Affidavit in Lieu of a Certificate

[AnthonyT]

Hello Everyone.

I was hoping someone here might be able to answer a question I have about the 'Affidavit in Lieu of a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage’ that I can't seem to find the answers to in a forum search or around the web.

1) How long does it take to get this certificate? Should I plan for a single day and show up between the 7:30 - 8:30 am time fram the embassy web page states? Nothing against Manila, but I really don't want to hang around there for any longer than I have to.

2) Is this certificate only good for a set about of days? I'm planning to get married in early November and my bride-to-be has just recently called me up and told me a friend (or a friend's friend) of her's told her that its only good for 90 days and that if it would be invalid by the time we got married.

3) Am I allowed to get this certificate by myself or do we have to go together? I'm planning on having her meet me in Manila, so this is shouldn't be a problem either way.

Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

AnthonyT
Oregon

[Ray]

... in response to Affidavit in Lieu of a Certificate, posted by AnthonyT on Apr 10, 2002

Hi Anthony, welcome to P.L.

1) I think the info on the embassy Web site is current, but it wouldn’t hurt to phone the American Services section of the consulate before you fly over, just to make sure of the current hours and procedure. I would plan on getting there a little early if possible, to minimize the chance of missing the dude who does the affidavits. If you’re there on time and everything is in order, you will get it on the spot the same day.

2) There is no expiration date on the document itself. You should have your fiancée check with the local civil registrar where you will obtain the marriage license to see what their policy is on the affidavit date. The affidavit is a requirement under Philippine law.

3) I’m told that your fiancée does not need to be present if you get the affidavit in Manila. We got ours at the Cebu consulate and I believe that he requires both to be present. Everyone there the day I did it had their fiancée with them. The consular officer in Cebu has been known to ask a lot of questions sometimes. It took us about an hour to get it done in Cebu but you need to know what time to show up. It used to be his routine to come in at around 11 a.m. and do the affidavits at that time. Again, you should call ahead and ask questions because if the consular officer is not in the office that day, you’ll have to wait until another day.

Ray

[AnthonyT]

... in response to Re: Affidavit, posted by Ray on Apr 10, 2002


Thanks for the information.

AnthonyT