This is not a complete guide, but it should help answer the primary questions for anyone considering the process of getting married in the Philippines. Essentially if you intend to get married in the Philippines you need to start the process at least a month before you travel, and need to plan for around 2 or 3 weeks in the country to give you time to complete the formalities and the marriage. In addition your fiancé needs to go to the local city hall and obtain the information on local requirements for marrying, and if possible scan and e-mail you a copy of the documents stating this so you can both review it ensure you cover all the requirements.

Also ensure that you have a copy of your fiancés passport or official ID and address before you start the process so that you don’t make any clerical mistakes which could cause mayhem and ruin your wedding.


CNI

Prior to marrying in the Philippines you need to obtain various documents, the first of these is your CNI. A Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) is a certificate which confirms there are no objections to your proposed marriage.

This certificate is valid for 3 months, and is a little complicated to obtain, so you must start planning your wedding as early possible. If you start the process in the UK, you will need to have spent at least 21 days in the town in which you submit the application before you actually apply. Then the process takes around 22 days in the UK and a further 10 days in the Philippines to complete. You’ll need to apply for an appointment at your Registry Office, and sometimes you need to book as far as 2 or 3 months ahead.

Once you have the CNI, you should plan at least two weeks in the Philippines to complete the process, and book ahead an appointment with the British Embassy or Honorary Consul to exchange your CNI for a ‘Consular CNI’.

You can also completely the whole process in the Philippines, however you’d need to spend at least 54 days in the Philippines before you could actually get married to complete the entire process.

Option A
Obtain CNI in the UK, and convert in Philippines

  1. 1) Visit your local registrar, request a CNI
  2. 2) WAIT 21 DAYS
  3. 3) Visit the British Embassy in Manila or Honorary Consul in Cebu to exchange CNI for a Consular CNI.
  4. 4) Marriage License Request at City Hall
  5. 5) WAIT 10 DAYS
  6. 6) Receive Marriage License

Minimum of 32 days, with at least 10 days in the Philippines

Option B

Obtain CNI in the Philippines

  1. 1) LIVE IN PHILIPPINES FOR 21 DAYS
  2. 2) Visit British Embassy in Manila or Honorary Consul in Cebu to obtain CNI
  3. 3) WAIT 21 DAYS
  4. 4) Visit British Embassy or Honorary Consul to collect CNI
  5. 5) Marriage License Request at City Hall
  6. 6) WAIT 10 DAYS
  7. 7) Receive Marriage License


Minimum of 54 days, with at least 54 days in the Philippines


CENOMAR

The next document you both need, for yourself and your spouse, is the CENOMAR. A Certificate of No Marriage Record (CENOMAR) from the National Statistics Office (NSO) is simply what its name implies. It is a certification issued by the NSO stating that a person has not contracted any marriage.

Both you and your fiance will need this, and it is a local equivalent of the CNI to say that you haven’t been married in the Philippines before.

The great thing is that this can be obtained online at https://www.ecensus.com.ph . You can either pay by credit card and have it delivered to your address in the UK, or you can make the order online and give your fiancé the reference number, she then makes the payment locally at a bank and has the documents delivered to her house. If you deliver to the UK it can take up to 2 months, however if you deliver in the Philippines, it’s sent by courier and will arrive with your fiancé in a matter of days.

Marriage

Once you have the CNI and CENOMAR, you are almost there. There are some final hurdles though, you may need to attend a seminar or interview in your local area to discuss your marriage. These vary from town to town, so you need to ask your fiancé to visit the local city hall/municipal office and discuss the requirements in detail for obtaining the Marriage License.


Marriage in the Catholic Church

If you intend to get married in the Catholic Church, there are yet more hurdles. I married in a Catholic church and the process took several months. We had to attend interviews at the local church and the chancery, in addition to providing all the evidence of our baptismal and confirmation certificates. In addition we needed to attend a seminar, and in addition was required to sign a document stating that all of our children would be brought up in the Catholic Church.
If your fiancé has been ‘annulled’ she can marry in the church, however if you have been previously married, it is highly unlikely that the church will allow you to marry there.