Compiling My Requirements for the Certificate of Legal Capacity
As I have mentioned on my previous post STEP ONE I have my own list of documents to compile for submission to the French embassy for the issuance of the Certificate of Legal Capacity to marry. Let me present these requirements again as follows:
- A duly accomplished questionnaire from the embassy
- Authenticated copy of the full text birth certificate (NSO and DFA)
- Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) issued by NSO
Copy of CFO certificate (Commission on Filipino Overseas)Update: this is no longer in the list of requirements for marriage but you'll need it in exiting the Philippines with a spouse visa. Hence, I've decided to keep the details on how to get this certificate on this post.- Proof of residency in the Philippines
- Photocopy of 2 ID cards
- (If previously married, mention of annulment decision on duly authenticated marriage certificate and certified true copy of judgment of marriage annulment; If widow/er, authenticated copy of death certificate of the spouse, Copy of birth certificate of illegitimate children duly authenticated.
HERE'S A DESCRIPTION AND THE PROCESS ON HOW I GOT EACH OF THESE DOCUMENTS:
A duly accomplished questionnaire from the embassy:
You will get this from the "Marriage" section in the French embassy or from their website. It is a questionaire of three pages for each of couple (French for the French national and English for the Filipino, unless the latter speaks French too) and each second page has to be signed by both. Thankfully my fiancé noticed it when he was filling out his questionaires (in french) so he printed my page and sent it together with all his papers as well via FEDEX since he is working in French West Indies.
Authenticated copy of the full text birth certificate (NSO and DFA)
It was very easy for me to get this document from NSO because I just orderd it online through their website: (http://nso.citizenservices.com.ph/chat/index) and it only took two days for them to deliver it. It is amazing how effecient the online service is. Everything was almost ready however the birth certificate has to also be authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and they don't have an office in Cebu. So I went to a travel agency called Ultimate Visa Corporation and it costed me ₱2,500.00. They were the one who had the document authenticated by the DFA. It's expensive yet it is still cheaper and better than going to Manila myself but the discouraging part is that they told me it would only take around three to seven business days for them to process it and eventually I had to wait fifteen days. Thankfully I still got it on time before my schedule at the embassy for the submission. For sure there are other travel agencies that can do it better but I'm still thankful I got it.
Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) issued by NSO
Same with the birth certifate I just also ordered it online through: (http://nso.citizenservices.com.ph/chat/index). It took longer though than the birth certificate, around three or four days. Still very efficient and time saving because you don't have to go and line up for the whole day at their actual office, it will be delivered in your doorstep.
Copy of CFO certificate (Commission on Filipino Overseas)
Thanks to the world wide web again for making almost every information accessible, I researched on this said document and I have come across a blog writing about this same process by someone who got married to an American, I have used her information as a reference. I have also found the official website of CFO but I won't note the link here because it might change in the future, just do a quick Google search and you'll find it. I prepared the documents mentioned in both websites so I won't have to keep on coming back.
- 1 photocopy of my passport, bring the original for checking
- 1 photocopy of my Birth Certificate issued by NSO, bring the original for checking
- 2 valid IDs, each with 1 photocopy
- Photocopy of my fiancé's National ID
- Photocopy of my fiancé's passport (just the first page with his personal information)
- Few of our pictures together
- A registration fee of ₱250.00 (subject to change, verify with CFO first)
Apparently, you have to go to two different offices to get the certificate. First at an NGO called SMEF-COW (St. Mary Euphrasia Foundation, Inc - Center for Overseas Workers) which will consume most of your time then later in the afternoon OR the next business day you will have to proceed to CFO (Commision on Filipinos Overseas).
In case you wonder what CFO is, it is a government office providing assistance and/or programs for the Filipinos Overseas. This Commision in association with SMEF-COW will be the one to issue the Certificate required by the Philippine immigration officer at the airport on your departure day.
SMEF-COW is the one to initiate the group seminar and individual counseling to the spouses/partners of foreign national. Usually the first impression when it comes to government required seminars is that "it's only done for money and it's nonsense". Well, corruption is such a broad topic so let's leave it at that, let's focus on what this organization does, what is this seminar all about? It is actually all about awareness and empowerment. This is done to prevent Human Trafficking and many other possible problems to be faced by the Filipino planning to live in a foreign country. In the group seminar they would educate the attendees about the various kinds of abuse that can possibly happen and what to do when these ugly things happen. They also present a guide for first time travellers, what to do at the airport, rules in travelling etc...
In the individual interview you will be asked many personal questions, most of them based on the answers you've provided with the form you've filled-out upon registration.
So here are the information of both offices:
SMEF-COW (St. Mary Euphrasia Foundation, Inc - Center for Overseas Workers)
Address: 60 3rd floor, Ayaay Arcade, Gen. Maxilom Avenue, Cebu City, right across University of San Carlos North Campus.
Monday to Friday (8:00 am - 5:00 pm)
Tel.No: 32 2353745
Email address: cowcebu@pldtdsl.net
CFO (Commission on Filipinos Overseas)
Causing-Lozada Building, Osmeña Boulevard corner (Besides DFA Cebu)
MJ Cuenco Street, Cebu City, Philippines
Telefax: (032) 255-5253
Email: cfocebu@cfo.gov.ph
First I went to SMEF-COW. Got there at past eight in the morning so there were already some people ahead of me but it was ok because they have a limit of twenty people everyday, I was number ten which was good enough. Once you get inside the room you go to the first window and ask for the registration sheet, sign it and wait for your name to be called. Once you are called you will be asked some basic information like for example the purpose of the certificate (wedding, travelling etc.) then you will be given a form that you have to fill-out and will be asked to make a payment of ₱250.00. Make sure you know the mother's maiden name of your fiancé or husband because that's VERY important.
While you are filling-out the form your name will be called again and that time it will be for the picture, you go to window #2, face the camera and at the count of 3 smile...(do your own counting, the person in charge will just tell you to bow your head and my picture was awful)lol...
After a while someone will collect all the forms being filled-out either done or undone but don't worry because you will be given the chance to finish it later and you will be instructed to go to a room for the group seminar. After the seminar and the travel breifing you can proceed completing to fill-out your forms and you will be asked to come back after lunch for the individual interview. If you are not able to present all the above mentioned requirements make use of your lunch break to complete them (photocopies, picture, additional information of your fiancé or husband etc.) otherwise you will be asked to come back the next day. They WILL NOT issue the certificate if your requirements are incomplete.
During the individual counseling session the counselor (most of the time it's a nun) will ask you some basic but VERY IMPORTANT information of your fiancé/husband. Examples of the questions you will be asked for are as follows:
- How did you meet each other?
- When did you meet?
- When did you start your relationship?
- Have you already seen each other personally?
- How long or how many days did you share together?
- What is your fiancé/husband's mother's maiden name?
- What is your fiancé/husband's job?
- What is his/her work address?
- Is he/she already introduced to your family?
