Marriage License In the Phils

[RichardA]

Hello All.  I am a first time poster here and have a question I am hoping someone can help me with.  I live in the US and am marrying a woman in the Phils next month, I hope, and am trying to navigate the paperwork requirements.  One of the things that my fiancé has said is required is a "certified copy of my passport".  This is needed in order to get the marriage license.  It has proven to be a challenge finding the State Dept office that does this and getting the state and county certifications.

My question is the requirements for the marriage license in the Phils says they need a copy of my passport and entry page, not that it be certified. May finace seems to believe that it has to be certifified here. Has anyone gotten married in the Phils and if so what did you provide as passport documentation?

I am trying to avoid the time required to get the passport copy certified by US Department of State.

Thanks to all, this board has been a great help.  I hope to have information from the process and experience of marrying in the Phils to share.

[Bob S]

... in response to Marriage License In the Phils, posted by RichardA on Nov 18, 2004

they may simply mean Notarized.  That makes it an official copy.

[Luther]

... in response to In "certified"..., posted by Bob S on Nov 19, 2004

What you're saying is not necessarily true in this country, though I don't know about the Philippines.  I know in Mexico and possibly Spain a notary is practically a lawyer so you may be right if you are referring to the status of a notary in the Phils.

In the US however, a certified copy is only available from the agency issuing the original document.  In California where I was a notary, the closest a notary could (legally) come to making a certified copy is to have the signer (not the notary) write a statement at the bottom of  or attached to a photocopy affirming that the copy is a true and complete copy of the original document.  Then the signer swears that his statement is true and the notary is only notarizing that the person made an oath, and can also notarize that the person is who he says he is by referring to proper ID.

In Oregon and some other places it is possible for the notary himself to affirm that the copy is a true copy.  But notarized and certified are still not the same thing.  And notarizing a document should never be confused with "making it official."  Notaries are only notarizing a signature, and 99% of the time, that's all they're allowed to do and all that will hold up in an American court of law.

Not all notaries adhere strictly to these facts, but my boss where I worked once lost his license and $100,000 for stepping outside the notarial boundary, so he trained me with an iron fist.

[Ray]

... in response to Marriage License In the Phils, posted by RichardA on Nov 18, 2004

Hi Richard, welcome to the forum.

I have never heard of a requirement for a certified copy of your passport. When I applied for a marriage license in the Phils I only showed my passport to establish citizenship and date of birth. Bring a certified copy of your birth certificate too in case they ask for it. If they insist, they can compare your passport to a photocopy and certify it as a true copy themselves.

You’ll need an affidavit of legal capacity to marry, available from the US embassy in Manila or the consular office in Cebu. If either of you have been previously married, you will also need a copy of ALL divorce decrees or legal proof of termination. If either is under 25, you may also need written consent or advice from your parent/guardian.

You will have to wait at least 10 days for the marriage license, so I would advise that you arrive in the Phils AT LEAST 2 weeks before the wedding. If you will marry in the Catholic Church, there are more documents and requirements to comply with.

You can read more about the marriage requirements here:

http://usembassy.state.gov/manila/wwwha009.html

Ray