Chedz Wedding Tips: Getting Married in Cebu? Quick Tips in Getting a Marriage License

When preparing for your wedding, the marriage license is the most important legal document you need to secure.  To apply for the license, both parties must go to the local civil registrar of either the groom or bride’s residence.

Here are the requirements for application:

1. Certified true copy of the bride and groom’s NSO birth certificates (1 original and 2 photocopies). 
   
2. Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) or Certificate of Singleness (1 original and 1 photocopy). This document proves that you haven’t been married before.                          *You can get both the birth certificate and CENOMAR from your nearest NSO office or apply online through e-Census. 
3. Certificate of Attendance in a pre-marriage counseling, family planning, and responsible parenthood seminar. The pre-marriage counseling is usually conducted by the Church or the DSWD for civil marriages. The family planning and responsible parenthood seminar, on the other hand, is held at the health department of your municipal/city hall. Be sure to check the schedules as some are conducted daily while others have a specific schedule within the week.
   
4. Affidavit of parental consent or advice. The legal age for marriage in the Philippines is 18. If either of you are between the ages 18 and 21, a consent from the father, mother, surviving parent or guardian should be obtained. On the other hand, if either of you are between the age of 22 and 25, a written parental advice indicating that your parents are aware of your intent to marry will be required. You can come with your parents during application or just bring a notarized letter of consent/advice.
   
5. Community Tax Certificate or Cedula (1 original and 2 photocopies).
   
6. Barangay Clearance (1 original and 1 photocopy)
   
7. At least 2 valid IDs.
   
8. Recent 1 x 1 photo (colored or black and white).
   
9. Marriage license application form (issued by the LCR office).
   

 Other requirements (in addition to above):

• If annulled, Certificate of Finality of Annulment from the Court (1 original and 2 photocopies) and Certificate of Registration from the Local Civil Registrar (1 original and 2 photocopies). 
• If widowed, Death Certificate of deceased spouse.

For foreigners:

• Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage. This document, issued by the consular office/embassy of the foreigner’s country, serves as a proof of his/her civil status and eligibility for marriage in the Philippines. 
  
• A photocopy of passport. 
  

Now that you know the basic requirements to bring, just proceed to the local registry office to fill out the necessary forms. It is usually released 10 days after submission of all requirements. Once issued, it can be used wherever you want to get married in the Philippines. However, it is only valid within 120 days of issuance and “shall be deemed automatically cancelled at the expiration of said period if the contracting parties have not made use of it.”