- Describe his/her personality.
- Have you already fought? Among what issues?
- What are your future plans?
- How often do you communicate?
Now these are just example questions, they may vary in your case. They just want to make sure that you know your partner well and that you are not getting into a "fake marriage" or marriages that are done for wrong reasons like "just to be able to go to another country" or marrying just for money. As long as you love your partner with all your heart then there's nothing to worry about.
After the interview, if everything goes well you will be given the "Certificate of Attendance" which you will have to present to the CFO office located in the address noted above. Upon the presentation of your Certificate of Attendance you will be asked to pay an additional 400 pesos for the actual CFO certificate and if you already have your visa you will also be given a CFO sticker which will be checked by the Immigration at the airport on your date of departure. If like me you also don't have your visa yet then you will be asked to come back once you have the visa so they can attach that sticker to your passport. It is very important to note that the CFO Guidance and Counseling certificate does not expire, it remains VALID UNLESS the emigrant has a new petitioner OR is bound for another country, so better keep it, losing it would cost you another 400 pesos and 1 week to get a new one plus the hastle that you don't wish to go through.
Proof of residency in the Philippines
I thought that it is the community tax certificate or CEDULA. Thankfully I trusted my doubt and consulted my friends as to what this could be. This is commonly known as "proof of billing". So I used my land line phone bill, my cellphone bill, my bank statement and still included my CEDULA just in case. But only my land line phone bill was taken by the embassy, I apparently presented more than enough, well, better safe than sorry!
Photocopy of 2 ID cards
I used my SSS ID and my Voter's ID for this but the embassy also requested a photocopy of my passport. Good thing I brought my passport with me when I went to the embassy even if it's not "noted" in the requirements.
If previously married, mention of annulment decision on duly authenticated marriage certificate and certified true copy of judgment of marriage annulment; If widow/er, authenticated copy of death certificate of the spouse, Copy of birth certificate of illegitimate children duly authenticated.
This is not applicable to me or to my fiancé so I don't have much information about this part.
SUGGESTION:
If you are going to process the papers it would be better to get the CFO Certificate first because it is the most time consuming.
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hi
ReplyDeletei am filipina have french boyfriend we been together since 4 years and we have 1 little boy right now, we are planning to get marry by this year,.
i just want ask a small question from you if you were going with boyfriend in manila embassy for the interview before marriage?
Hello!
DeleteBefore we got married we went to the French embassy in Makati together for 2 instances:
1st: We went in January 2011 to inquire about the wedding process and at that moment the assistant of the consul gave us the lists of requirements. Then she also asked us some questions, like a sort of interview about our relationship and our personal information yet she also told us that there will be another interview before they release the Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry.
2nd: We went back in September 2011 to get the Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry. We were expecting the second interview but it never happened, they just released the certificate and that's all.
However, it's a case-to-case basis. I suppose as long as you both have all the requirements then there won't be any problem. The long parts are getting the Certificate of Legal Capacity and the waiting for the release of your "Livret de Famille" (after the wedding).
hello,may i know the needed requirements about the wedding process thnks
DeleteCheck this entry if this is the information that you need:
DeleteWeddingRequirements
hi ate, ask lang po ako about cfo certificate. Need na po ba talaga ito pag aaply ng LCM ? Or pwedeng after na ng marriage ? Naguguluhan po kasi ako. Nag email po ako sa french embassy tapos ang reply naman sakin nung DELAVICTOIRE eh it's not necessary to apply for lcm. Inaalala ko lang po baka pag punta namin sa french embassy dito sa pinas eh hanapin sakin yun pero ang sabi nga po sakin sa email eh not necessary daw pag mag apply ng lcm ..saka need ko din po ba na pakita din passport ko or pwedeng wala din muna ? wala pa po kasi ako na passport .. Thanks po ate sana mareplyan nyo po ako. God bless
ReplyDeleteHello,
DeleteSorry for the late response. What do you mean by LCM? Do you mean the Legal Capacity to Marry? If this is what you mean then I would say yes. Apparently, you can process the application for the Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry without the CFO certificate but to be on the safe side, just get it if you can.
If you and your french boyfriend are planning to get married in the Philippines then YES, YOU SHOULD APPLY FOR THE CERTIFICATE OF LEGAL CAPACITY TO MARRY. It's the very first requirement, you can't get married without this certificate. It is to ensure the Filipino national that his/her French boyfriend/girlfriend is not married or has no legal obligation in his country. It is like our CENOMAR in the Philippines.
You will be required to submit photocopies of 2 valid identification cards, if you don't have a passport then just present other IDs like SSS, Driver's License, Professional ID, Postal ID etc..
I hope this helps. God bless.
Hi I'm filipina and I'm getting married soon with my French national boyfriend.I'm confuse about the Prenom???Where is the middle Name of the french national..We have already out marriage liscence and the middle name of my fiance is blank, because the embassy said it is not necessary, But what if we have already our marriage certificate and it will pass in the Nationa Statistics Office(PHIL) Is it ok that there is no middle name to my husband or i put the family name of her mother when she was single, same in Philippines?im confuse about it please help
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteSorry I had to write and re-write my reply because I want to make sure i give you the right information. I had to verify it with our documents.
In France they don't use their mother's maiden name like us in the Philippines. You can leave it blank, there won't be a problem. I checked the paper that my husband filled-out for our Marriage License application and he did skip that part.
I hope this information helps. Good luck with your marriage process! God bless.
hi ate, thank you po sa response :) may ask pa po ako abt sa *A duly accomplished questionnaire from the embassy. Eto po ba yung form na fifil-up an sa embassy ? Kelangan po ba na dun sa embassy fil up an ito or pwede ko po ipa print nalang tapos fil-up an na namin ni bf tapos submit nalang po sa embassy ?
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Yes this is the form but you don't need to fill this out at the embassy, you can print it from here: Questionnaires . Download and print the PDF file, you will have the questionaires, you fill out the english version if you don't speak french yet while your fiancé will fill out the french version.
DeleteIt's better to fill these forms out ahead to save time because it's time consuming and in that way you can review all the information correctly. There are 3 pages, bear in mind that you and your fiancé must sign on the 2nd page.
salamat ulit teh :) so pwede po pala un.. ganun nalang po gawin namin, fill up an na namin para submit nalang sa embassy. Ate may interview pa po sa embassy diba? Ano ano po yung mga ask sa inyo ng hubby nyo po? Saka ate ok lang po kaya ipresent ko as id eh yung passport ko po saka postal id? Eto lang po meron ako eh, wala pa po me voters id ...
ReplyDeleteYes you and your fiancé will be interviewed, she will ask some personal information like how you met? how long have you been together? etc..
