to help highlight these details for you.
Here is more on how to get married in the Philippines as an expat.
Steps For Getting Married In The Philippines
When you are looking to get married, it’s essential to know what the steps are going to entail. This will ensure mistakes are not made and the marriage goes through as required.
There are a few steps in this process.
Location Of The Marriage
You will start with the location of the marriage. This is the first question a couple is going to have to think about.
Are you going to be hosting the wedding at a religious venue? Perhaps you are going to be hosting it at a local church?
Others might be looking to get married through a simple civil wedding. Have this information in hand as it will ensure the rest of the process will go ahead smoothly.
Prepare For The Marriage Application
The next step is going to involve getting the necessary documents ready to go.
Any marriage in the Philippines is not going to go through unless you have the documents ready. They need to be valid too.
This is going to include your birth certificate, passport, Parental Consent (If Needed), CEDULA, and Barangay Certificate. The same goes for your partner.
For those who are foreigners, you are going to have to bring along additional information such as your PSA Certificate of No Marriage, Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage, and Divorce Papers (If Necessary).
Apply For A Marriage License
At this point, the marriage license application is going to be the goal.
You are going to be filling out the Marriage License Application Form and make sure it is filed with the civil registry office as soon as possible.
There will be a fee with this application that has to be paid.
Pre-Marriage Counseling Class
Yes, you are going to have to go through pre-marriage counseling.
This is not going to take a long time, but it’s something you are going to have to check off before moving forward with the marriage.
In general, there is going to be a session that is handled and it’s going to take a day.
You will want to fill out the application form at the social welfare office and pay the fees. At that point, you are going to have the counseling session scheduled and cited to you.
To attend the session, you are going to go to the address that is given to you. It is held at the social welfare office.
You will then get a certificate, which is going to be important for the marriage.
Choose The Officiant
At this point, it’s time to look at the rest of the process.
This is going to include choosing an officiant. This is the individual that is going to carry out the wedding. For a church wedding, the priest is going to do this for you or anyone else who is authorized to do so at the religious facility.
In a civil wedding process, it’s going to be the judge or mayor who is going to take care of this.
Bring The Witnesses
The last step is going to be the bring two valid witnesses for the wedding ceremony.
These individuals have to be adults and valid witnesses in the Philippines.
At this point, you are ready to go and you will go through the marriage ceremony whether it’s in a religious facility or a court.
The marriage certificate will be sent to you in a few months.
Documents For Getting Married In The Philippines
There are specific documents that are needed when you are looking to get married in the Philippines. Without these documents, you are not going to have a legal marriage in the country.
It’s best to have these documents ready to go before moving forward with the marriage.
What are these documents?
- Marriage Application
- Birth Certificate (Local or Foreign)
- Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR)
- Certificate of Legal Capacity (Foreigners)
- Official Government ID (Passport, Barangay Certificate)
- Certificate of Attendance For Marriage Counseling
It’s important to note that you are going to have to verify your age. Only people over the age of 18 are allowed to get married in the Philippines.
Even then, you are going to require an Affidavit of Parental Consent.
For those who are between the ages of 22-25, you are going to require an Affidavit of Parental Advice. There are other ways of getting around this if you don’t have parents or guardians.
You are also going to be required to have witnesses at the time of getting married in the Philippines. This is going to involve at least two witnesses.
Rules And Regulations Of Marriages In The Philippines
Before getting started, it’s best to know what is not permitted when it comes to marriages in the Philippines.
You are not allowed to get married to a cousin, someone under the age of 18, or someone of the same sex, and you can’t have a marriage with someone who is not there. For example, you can’t get married online.
You are also not allowed to force someone into a marriage nor can you get married twice at the same time.
Final Thoughts
These are the main steps on how to get married in the Philippines.
If you are a foreigner, you will want to go through the rules and regulations beforehand. This includes getting all of the documents prepared.
It will save you a lot of time as you are working your way through the ceremony.
Amanda Harper is a travel enthusiast with 10+ years of traveling experience across the planet. Her passion for writing and travel makes her a walking bibliography on modern-day tourism.