What Documents Do You Need to Get Married?
There isn't one document checklist that applies to every couple: requirements vary according to nationality, country of residence, age, previous marriages and the local civil registrar handling the application.
Some documents establish identity or marital status. Others relate to the marriage licence, the applicant's previous marriages or the authentication of records issued abroad.
Identity and Birth Documents
Marriage licence applications involve establishing each person's identity, age and personal details.
Article 12 of the Family Code provides for the presentation of birth certificates or certain accepted alternatives. The law also specifies circumstances in which other evidence may be accepted.
Foreign applicants may be asked to provide a valid passport and information concerning their arrival in the Philippines.
Additional identification or supporting documents can be required by the relevant local civil registrar.
For example, the Quezon City Government's marriage licence guidance includes identification, birth records and specific supporting documents for foreign applicants.
This is a local checklist, not a nationwide document list. The validity of a Philippine marriage licence throughout the country is governed separately by Article 20 of the Family Code.
Always confirm the applicable requirements with the office where your application will be handled.
Proof of Marital Status and Legal Capacity
Before a marriage licence can be issued, the authorities must be satisfied that both applicants meet the legal conditions for marriage.
Under Article 21 of the Family Code, foreign nationals are generally required to submit a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage issued through the relevant diplomatic or consular authority.
The same article provides a different evidential route for stateless persons and refugees.
The accepted evidence and the procedure for obtaining it can depend on your nationality and country of residence.
Some nationalities have specific consular arrangements or alternative documents accepted under official guidance.
For example, documentary arrangements for British nationals can differ according to where they reside.
The Australian Embassy's Certificate of No Impediment guidance also advises applicants to confirm the required evidence with the relevant Philippine marriage authority before arranging an appointment.
These examples must not be treated as rules applying to every foreign national.
Confirm the document required with the relevant embassy or consulate and the local civil registrar before arranging appointments or authentication.
For Filipino applicants, a Certificate of No Marriage Record, commonly called a CENOMAR, may be requested.
A CENOMAR is issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority and certifies the absence of a marriage record in its civil registration records.
However, a CENOMAR does not by itself resolve every question about a person's legal capacity to marry.
It is not interchangeable with a foreign national's Certificate of Legal Capacity.
You can read the Philippine Statistics Authority's explanation of CENOMAR for further information.
If Either Partner Has Been Married Before
A previous marriage can affect both the documents required and whether someone is legally free to marry again.
Depending on the circumstances, relevant records may include:
- A former spouse's death certificate.
- A final divorce decree.
- A court judgment of annulment.
- A declaration of nullity.
- Supporting civil registry or court records.
The correct evidence depends on the legal status of the previous marriage and the applicable rules.
A foreign divorce decree should not automatically be assumed to establish a person's capacity to remarry in the Philippines.
Where a previous marriage involved a Filipino citizen, judicial recognition of a foreign divorce and relevant civil registry updates may be necessary.
If this applies to you, seek advice from a qualified Philippine lawyer before confirming a new wedding date.
The Philippine Supreme Court has considered these matters in decisions including Republic v. Kikuchi and Johansen v. Office of the Civil Registrar General.
Philippines Marriage Assistance can coordinate the agreed administrative arrangements, but does not provide legal representation or make determinations about marital status.
Age, Parental Consent and Marriage Counselling
The minimum legal age for marriage in the Philippines is 18.
Additional requirements apply to certain younger adult applicants.
Applicants aged 18 to 20 are generally subject to parental consent requirements under Article 14 of the Family Code.
Applicants aged 21 to 25 must seek parental advice under Article 15.
Parental consent and parental advice are different legal requirements and should not be treated as interchangeable.
If the parental advice required under Article 15 is not obtained or is unfavourable, the marriage licence cannot be issued until three months after the application publication period has ended.
Article 16 also requires a marriage counselling certificate where parental consent or parental advice is required.
If only one partner is subject to these provisions, the other partner must also attend the counselling.
Failure to provide the required counselling certificate results in a three-month suspension of marriage licence issuance, calculated from the completion of the application publication period.
These are separate statutory provisions, even though both can affect the timing of a marriage licence.
The applicable local procedures and supporting documents should be checked before travel or wedding arrangements are finalised.
A Practical Marriage Document Checklist
The following table is a starting point, not a universal list of documents that every couple must provide.