DeleteAbout your IDs, yes passport is already sufficient but you may bring your postal ID as well, just in case. When you get in the building (Pacific Star Bldg. in Makati they will ask you to leave one ID at the front desk, don't leave your passport there, give them another ID because your passport is very important for the embassy).
ok ate, dalawa lang kasi madadala ko na ID. Passport at postal so yung postal nalang ang iiwan ko sa guard. Ate sure po kaya na mabibigyan kami ng legal capacity ? Wala po bang naddeny sa ganun.. Gusto na po kc namin talaga na magpakasal.. Wag naman sna mahigpit sa embassy..
ReplyDeleteI don't know any case of denial for this document. Just follow the process, answer the personal questions that they will ask and provide all the documents that they require from both you and your fiancé.
DeleteHello ask ko lang po my nso and cenomar na po ako then naka schedule na po kame ng boyfriend ko about for marriage sa embassy kailangan ko pa po ba ung nso at cenomar ko epa red ribbon salamat please
DeleteYes, as I clearly stated in this blog post, YOU'LL NEED TO HAVE YOUR NSO ISSUED BIRTH CERTIFICATE AUTHENTICATED BY THE DFA -ALSO KNOWN AS RED RIBBON- but you don't need to do if for the CENOMAR.
Deletehello there!
ReplyDeleteI just read your blog about the requirements which are needed to get married with a french . I'm a filipina but already living here in France for 2years with my french partner. We got PACS on my first year here and now we're planning to get married in the Philippines and have a real wedding next year. I saw that we needed that legal capacity before we could get married in our country and that it will take months before we can have it. My question is that, do we really need to apply for it personally at the french embassy in the philippines? Or is it possible to apply or ask for it through phone or online? 'cause in our case, we couldn't stay long in the Philippines only to wait for the certificate of legal capacity. We're only gonna be there for a month to visit my family and for the wedding.
And about the proof of residence in the philippines, I don't think I could provide such document since I'm already residing here for 2 years and have been in Europe for almost 4 years now. Hope you could answer my questions 'cause we're quite worried that we might not have a wedding next year. :( Thank you and looking forward to your reply.
Hi,
DeleteI am so sorry I overlooked your comment. This was when we had to stop our internet connection because we were moving from the Caribbean (Martinique) to the metropolis (Bretagne). I hope everything went well and your wedding in the Philippines was a success by now.
It's really a shame I wasn't able to help, nonetheless, I wish you the best!
Hi Anonymous,
DeleteI am a French girl, looking for a solution with my Filipino Boyfriend,
You ve said that you were living in Frnace for 2 years already before getting married, how did you do that ? how did you get the rights to live in France that long without being married ?
thanks ..
Hi Anonymous,
DeleteI am a French girl, looking for a solution with my Filipino Boyfriend,
You ve said that you were living in Frnace for 2 years already before getting married, how did you do that ? how did you get the rights to live in France that long without being married ?
thanks ..
Hi,
DeleteI hope you can give your idea even you may over read my message.
Me and my fiance planned to get married next year. We will visit PH Next week to process/legal capacity at French embassy in Manila. but we cannot stay longer to wait for the document. I am not living in PH for 3 years straight and I do not have proof of billing, what can I present for this requirement? We wanted to get married in PH then go back again to Cambodia (we work at Cambodia, we do not live on our own country). PH embassy in Cambodia do not process wedding of Filipino and other national. French embassy in Cambodia do not process wedding for french and other national, they only do same or french and cambodian.
Is there also a way to process the wedding requirements in french embassy in Cambodia than in PH? but the wedding is in PH?
thank you in advance!
Hi!
DeleteSorry but I honestly am not familiar with the process on a situation like yours. I had a few blog readers who had about the same situation but they all ended up getting married in France. Perhaps it was simpler that way, I really don't know. I suggest you ask the embassy on which option would be best for you.
Good luck!
hi.. my bf and i is planning to get marry in december 2013..he is a french national. he will arrive in dec 1 and hope that we can have civil marriage within 3weeks of his stay here. its our 1st time to meet. would it be possible to get marry in that range of time? how many days do u think the cerfificate of legal capacity be released..i want to make sure its because he will only stay here for 3weeks due to his work. if certificate of legal capacity was filed and we have the receipt,can we proceed to civil marriage?
ReplyDeleteHi!
DeleteIf you have all the papers or requirements for a civil wedding in the Philippines, then yes it's possible to get married in three weeks time. However, it can be tricky to have everything ready in that short span of time as there are a lot of things to consider. (Consider the timeline in processing the papers and some seminars to attend to as part of the wedding requirements in the Philippines.)
Aside from the certificate of legal capacity please check the other wedding requirements too. You may drop by at your city registrar's office and ask for the list of requirements for a civil wedding.
You might also want to consider which authorized officiant you would have and then make an appointment the soonest time possible.
If you have further questions feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer them or refer you where you could probably get the answers you need if I couldn't.
Hello po, same question as above, will only clarify a bit.
ReplyDeleteWill it be possible to be married (in just one trip of a French fiançé) Ist: applying for a legal capacite sa french embassy then civil wedding sa munisipyo- all in one trip?
as far as what i have understood, di puwedeng magkaron ng marriage license kung walang legal capacité coming from the french embassy. and applying for legal capacite certificate cannot be received right away from the time of application. so may waiting period pa which is around a month, tama po ba?
and then, ok lang po ba yun na first meeting time then go sa embassy for application legal capacite certificate?
nagma matter po ba sa embassy kung gano kayo katagal magkakilala bago kayo magpakasal? mahigpit ba sila?
anu_ano po ang tinatanong sa embassy aside from the questions na nasa formulaire.
maraming salamat sa reply at God bless you po.
Hi!
DeleteAs far as I know you really need to apply for the certificate of legal capacity personally, there's a form to be filled out though which you can download online but the application has to be done in person because there's like a sort of interview but your case is quite special because, First; you're already in France and Second; you already got PACS. It looks to me like it's easier for you to get married in France than in the Philippines.
All the requirements that I have noted here in this blog are the requirements that they have asked from me when we processed our wedding but it was different because I was living in the Philippines back then and I could easily provide them the requirements like proof of residency. Perhaps they have a special process for your case. Try contacting the French embassy in Manila to see if they can give you some answers, contact M. DELAVICTOIRE. Last thing I know this person is the one in-charged now for French/Filipino marriages, here are the contact information of the French embassy in Manila in case you don't have it: FrenchEmbassy
Aside from the process in the French embassy you also have to consider the seminars and other papers required by our government which I've also mentioned in this blog. Mind you that if you are Roman Catholic and you want a church wedding there are more seminars and requirements to comply.
I hope I am able to help a bit. Bonne chance!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeletePlease read my entry about the livret de famille here:
livretdefamille
hello Miss wild flower i just want to know something or to ask you something,,i have a boyfriend he is a french guy and we are planning to get merry this comming August 2014,,but there is a problem when he called up to the french embassy and ask legal capacity to merry the consular required him to visit in the philippine 3times before they allow us to get legal capacity to merry,,i just want to ask if they required it also to youre husband when you and him plan to merry and apply legal capacity,,please answer my question pleas thanks and merci....
