What youll learn:

Part I. Getting Married in the Philippines Basic Steps and

Requirements
Part II. How to Get a Marriage License in the Philippines
Part III. Church Wedding in the Philippines Procedures &
Requirements
Part IV. Civil Wedding in the Philippines Procedures &
Requirements
Part V. How to Get a Marriage Certificate in the Philippines
Part VI. How to Get Married in the Philippines as a U.S.
Citizen
Part VII. How to Get Married in the Philippines with a
Foreigner

Part I. Getting Married in the Philippines Basic

Steps and Requirements
If youre planning to get married in the Philippines, there are
few legal requirements you need to know first, especially if
you or your would-be spouse is 25 years old or below. Here
are some of them:

Marrying parties should be a male and a female, at least 18 years

old.
If you or your partner is 25 years old or below, a parental consent or
advice is needed (See Part II).
You and your partner must not be related by blood (up to 4th degree)
and should be free of legal impediments, such as being in a previous
marriage (unless annulled, widowed, or divorced).

There are specific requirements that you need to provide

once you decide to have a church wedding (See Part III) or

civil wedding (See Part IV) in the Philippines.
But regardless of the type of wedding ceremony, all couples
undergo almost the same process in getting married.
Step 1: Marriage license application (See Part II).
Step 2: Attendance of required pre-wedding seminars and
counseling (Depending on your area, this may come before
or after applying for a marriage license).
Step 3: Release of marriage license.
Step 4: Marriage ceremony solemnized by an officer
registered with the local civil registrar and in the presence of
2 witnesses of legal age.
Step 5: Getting your official NSO marriage certificate (See
Part V).

Part II. How to Get a Marriage License in the

Philippines
Marriage license is the most important legal document you
need to secure when preparing for your wedding. After all,
you wont be allowed to have a church or civil wedding
without this.
To apply for the license, both parties must go to the the local
civil registrar of the city, town or municipality where either the
groom or the bride habitually resides. Marriage license is
usually released 2 weeks (10 days) after you apply for it.
Once issued, the marriage license can be used wherever

you want to get married in the Philippines. However, it is only

valid within 120 days of issuance and shall be deemed
automatically cancelled at the expiration of said period if the
contracting parties have not made use of it.
What You Need:

Certified true copy of you and your partners NSO birth certificates (1
original and 2 photocopies). You can get this from the NSO office or
apply online through e-Census. For more information, you can
contact NSO Helpline Plus with telephone no. (632) 737.1111 or
email them at [Link]@[Link]
Affidavit of parental consent or advice. The legal age for marriage in
the Philippines is 18. If either of you are between the ages 18 and 21,
a consent from the father, mother, surviving parent or guardian should
be obtained. On the other hand, if either of you are between the age
of 22 and 25, a written parental advice indicating that your parents
are aware of your intent to marry will be required. You can come with
your parents during application or just bring a notarized letter of
consent/advice.
Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) or Certificate of Singleness
(1 original and 1 photocopy). This document is a proof that you
havent been married before and is issued by the NSO.
Certificate of Attendance in a pre-marriage counseling, family
planning, and responsible parenthood seminar. The pre-marriage
counseling is usually conducted by the Church or the DSWD for civil
marriages. The family planning and responsible parenthood seminar,
on the other hand, is held at the health department (specifically the
Division of Maternal and Child Health) of your municipal/city hall. Be
sure to check the schedules as some are conducted daily while
others have a specific schedule within the week. If you failed to
secure the certificates before applying for a marriage license, you will

be asked to attend the required seminars before your wedding date.

Community Tax Certificate or Cedula (1 original and 2 photocopies).
Barangay Clearance (1 original and 1 photocopy).
At least 2 valid IDs.
Recent 1 x 1 photo (colored or black and white).
Marriage license application form (issues by the LCR office).

Other requirements (in addition to above):

If annulled, Certificate of Finality of Annulment from the Court (1

original and 2 photocopies) and Certificate of Registration from the
Local Civil Registrar (1 original and 2 photocopies).
If widowed, Death Certificate of deceased spouse.

