CNI - Getting Married in Phil Without UK CNI

[Stevek]

Hi all

I have been reviewing previous posts and reading consulate notes but I am still a little unsure about a few things. If anyone has completed anything similar recently and can give me some advice then I will be very grateful.

Some background first, I have been dating my filipina girlfriend for 18 months now and living together in SE Asia for 5 months. Her annulment has been granted and we are just waiting for a CR5 and marriage cert with proper notation. I did not apply for a CNI in the UK. So we are very happy and want to get married in the Philippines ASAP. So my questions are:

1. I have applied for a local CNI (NOTE for anyone applying they say to give them 2 weeks notice but the earliest appointment I could get was 5 weeks after application.) During this interview will I need all my fiance documents?

2. Will I need a CENOMAR

3. Timing - it seems that I will need to wait 21 days to get my CNI after applying for a marriage overseas. Then I will have to wait 10 days for a marriage licence and then wait for a date from the local registrar. Does anyone have a realistic timeframe from CNI appointment to marriage? The consular notes I. indicate 42 days but I cannot understand how they calculate this.

Apologies for grammar and punctuation I am finding it tricky to post using my mobile.

Thanks
Steve

[Steve.r]

If you have been married before and divorced you need to have a UK CNI. Without this I believe you will not get a local CNI and will not get married. Being in Asia already, I think you need to call the embassy or mail the home office to find the correct course of action.

[Stevek]

Thanks for the reply, reading the consulate notes it says I need to take along my original decree absolute so I think it should be ok.

It would be good to talk to someone at the Manila embassy but I am in koh Tao Thailand right now and its hard to find a contact number for them, they will not answer questions by e mail and the guidance notes are a confused mess.

Anyone out there has a UK Manila embassy helpline number or e mail address then let me know

Thanks
Steve

[lastlid]

I managed to get replies but sometimes it took a good week or so to get a reply.....

ukinthephilippines@fco.gov.uk

I had a CNI related problem of a different kind. They sorted it out for me. Took time but fortunately I had the time at the time.

For contact numbers, have a look on the UK in the Philippines website.

[rusty]

http://ukinthephilippines.fco.gov.uk...ply-for-a-cni/

42 days is because you need to reside in The Philippines for 21 days before you can apply, then the notice of marriage will be displayed for 21 days. After these 42 days then the local CNI will be issued.

[neiljohn]

at what rusty said thats true me and my wife had to wait the same amount of time so much hassles but worth it in the end hehehe

[Stevek]

Thanks for the help guys...it was not the answer I was hoping for but at least now I can plan properly.
So I got confused as it seems that if you have a CNI from the UK you have to convert this to a local CNI and then wait 10 days for the marriage license rather than 21 days when applying in Phil. For me it looks like the best plan will be to return to the UK get a CNI get as much organised in advance as possible and then come over for about 3 or 4 weeks to get married.
Thanks again
Steve

[lastlid]

Thanks for the help guys...it was not the answer I was hoping for but at least now I can plan properly.
So I got confused as it seems that if you have a CNI from the UK you have to convert this to a local CNI and then wait 10 days for the marriage license rather than 21 days when applying in Phil. For me it looks like the best plan will be to return to the UK get a CNI get as much organised in advance as possible and then come over for about 3 or 4 weeks to get married.
Thanks again
Steve

Yep. It takes 3 weeks to get the CNI in the UK, first off, I seem to recall. Less time than getting it done in Phils.

And then as you say it has to be converted to the local CNI at the UK embassy in Manila.

Then add 10 days for the marriage license. I am a little unclear on this bit but I seem to recall that the 10 day clock starts from when you submit your local CNI to the authorities and not from when you receive it from the embassy. (I confess I am not entirely clear on that bit). It appears that way in our case.