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteAs far as I know, based on our experience in the process, there is no mentioning of the number of times a French national should visit the Philippines before requesting for this "certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry" if he wishes to marry a Filipina. We have never been told about that, neither have we read about that on the list of requirements.
If you go to the French embassy's website you will have the guidelines to follow and a list of requirements to present. In our case, my husband was not asked to come to the Philippines three times before we could request for this certificate. However, on his second vacation to see me in the Philippines, we went to the embassy in Makati together to inquire about the wedding process. That's when we were given all the instructions to follow, lists of papers to furnish and forms to fill-out.
At the bottom of this reply I'll post a link of the French embassy's website, just click on "frenchembassy" and it'll take you to the page about french-filipino marriage in the Philippines. Try to visit the website, you'll see all the forms and lists of instructions that I've mentioned.
frenchembassy
hello Miss wild flower thank you for youre response to my question,,and im going to add something to my question,,,the consular told to my fiance if two couple meet in site dating only the embassy really riquired to visit in philippines 3 times,me and my fiance meet in asian dating only,,just want to ask if you and youre husband meet in dating site also? and its really true that a filifina with had a french bf need also or its really required with the embassy that a filifina must know or know or learn how to speak french?,,i hope you can answer me Merci,,,,,
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteTo answer your question, yes my husband and I first met on the internet but we didn't get married the first time we met. He visited me many times before we decided to get married.
You and your boyfriend will have an interview at the French embassy. They want to make sure that the couple is getting married for real love not for something else.
About the French language, no you won't be required to speak French. I mean, it's not requirement for a wedding. However, once you're in France you'll be required to learn French.
I hope my answers help you. Have a nice day!
thank you very much miss wild flower its really helpful the blog you post,,and what about CFO you really need to getit? and the legal capacity to merry do you think its really hard to get it?
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. I'm glad you find my blog posts helpful.
DeleteAbout the CFO certificate, I'd say yes you really need to get it because it's listed as one of the requirements for the issuance of the Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry.
As long as you present all the required documents by the French embassy then it won't be hard to get the certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry. Just follow all the instructions and present all the documents they ask.
goodmorning po.
ReplyDeletegusto ko lang malaman kung pwd pong hindi na kami mag set ng appointment? one week lang kasi ang vacancy ng fiancee ko.maraming beses na rin siyang pabalik balik rito.pwd po ba na kami na diretso ang pumnuta sa embassy??? kasi baka po hindi kami nag set appointment tsaka diretso kami pumnta sa embassy baka po kailangan pa po pabalikin kami ng ilang araw one week lang po siya magstay dito sa pinas.
salamat
Hello,
DeleteIt is very important that you call for an appointment before going to the embassy otherwise you might not be entertained. If your boyfriend's vacation is only for a week then call for the appointment ahead of time. I am not working for the embassy so I don't really know their internal rules however, based on my experience, I've always called ahead and asked for an appointment. It's the best way to be sure that we get entertained.
Good luck!
anf CFO hindi ko po nakita dun sa reqs na nakalagay.
ReplyDeleteThey might have changed the list of requirements. The information I've noted here is based on my experience dated over 2 years ago. I don't update the list of requirements based on the current one. The prices of the processing fees might change as well.
DeleteHi, I've been reading on to your blog and I must say you are very helpful and generous in giving your time to heed and respond to the concerns of fellow Filipinas whom you don't know.
ReplyDeleteI actually have few questions as well, coz my boyfriend and I planned to get married hopefully next year.
1. The requirements you enlisted above are for marriage in the Philippines or France?
2. Is it easier to be married in Phil. or France? In terms of papers and in general, well basically I need your personal opinion on this.
3. CFO document was not included in the list that the Embassy of France will be requiring, is it really necessary to have this paper?
4. We are both working professionals and are quite busy, would you recommend that we hire a travel agent to process Fiance Visa or is it wiser to do hands on?
5. If can, would you be able to recommend reliable travel agency which does this work?
Thank you so much and looking forward to your soonest response.
Regards,
= )
Hello,
DeleteThank you for the compliment. I'm just returning the favor. I was once the one scouting for help. So, to answer your questions:
1. The requirements and procedures I have listed down are for a Filipino-French wedding celebrated in the Philippines.
2. We thought about getting married in France, we tried to start the process but it was nearly impossible. It was actually the assistant consul who said that it's a lot easier to have the marriage in the Philippines. I don't know anyone who got married in France so I can't really make a comparison but personally I'd say it's easier to get married in the Philippines both for the papers and in general. Requesting for a fiancée visa for France isn't impossible but it takes a lot of time and money.
3. Yes, I noticed that the CFO certificate is no longer in the list as a marriage requirement however, yes it is very important to have this paper but you may do it later. You need the CFO certificate in leaving the country. Even if you already have a spouse visa but you don't have the CFO certificate, the immigration officer at the airport will never let you get out of the country. I already met someone who had that situation.
4. Asking for a french visa once you are already married (and you already have your livret de famille) will be very easy, you won't need a travel agency and yes it's better to do it yourself anyway. You only need to go to the embassy twice. First, to submit your visa application with all the required documents. Second, to claim your spouse visa.
5. I didn't use a travel agency in applying for my visa but I used one to get my DFA authenticated marriage certificate (aka red ribbon). Since I'm from Cebu it would have been impractical to go to Manila just to request for a document from DFA when I actually have to possibility to have it via other means. This document is required in getting your "Livret de Famille" which will be the principal requirement for a french spouse visa. As to which travel agency to use, I actually don't have any suggestion.
I hope this helps..if you have more questions feel free to ask it here or you may send me an email via wildflower-13@hotmail.fr
Have a good one! ツ
Good day po ate... just read your blog recently.. i just wanna ask some questions regarding po sa pagkuha ng visa sa french embassy..married na po kami ng asawa ko this year lang po march 24 ,2014... nakuha kupalang po yung Certificate of marriage namin sa municipal hall dito sa cavite month of april..hinihintay kunalang yung authenticated marriage certificate po namin sa nso
ReplyDeleteask lang po ako ate kung anu anu po mga kilangan ko dalhin sa embassy sa pag ayus at pagkuha ng visa po .. wala pa po akung passport ,actually first applicant palang po ako sa pagkuha ng passport .,and kulang pa po mga valid ids ko na gamit na surname ng husband ko.
Halimbawa po makuha kuna po authenticated certificate of marriage po namin sa nso at ipapasa kuna po sa embassy ,,anu anu pa po ba kailangan kung dalhin na mga documents ??
Kukunan na poba ako nila agad ng passport copy ?panu po kung wala pa po akung passport?
Sa pagkuha din po kasi ng passport dapat kailangn din ng certificate galing CfO ,,,eh panu po kung mag attend po ako sa cfo ng seminar eh requirements din ata ang passport ?anu po ba yung mga dapat kung unahin sa pag process ng visa ko po??at anu anu po ang mga needs ko na documents to get my visa?? I hope to hear from your response and i hope po matulungan niyo po ako... thank you po and God blessed .