For foreigners:

Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage. This document,

issued by the consular office/embassy of the foreigners country,
serves as a proof of his/her civil status and eligibility for marriage in
the Philippines. For more information, see Part VI and Part VII.
A photocopy of passport.

What To Do:
Now that you know the basic requirements to bring, here are
the steps you need to follow in order to get the marriage
license:
Step 1: Get an application form (Form 90) from the local
registry office.
Step 2: Fill out the form. The left portion of the sheet should
be filled out by the groom while the other half is for the bride.
Step 3: Attach the necessary documents (see list of
requirements above) and submit the accomplished form to
either you or your partners municipal office. To avoid
hassles and long queues, go to the municipal office either in

the morning or right after lunch.

Step 4: Get the claim slip. If you havent attended the
required seminars yet, the slip that will be given to you is the
one that asks you to attend the pre-marriage counseling,
family planning, and responsible parenthood seminar (see
list of requirements above). You will then present the
certificate of attendance to claim your marriage license.
Step 5: Wait for 10 days before the marriage license is
released. Once issued, the license will only be valid within
120 days or four months

Part III. Church Wedding in the Philippines

Procedures & Requirements
Every Filipina bride has a dream of tying the knot in the
church and wearing that long, elegant wedding dress. And
because majority of Filipinos are Catholics, its no wonder
why most prefer to get married in popular churches like
Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church, and the likes.
If youre one of those lucky few who have a budget big
enough for a church wedding, there are specific
requirements aside from the marriage license that you need
to fulfill a month before your actual wedding. This guide
will get you started
What You Need and What To Do:

Marriage license. The document must be within 4 months of validity

period (see Part II). If you previously married in a civil wedding, you
must submit registered marriage contract.
Baptismal and confirmation certificates (6 months validity) . Because

marriage is one of the church sacraments, you and your partner must
submit a proof that you have previously received the sacrament of
baptism. The copies that youll submit must be new, acquired 3
months before the wedding, and with an annotation For marriage
purposes only. Some parishes cant issue these documents instantly
as they dont have digital records of these files yet. Make sure to
process these papers as early as possible.

Copy of NSO birth certificate and Certificate of No Record of

Marriage (CENOMAR). You can secure these documents either
online or by going to the NSO office. Most churches accept birth
certificates as long as they are still within 6 months from the date of
issuance. As of this writing, a birth certificate costs approximately 315
pesos per copy and 415 pesos for every copy of CENOMAR.
Pre-Cana/Marriage preparation seminar. Because marriage is a
lifelong commitment, this seminar is provided to help couples learn
more about each other, resolve any issues prior to getting married,
and gain insights about their future life together. Topics may include
parenting, sexuality, family planning, among others. Although most
parish churches conduct the seminar every month, you should still
ask the church coordinator about the schedules to make sure you
wont miss it. Some churches also recognize other independent
organizations like Catholic Engaged Encounter (CEE), Center for
Family Ministries (CEFAM), and Discovery Weekend Philippines
(DW) which provide seminars or retreats for couples. If you attend
seminars from any of these, you need to submit certificates of
attendance as a proof.
Canonical interview. This is when you and your partner will meet the
parish priest (or his assistant) of your chosen church. Request to the
church coordinator to have the interview scheduled 1 to 2 months