The receiving local civil registrar, relevant diplomatic authority or other competent office determines what evidence is acceptable in the circumstances.
| Document | Who may need it | Where to obtain it | Who confirms acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate or legally accepted alternative | Applicants required to establish their age and birth details. | The relevant civil registration authority or other competent source recognised under the applicable rules. | The local civil registrar. |
| Identity documents and passport | Applicants providing identification; passports are particularly relevant to foreign applicants where requested. | The relevant government passport or identity-document authority. | The local civil registrar. |
| Certificate of Legal Capacity or accepted equivalent | Foreign nationals, subject to the applicable statutory and official documentary arrangements. | The relevant embassy, consulate or competent authority under the applicant's nationality-specific procedure. | The local civil registrar, taking account of relevant official consular and national guidance. |
| CENOMAR | Applicants asked to provide evidence of the absence of a marriage record in Philippine civil registration records. | Philippine Statistics Authority. | The local civil registrar. |
| Previous marriage records | Applicants who have previously been married. | The relevant civil registry or court authority, depending on the document and circumstances. | The relevant local civil registrar and, where legal recognition is required, the competent Philippine court. |
| Apostille or other authentication | Applicants using foreign-issued documents where the receiving authority requires authentication. | The competent authority in the document's country of origin, or the relevant authority under another applicable legalisation procedure. | The Philippine authority receiving the document. |
Please check the specific requirements before ordering documents or paying for authentication. Not every item listed above will apply to your situation.
How Does the Marriage Licence Process Work?
Under Article 9 of the Family Code, the application is normally made through the local civil registrar of the city or municipality where either partner habitually resides.
The application involves the required personal information, supporting documents and any additional requirements applicable to the applicants.
Article 17 requires a public notice of the marriage licence application to be displayed for 10 consecutive days.
After the publication period and the completion of the applicable requirements, the relevant authority handles the issuance of the licence.
Once issued, Article 20 provides that the marriage licence is valid throughout the Philippines for 120 days from its date of issue.
The licence expires if it is not used within that period.
The ten-day publication period is not a guarantee that the entire application will be completed in ten days.
Document checks, additional statutory requirements and local arrangements can affect the time needed.
Philippine law provides limited exemptions from the ordinary marriage licence requirement.
These exemptions apply only where the relevant legal conditions are satisfied.
Couples should not assume an exemption applies without confirmation from the appropriate authority.
For a clearer explanation of our coordination process, see How It Works.
Do Foreign Marriage Documents Need an Apostille?
Some documents issued outside the Philippines may need authentication before they can be used for an official marriage-related procedure.
An apostille is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document for use in another country under the Hague Apostille Convention.
The correct procedure depends on the document, the country where it was issued, the receiving authority and whether the Convention applies between the countries concerned.
Documents Issued Outside the Philippines
Where an apostille is required for a foreign public document, it is issued by the competent authority in the country from which the document originates.
A foreign public document does not receive a Philippine DFA apostille simply because it will be used in the Philippines.
Documents Issued in the Philippines
Philippine public documents intended for use overseas may require an apostille from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs where the Apostille Convention applies.
Where the Convention does not apply, another legalisation process may be necessary.
Important Exceptions and Limitations
Not every document is covered by the Apostille Convention.
In particular, documents executed by diplomatic or consular agents fall outside its scope.
This means that a document issued through an embassy or consulate should not automatically be treated as requiring the same procedure as a civil registry document issued within that country.
As explained in the HCCH's apostille guidance, an apostille confirms the origin of a public document, including the relevant signature, capacity or seal.
It does not guarantee the truth of the document's contents or automatically establish its legal acceptability for every purpose.
Before paying for authentication, confirm what the receiving office requires.
What Happens After the Wedding?
The wedding ceremony and the subsequent availability of a civil registry certificate are different stages.
Under Article 23 of the Family Code, the person who solemnises an ordinary marriage is responsible for sending the required copies of the marriage certificate to the local civil registrar of the place where the marriage was solemnised.
For an ordinary marriage, this must be done no later than 15 days after the ceremony.
This is not a deadline for a PSA-issued marriage certificate to become available.
The Philippine Statistics Authority maintains civil registration records and provides services for requesting marriage certificates.
The timing of a PSA-issued record depends on the applicable registration, transmission and processing arrangements.
Our assistance can include coordination of marriage-record follow-up within the agreed service package.