Hi,
DeleteI suggest that you start with having at least 2 valid IDs so that you can apply for a passport. Check out the requirements in getting a passport for a new applicant here: PASSPORT
Before applying for a passport be sure that you do the CFO seminar since it's one of the passport requirements if your spouse is a foreign national.
Once you have your valid IDs and your CFO certificate of attendance, apply immediately for a passport. In Cebu it's possible to request for your passport to be processed express, I'm almost sure it's possible in Cavite too. It's a bit more expensive but it'll save you time.
When you will have your passport then you can immediately start your spouse Visa request process. The Visa will be quick as long as you give them all the requirements on the list.
By the way, good luck and God bless you too!
Deletebonjour ate. First of all, I want to thank you for creating this very helpful site. Ate, my fiance and I are recently waiting for the legal capacity for marriage. The consul said that we will know the result on August 9. But right now, my fiance and I are quite nervous what if the LCM will be denied. Ate , were there cases of denied application for LCM?
ReplyDeletethen if the family book is issued, for the application of visa, does it matter how much is the income of the husband per year? or what type of work that he has in France? And based on your experience, how many months/how long before you were able to get your spouse visa?
Merci beaucoup. :)
Hello,
DeleteI sent you a reply through email.
God bless.
bonjour ate. First of all, I want to thank you for creating this very helpful site. Ate,my fiance and I are recently waiting for the legal capacity for marriage. The consul said that we will know the result on August 9. But right now, my fiance and I are quite nervous what if the LCM will be denied. Ate , were there cases of denied application for LCM?
ReplyDeletethen if the family book is issued, for the application of visa, does it matter how much is the income of the husband per year? or what type of work that he has in France? And based on your experience, how many months/how long before you were able to get your spouse visa?
Merci beaucoup.
Its very helpful article specially for filipino looking forward to marry a french women or men
ReplyDeleteThank you for your appreciation.
DeleteNo answer until now, ,well then,,ok,thanks anyway,, ;)
DeleteThanks for the very helpful blog!
ReplyDeleteQuestion please: Me and my bf completed all the papers in Formulaire En Ligne to apply for legal capacity we are going to embassy for appointment, can I attend CFO as soon as possible even not yet married or no legal capacity yet?
-Ria
Hi Ria,
DeleteSpeaking from experience, YES you can attend the CFO seminar even before you get the certificate of legal capacity or even before the wedding. I did it that way myself.
You should have your passport though. If you want to be sure you may call the CFO or visit their website.
If you have further questions you may email me at wildflower-13@hotmail.fr
Good luck!
hi bonjour,
ReplyDeleteplan naming magpakasal ng fiancé ko this coming October darating siya then 1 month lang siya mag stay dito...possible ba kaya na habang wala siya ako nalang muna ang kumuha ng certificate of no impediment para pag dating nya meron na?complete naman ang requirement naming pinadala na niya ung mga kelangan nya isubmit sa embassy...pwede ba or possible ba na ako ang mag process mag isa?
Merci
Hi,
DeleteBased on my experience, yes it's possible for you to be the only one to submit the requirements for the certificate of legal capacity to marry but I suppose you and your fiancé must claim it together because most of the time they will conduct a short interview before they release that paper. To be sure, you may call the French embassy and inquire about it.
Hello,
DeleteMerci sa pag-reply tumawag ako sa france embassy sabi sa akin ng nakausap ko dapat daw dalawa kami mag submit ng documents para ma-process ung legal capacity to marry...matutulungan nyo po ba ako sa concern ko?baka meron kaung contact na maibibigay sa akin para sa kanya ako makikipag transact about sa pag process ng lcm. merci beuacoup
Hi,
DeleteSorry I don't have any contact person at the French embassy. Try to let your fiancé call the embassy to explain your situation (if he hasn't done it yet). Maybe they'll consider.
Good luck!
Hello
ReplyDeleteGaano po ba katagal bago.makuha ang certificate?? Dadalhim poand certifucate sa both townhall?? Salamat
Based on my experience, it can take about a month or two.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI just had received a carbon copy of the reply from French embassy to my fiance and it says that CFO Certificate IS NOT necessary anymore to get that Legal Capacity to Marry. It is required only by Philippine Authorities at the airport upon departure to France. So, this certificate isn't one of the requirements anymore. This info might help us.
Ok, thanks for the update.
DeleteHi, I just want to ask if you have paid for getting legal capacity to marry? If so how much is it?
ReplyDeleteHello,
DeleteSorry for the very delayed response. No, there is no fee for the certificate of legal capacity to marry.
hillo po ate tapus napo yong wedding namin i have already marriage cerfificate from NSO; ano po yong requirement for subamit the embassy
ReplyDeleteGo to the embassy's website: http://www.ambafrance-ph.org/Visas,1261
DeleteMiss ilang buwan bago dumating ung approval na pwede kayo makasal ng French bf mo? Need ur answer. Thank u... Mabilis lang ba?
DeleteHello po. Thank you so much having this blogsite. This is so helpful for filipinas to know what to do in wedding preparations especially the administrative part.
ReplyDeleteI have a question regarding CENOMAR. Do i also need to have it authenticated by the DFA?
Thank you po. God bless
Hi,
DeleteNo you don't need to have the CENOMAR authenticated by the DFA, you only do that for the marriage certificate.
Hi po ate.. ask lang po ako.
ReplyDeletePagkumoha vah ng authenticated na nso ay dadaan pa po vah yan ng dfa for certification? Kasi po hindi ko maintindihan young dalawa.
sorry sa pagtatanong.. hindi ko po kasi alam.
Hi!
DeleteIf you're required to submit a copy of your birth certificate authenticated by the DFA (which they also call a RED RIBBON) then, first you need to get a copy of your BC from NSO then forward it to DFA for authentication.
and is it needed that the birth certificate has to be also authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) ? or NSO is enough ?
ReplyDeleteMERCI :)
Look at the list of requirements, it should be noted if they just want an NSO copy or if they need it to be authenticated by the DFA.
Deletewow ang galing..madami akong natutunan..congrats po :)
ReplyDeletemay question po ako..may appointmnt na din kmi ng baby sa french embassy for CCAM/LCM..question ko po about proof of residency.
kumuha na po ako ng barangay clearnce at navalidate na din po sa mayor..need pa po bang ipa-authorize yon sa lawyer?
pg mkuha yong Legal capacity,
ReplyDeletefrench po ba yon o english? kailangan po bang ipatranslate yon to english kng french?
The CLC is in English.