before your wedding. The parish may also send you a list of questions
before the interview to give you more time to prepare. During the
interview, the priest will explore your decision to get married by asking
questions about your family background, how long you have known
each other, and so forth.
Marriage Banns. These are written wedding announcements that will
be posted on the bulletin boards of the couples respective parishes.
To obtain the marriage banns, both the bride and groom must know
the specific name of their respective parish priest and the address of
their parochial church. After receiving these information, the wedding
church will then prepare a letter requesting for the marriage banns.
The banns are posted in the couples parishes for three consecutive
weeks, which explains why you need to complete the wedding
requirements a month before the event. After that, you can now
retrieve the letter from the parish office with a reply indicating that no
impediments exist and that the wedding can push through.
List of principal sponsors and entourage members. The copy of the
wedding invitation along with the official list of entourage members
should be submitted to the parish church where youll get married a
week before your wedding date. Make sure to ask the church for any
restrictions or additional requirements before finalizing the list. Note
that the names of the principal sponsors are important as they will be
included in the marriage license.
Confession. Some churches require couples to attend a confession
days before the wedding. Through this event, they will be forgiven of
their sins and receive the most out of the sacrament.

Other requirements:

ID pictures. Size, color, and number will depend on your churchs

requirements.
List of songs, if applicable.
Permits for photographers and videographers, if applicable.

Note: If you have other questions, please contact your city

hall or church directly. Know the exact date and time when all
the requirements will be released so you can plan your
wedding, hassle-free.

Part IV. Civil Wedding in the Philippines

Procedures & Requirements
For most Filipinos, a civil wedding is a cheaper, faster, and
more convenient alternative to church wedding. It is usually
conducted by a judge of the RTC court, but it can also be
performed by the Mayor of a city. If youre short on cash or
still saving for your dream church wedding, this option is for
you.
Here are the requirements and procedures you need to
remember if youre planning to have a civil wedding in the
Philippines:
What You Need:

Marriage license (see Part II).

Certified True Copy of Baptismal Certificate or Birth Certificate of both
parties.
Community tax certificates (CEDULA) of both applicants.
1 ID photo (colored background or black and white) of each applicant.
Certificate of Attendance to a wedding seminar. Couples are required
to attend pre-marriage counseling and family planning seminar.
These are usually given in the city hall and are required before you
can claim your marriage license. Check your municipality for the
complete list of schedules.
Letter of Intent to Marry. As the name suggests, this letter should

express your intent to marry and also includes your name and your
fiancees name, your signatures, and your suggested wedding dates.

Other requirements:

If widowed, Certified True Copy of Death Certificate of deceased

spouse.
If divorced or annulled, a copy of Final Decree of Absolute Divorce
or Court Decision and Absolute Decree of Finality from the court.

For foreigners:

Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry (or Certificate of No

Impediment for British applicants) issued by the consular
office/embassy of the foreigners country. For more information, see
Part VI and Part VII.
Photocopy of passport (showing the Date of Arrival and Data).

What To Do:
Step 1: Go to your civil registrars office to apply and pay the
required fees for a marriage license. Beware of swindlers.
Make sure you only deal with the staff of the Civil Registrars
office.
Step 2: Proceed to the Mayors office and submit the Letter
of Intent to Marry together with the marriage license to the
secretary.
Step 3: Wait for the confirmation that your suggested
wedding dates are available. Civil weddings are usually
officiated by a judge or the Mayor in a city hall court. If you
have a preferred venue, seek the approval of your chosen
officiate first.
Step 4: Find at least two people within the legal age who will
serve as your witnesses. If either you or your partner is

below 18 years old, a parent or a guardian is required.

Step 5: During your wedding day, you need to pay a filing fee
which usually costs 100 pesos. This is to enable them to
forward their own facsimile of the marriage contract to the
local civil registrar. You will then get the facsimile of the
marriage certificate from NSO after 1 to 2 months.
Step 6: Proceed to the official civil wedding ceremony.

Part V. How to Get a Marriage Certificate in the

Philippines
A marriage certificate is an important document containing
details of your marriage, signed by the couple and witnesses
or all in attendance. You can obtain this document usually 1
to 2 months after the wedding ceremony (See Part IV).
To process and issue a marriage certificate, the NSO needs
the following data from you:

Complete name of the husband

Complete name of the wife
Date of marriage
Place of marriage
Complete name and address of the requesting party
Number of copies needed
Purpose of the certification

For more information about how to get a marriage certificate

in the Philippines, please visit the nearest NSO office.