Sola1

Does anyone know exactly how long you need to be in the Philippines before you can get married? I've heard conflicting answers from people ranging from 6 weeks to 6 months...big difference!

An official government link to this info would be invaluable!

Thanks in advance! :-)

Stokkevn

I tried telling my wife it had to be 50 years but I got caught out. So we were here for two weeks before we got married. It does vary from place to place, here in the provinces everyone knows everyone and paperwork can be signed circulated and completed in the local civic offices in a day, especially when you have the mayor's Mum as Godmother. In the towns the paperwork spends a lot of time in 'In boxes'

Sola1

Thanks for the humour!

We would be marrying in Davao City. Two weeks would be ideal but even if it was three or four weeks, not so bad either.

When did you get married? If it was a while ago things will have probably changed since then in the marriage process time etc.

Did it take you long at all to get your marriage certificate? I've seen info that it can take up to 2 months! That can't be right but then again if it's in the city things could take a lot longer!

Me and my fiancé are doing our homework anyway and she knows people who are in governmental positions who could help quicken the process but advice from others who have been married in the Philippines recently can be invaluable also.

Thanks 😊

tropicofcancer

Ten days is the legal requirement.
However you need a certificate of no impediment to marry, obtained from your local UK Registry Office. Three weeks before you can collect. You exchange this in the British Embassy for the local version. Make some photocopies of the certificate from BE. If you wish to live here you will need it.

The rest is here:

philippineculture.ph/filer/Philippine-Marriage-Requirements.pdf

Gazza-d

Ten days is correct but the rest of your information is out of date. Go to the British Embassy Manila website and there is a section about getting married in the Philippines. You will get you wedding certificate after the ceremony, what takes the time is getting the registered copy from the NSO which can take several months. Once it has been received by the NSO you can pick up a copy that day or I believe by post. It's the time that it takes for the NSO to receive it that is the problem. If you are thinking about a UK visa it is the NSO copy that you need.

Sola1

Thanks for your replies.

After marrying in the philippines, we will be applying for a Schengen visa to go to Malta. Would we need an NSO copy to apply for the Schengen visa or just a DFA certificate?

We aren't in a super rush to get married in the sense of having limited days of when I'd enter the Philippines and leaving etc. It's going to be like a lengthy holiday with marriage chucked in! Ha.

We just want to be chilled and enjoy time together before we embark on the plan to go to Malta and then on to the UK via the EEA family permit.

:-)