DeleteElow napaka interesting ng blog mo... May tanong sana ako balak naming pakasal ng bf kong French as pinas, ilang buwan ba bago kami makapag pakasal? Kasi 2 linggo lang bakasyon nya eh, kailanagn na balik sya as trabaho... Ska te ASA France ka naba nakatira ngayon? Pero dito kayo kinasal sa pinas? And ginawa mong process para maka punta ka ng France kahit sa pinas kayo kinasal? If ever naman na do kami makasal sa pinas may info kaba te sa pano ako makapunta ng France kasi balak namin pakasal sun. Salamat ng marami. Hoping for ur reply.. Salamat
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeletePlease be advised that my answers to the questions here are based on my experience, I don't have any contact/connection with the French embassy or anything official of that sort.
-ilang buwan ba bago kami makapag pakasal?
----Everything depends on how quick you can process all the requirements, I suggest that you go to the french embassy or visit their website to start the process in requesting for the certificate of legal capacity to marry.
-Ska te ASA France ka naba nakatira ngayon? Pero dito kayo kinasal sa pinas?
---Yes, I now live in France and my husband and I had our wedding celebrated in Cebu.
-And ginawa mong process para maka punta ka ng France kahit sa pinas kayo kinasal?
---After the wedding we submitted the papers for the Livret de Famille and once the Livret de Famille was released I then applied for my french spouse visa. About the visa you can visit the French embassy's website for more information. Here is the link if you want: http://www.ambafrance-ph.org/Visas-1261
Hello po. I would like to know the number of days that it will take to get the Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry from the moment all the requirements have been submitted to the Embassy of France because my French boyfriend will only stay for 22 days in the Philippines. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteYou'll get it in about 4 to 6 weeks.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteDo you have any idea on how to get the Family book? .. Thanks
here are the requirements:
DeleteOriginal Marriage Certificate issued by the NSO and duly authenticated by the DFA (Red Ribbon)
Photocopy of Marriage Certificate issued by the City Hall or City Registrar
Note: This list of requirement will be handed to you together with your Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry and consular representative will actually advise you what to do next.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteGood day! I would like to ask for your help for the following:
- How long it took you to get your visa from the French Embassy?
- Did you have an interview with them?
- How long it takes to get the livret de famille?
Thank you so much in advance!
Regards,
Iowa
Hello po,can i ask what were the questions of the embassy during your interview in applying for the lcm? Thank you,,
ReplyDeleteThe questions will be personal regarding your relationship: how have you met? How long have you been together? how much do you know each other? etc...
DeleteThey might also ask for a copy of your communication, emails, chats, letters etc...
hi! you got married here in Cebu, you can speak cebuano?
ReplyDeletewere planning to go next week in Manila for personal ask about the process of papers for marriage and ask some question about his status, do we need to bring some papers needed to present for any purposes? pls. let me know so that we can save time and money flying back and forth to Manila..
Thank you very much for the info
Jem
Hi!
DeleteYes, we got married in Cebu and yes I speak cebuano, I'm a cebuana. :)
Since it's for inquiry there won't be any documents needed yet but be sure to valid at least one valid ID because when you get to the embassy's building the concierge will ask you to leave a valid ID for security purposes.
If you have more questions send it through email: wildflower-13@hotmail.fr
Good luck. God bless!
Hi pandora. My bf is a french national working in london while i am an ofw working in singapore. we would like to get married in the philippines and have a church wedding. i seriously do not know where to start. I emailed french embassy in manila a month ago but no reply. recently i went home for 5days in manila and went straight to french embassy but they did not want to entertain me without an appointment. All i want to know is where to start the process and whether we will be allowed to marry in the philippines considering that i am not a current resident of pinas and neither is he. i was able to speak with mr. Delavictoire very briefly over the phone and he was telling me that i need to be a current resident of pinas for at least 30days before we can submit the documents together when he comes over in pinas. i do not want to get married in singapore. Also, we want to have a prenup. Do u have any idea about this? Appreciate your reply
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteTo be honest, your situation is a bit particular but I had another Filipina who had "almost the same situation" and because it's not possible to get married in the Philippines they opted to have it done in France. Perhaps you can consider this option too. If M. Delavictoire told you that you must be a resident of the Philippines in order to have the process done then I suppose there's no other way to go about it.
Best of luck!
Hi,
DeleteDo you have the direct contact number of Mr Delavictoire ?
I was trying to call their trunkline to set an appointment for the LCM but it was always busy.
Appreciate your reply.
Thanks!
Hi,
DeleteDo you have the direct contact number of Mr Delavictoire ?
I was trying to call their trunkline to set an appointment for the LCM but it was always busy :(
Appreciate your reply.
hi!
DeleteSorry, i'm afraid I don't have M. Delavictoire's contact number. All the contact numbers i know are from the embassy's website.
Just keep trying I guess. Good luck!
Dear "Almosthere",
DeleteEven if you are OFW, you can still get married in the Philippines if one of your parents live in the Philippines.
Please refer to Article 74 du Code Civil : "Le mariage sera célébré, au choix des époux, dans la commune où l'un d'eux, ou l'un de leurs parents, aura son domicile ou sa résidence établie par un mois au moins d'habitation continue à la date de la publication prévue par la loi."
Thank you for sharing your thought! :)
DeleteHello Pandora,
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to come across your blog! My fiance and I are planning to get married this December and I'm from Davao. Obviously I'd prefer to have my CFO counseling in Cebu than in Manila. My question is, if I had my counseling in Cebu, is it possible to claim/get my sticker in Manila? I still don't have my visa yet and I am going to process my CFO certificate beforehand.
Thank you so much!!
Hi!
DeleteI honestly don't know if it's possible to have the CFO sticker from a CFO office other than where you had your counseling. I suggest it's better for you to contact them directly. You may try this phone number: 032 255 5253 or through email: info@cfo.gov.ph
Good luck and God bless.
Ma'am, I deeply appreciate this blog for helping many Filipina who will get married to french national in the Phil.and I'm one of them.I just wanna ask why the consular office are saying that the french national who will get married with a filipina needs to come to visit the country for 3 times when they met online?is there any article or law that tells that?what is the basis of their rules?i just wanna know your opinion about this...Thank you and God bless
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteI'm glad you find the blog helpful. As to your question, it is pretty subjective and I'm not in the position to question the rules imposed by the French embassy regarding Fil-French marriages. And I don't know of any law regarding the matter either. You may try to google it up or ask someone from the embassy directly as to why it has to be done that way.
(Personally, I suppose it's done to protect both nationals and to avoid fake marriages.)
Best of luck!
Bonjour;)
ReplyDeleteMe and my boyfriend we will be going to French embassy this coming October to inquire the requirements for marriage,pero may mga nakaready na po kami both n documents to get his legal capacity.possible po ba na mreleasan sya ng lcm nya even though ngmeet lng kmi s isang site February of this year, his second visit here in the Philippines this coming October.but plan po niya next year pa ng March married namin.merci :) more power
Just to be clear, all my ideas/answers here are based on my experience. I can't possibly speak for the embassy. I'm not in anyway connected to anyone working there and the process that I've noted here is subject to change. For specifics I suggest that you address your questions to the embassy.
Delete"Possible po ba na mreleasan sya ng lcm nya even though ngmeet lng kmi s isang site February of this year? His second visit here in the Philippines this coming October.but plan po niya next year pa ng March married namin.merci :) more power."
This is a specific question, the releasing of the LCM is a case-to-case basis. Just submit a complete set of documents, do your part of the process as they ask you to and normally everything should be okay. Again, for any specific questions it is better for you to contact the embassy directly.
Good luck!
Bonjour;)
ReplyDeleteMe and my boyfriend we will be going to French embassy this coming October to inquire the requirements for marriage,pero may mga nakaready na po kami both n documents to get his legal capacity.possible po ba na mreleasan sya ng lcm nya even though ngmeet lng kmi s isang site February of this year, his second visit here in the Philippines this coming October.but plan po niya next year pa ng March married namin.merci :) more power
Bonjour!
ReplyDeleteI'm a Filipina and I wanna ask for your opinion about my case.I have a French bf and we met online.He have been visited and stayed at home in the Phil for two months together with my family..He wants to pay for another plane ticket just for the purpose of marriage,to get married with me and we are one year in a relationship this coming December,and we are planning to get married..Is it possible that we can get married soon on Dec?wherein we have all the documents needed for filing Legal Capacity in the French Embassy?and how long it takes before to get the Legal Capacity of Marriage from the French Embassy?I hope for your reply and thank you so much..
Hi,
DeleteI'll do my best to answer your questions but please note that it's all based on my experience, for specifics it is best to direct your question to the embassy.
"Is it possible that we can get married soon on Dec?"
-As long as you submit all the necessary documents and have all the requirements to have the wedding done then yes you can get married but just a head's up, having the needed documents take time.
"How long it takes before to get the Legal Capacity of Marriage from the French Embassy?"
-Between 6 to 8 weeks (based on our experience.)
Good luck!
Thank you Ma'am Pandora(^_^) God Bless!
Deletehi your blog is very helpful and i hope you can help me, is it necessary to submit the requirement personally or is it possible to post it? im from cebu and i am working full time my bf only have 2 weeks approved leave so am i..so we were planning to submit requirements by post and claim it personally. do you think its possible?
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteBack in 2011, they were very specific that the documents must be submitted in person and you must call for an appointment before going there. You may call them to ask if it's possible to mail them, perhaps the procedure has changed since then.
Good luck!
thank you really appreciate :)
Deletehi Pandora,
ReplyDeletecan i submit my requirements by myself or do we have to be together?
thank you for answering my concerns.
Hi!
DeleteI submitted our docs alone BUT please confirm it with them first, you may call the embassy to ask if it's possible. The process might have changed or your case might be treated differently than ours.
Good luck!
Hi Pandora, how long French Spousal Visa be released after you filed it?
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteMine was released after a week but this won't guarantee anything, you still better ask the embassy for the time frame when you file your application.
so u went to embassy alone? what r the requirements for spousal visa?
DeleteI would like to ask po what are the requirements needed from your french fiancee in getting married sa pinas?
ReplyDeleteRead this entry:
Deletehttp://thoughtsofagoddess13.blogspot.com/2011/11/1-filipino-french-wedding-procedure-in.html
Thank you:) God bless you!!!!!
ReplyDeletehi po good evening, ask ko lang po Sana..
ReplyDeletekase na-interview na kami for the LCM and waiting nalang po for pick up one of this days, but my fiancé and I are decided to marry nalang in France , so after I get our LCM is there possible po kaya na payagan kami ng embassy to get married na lang in France or need talaga na dito kami magpakasal?
thanks po miss Pandora, God bless :)
Hi!
DeleteI can't answer your question. I had a different experience. I don't think the requirements are the same if your decide to have the wedding in France. Contact the embassy, they are the only ones who could possibly answer your question.
Good luck!
ah ganun po ba, thanks po sa answer, pero may isa pa po akong question, did you know po ba ang "MARRIED VISA" na tinatawag nila
Deleteif ever po na Alam nyo:
did you know how long ang aatayin to have an interview after setting up an appointment?
and how long ang process ng visa?
thanks po ulit:)
By "married visa" do you mean the "spouse visa"? Spouse visa appointments won't take so long normally but it depends on the embassy's schedule. If there aren't a lot of people requesting for a french visa then you won't have to wait so long. Once you've submitted all your requirements the process can take about 5 to 10 business days given that all your requirements are complete.
Deletehi po, ask ko lang po kung paano po yung process ng MARRIED VISA? if ever po na Alam nyo. thanks po :)
ReplyDeleteCall for an appointment, submit your complete set of requirements, wait for the releasing of your spouse visa. For the list of requirements visit the french embassy's website.
DeleteHi Pandora,
ReplyDeleteI m really glad to read all those comments, it's always better to read from people who experienced than just official web site.
Well, I am french, my boyfriend is filipino, we met wile working, we 're looking for a solution, we would like him to come over to France and be able to work there as well.
- What would be the best solution to make it happen like we're looking to many different ways and it's not that easy
- Problem is that he's been married really young, and as I discover Philippines is not like France where you can divorce easily apparently ... or else we would have take this solution already does anyone know aout cancellation ? cause in our entourage nobody ever did it that's why we're quite lost ..
other solution is to look for an other country able to accept both of us but it seems quite easier to start in mine cause I can help to handle few things, and he speaks already some french so ..
If you have any opinion on the situation that would be more than welcome ..
Hi Manon!
DeleteYour situation is quite complicated indeed. Did he inquire about annulment? It's a legal separation too like divorce. I knew someone who successfully did it and she recently remarried.
Can you email me? wildflower-13@hotmail.fr
Bon courage!
Bonjour..ate ask ko lang ,,kasi nag aaply ako ng long stay visa for France kso ang sabi sa embassy ,short stay visa LNG ang granted at kung gusto ko daw mag extend at sa France n saw I poprocess un...mag kaiba po ba any long stay visa saka fiancee visa...ksi po ndi pa name ng kikita ng personal Maya iniisip ko na may chance na madeny kung fiancee visa ..help nman po please thank you
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know there is no such thing as fiancee visa. They only offer short stay and long stay visa. Short stay visas are issued for travel/vacation purposes and I think that's what they issue to those who would like to get married there. Long stay visas are mostly issued to spouses of French nationals.
Deleteso how long did u process the legal capacity to marry? and how long to process the spousal visa? how long is the waiting time to get the results from embassy?
ReplyDeleteYou might find your answers here:
Deletehttp://thoughtsofagoddess13.blogspot.com/2015/09/marriage-between-filipino-french.html
hi po, ask ko lang po, after marriage po and I had already the marriage certificate, pwede po bang ako lang ang bumalik sa embassy for the book of family and visa? or need parin with French husband?
ReplyDeletethanks po :)
Pwede ikaw lang mag isa ang mag submit ng papers for the family book and the visa, just make sure you got all the required documents with you.
DeleteGood luck.
Hi i just want to ask, once we have the requirements, is it ok that i will be the only one to submit it to the french embassy in manila? or do we need to be both present to submit the requirements?
ReplyDeleteHi!
DeleteI submitted my documents alone but we claimed it together. However, I already had a few blog followers who said they were asked to submit their documents together. I suggest that you ask the embassy first whether it is or isn't okay for you to submit your completed documents alone, just to be on the safe side.
Good luck!
Hi. Good afternoon. I am a filipina with a french boyfriend. We were in a relationship since October 2014, we finally met personally just this November 7, 2015. We are planning to get married as long as his divorce papers will be okay and he said it will be on dec 3 this year. My question is that can my bf can apply his certificate to marry in their country or he needs to go back here in Philippines again to do it? He will be leaving Philippines on nov 29, 2015. Hope you can help me. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHi there! Thank you so much for your blog and all the responses you give in the comment section. I am about to get married in March 2016 and my boyfriend will be here on January 12th. I am about to call for an appointment to get the legal capacity on the day he arrives. I am from Iloilo, btw. So, my question is, because we have to come back home to prepare for the wedding, do you think we could go home first after our scheduled interview at the embassy or should we stay and wait for the releasing of the document? I do not know if it would be okay to book our Iloilo tickets in advance. I have talked to some Filipinas and some say it takes another month to claim the document, another one says that first you submit the documents then they schedule you for an interview then you wait again for the releasing. I am really very confused because it is costly to stay in Manila but I also do not want to come back to Iloilo knowing that I would have a scheduled interview after a few days. Help? Merci beaucoup! Gros bisous!
ReplyDeletehi!
DeleteThe issuance of the certificate of legal capacity to marry takes time, you'll need to compile all the required documents, there's a set of requirements for you and a set for your boyfriend...the list of requirements and the forms to fill-out can be found and downloaded from the French embassy's official website. After the submission of requirements you'll need to wait about 5 weeks (minimum) before the document is released. You need to contact the French embassy to know the exact time frame.
I suggest that while your boyfriend is still in France you start the process of acquiring the certificate of legal capacity to marry, there are travel agencies who can help you if you think you can't do it yourself but honestly it's not that complicated. First, you contact the embassy to ask them if it is possible for you to submit your documents alone, explain them your situation or let your boyfriend call them to explain why he can't be with you during the submission of your documents for the LCM. If they say yes, then you start with downloading the documents/requirements/forms from the embassy's website. Second, you fill out your forms and let your boyfriend fill out his forms too. Third, compile all the needed documents that they require and let your boyfriend compile his too in France. When all his documents are completed and his forms signed let him send it to you via FedEx then compile both your completed documents and forward it personally to the embassy. Next thing you'll need to do is just wait for the releasing of the LCM. Make sure that all your papers are complete to avoid any delay.
Bon courage!
Hi Pandora !
ReplyDeleteYour blog is a gold mine full of precious information.
In our case, I am the French Groom-to-be and she is my future Filipina wife.
However our process to marry in Manila is quite complex as we both work and live in China. I've seen previous posts with couples in such situations (London and Singapore...).
I downloaded all the documents needed by the French Embassy in the Philippines but it seems that we won't be able to submit the application without being there. We will marry in Las Pinas because her family lives there and she still has proof of residency despite the fact she does not lives there anymore (tax, bank status...).
We are now thinking of doing the same process with the French Embassy of Beijing in order to get the Certificate of Legal Capacity of Mariage here.
Do you think that having that certificate given by my embassy in another country that Philippines will create trouble to marry in a church in Las Pinas ?
Thanks in advance
Bonjour !
DeleteRegarding your case, I suggest that you contact the embassy and ask them if they'd honor the certificate even if it was issued in China. If you ask for my point of view, I think they will not honor it because before the issuance of the certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry the embassy will issue "marriage banns" for 10 days at the embassy of where the couple wish to get married and 10 days at the city hall of the French national. For example, for us, it was posted 10 days at the embassy in Manila (because we got married in the Philippines) and 10 days at the city hall in a city in Martinique where my husband used to live at that time. If no one oposes to the planned union then the French government will issue the "certificate of non-oposition" and issue the certificate of legal capacity to marry. If you requested and have been issued this certificate in China, logically you must get married in China because it means nobody IN CHINA and IN FRANCE opposed to your planned marriage.
Sorry the explaination is quite long but I do hope it's clear enough. Would it not be easier if you just get married at the embassy in China? And take note that if you wish to have a church wedding, the church also has its own set of requirements to be accomplished.
Bon courage à vous 2!
Hello guys,
ReplyDeleteI'm here in france now almost two months nko pero Walla pa among pinay nkikita huhu any pinay from noisy le grand sana my isa man lang dito nhohomesick nako lol have a nice day guys my email add stephlhen2015@gmail.com
Hi!
DeletePlease check your email.
Bonjour,
ReplyDeleteHi ma'am I just wanna know that , possible ko pa po ba magagamit yung mga requirements na kinuha ko last 2015 for getting certificate of legal capacity of my fiance this coming April, valid pa kaya yun this 2016? Para Hindi na po ako kumuha ulit ng panibago. I want to hear your answer soon ma'am .merci beaucoup :) good luck po sa blog niyo !!!
Hi, Lucky Lagleva, kung cenomar po good for 3months lng validity nun tapos ung birth certificate red ribbon my validity din un.
DeleteBonjour Madame,
ReplyDeleteA bit of question about the waiting period of livret de famille because DelaVictoire is no longer in the embassy right now so the new consultant is Mme thanh-an and its not really accomodating unlike M DelaVictoire because they tell us that its just 2 months to wait we submitted all requirements month of 3 Janvier 2016 but until now still not done coz when the last time that i call this woman she shout me on the phone so i was completely peace-off but still im tranquille to speak with her.. my question is do i need to set an appointment again with the consulat madame or just to wait because my husband cant work because he's waiting for me nobody will pickup me there.. and the season for his work is comming... s'il te plaît madame what do you think i need to do next
Merci beaucoup for reading my blog i hope you can help me...😢
God bless you and your family...
Hi!
DeleteIn my case we had to wait 5 months for our Livret de Famille but apparently that was because they had some internal issues at the embassy. Just keep on doing a follow-up, it's your right to have this paper but you just really need to be patient. You don't need to ask for an appointment anymore, just wait until the Livret de Famille is ready and ask for the appointment when you pick it up.
Good luck and God bless.
i have a question,during my stay in Paris i dated this french man when i came back to the Philippines he wants m to go back there and file for a fiance visa but the problem is we don't have photos together because i was too reluctant to have selfies or whatsoever..what is the best way?and how many months will it take for us to get a visa?what if he comes over?can we go to France embassy?how will i get an appointment?
ReplyDeleteHi Anna!
DeleteDo you have other proofs of being in contact with him since then, like emails, skype or text messages with dates on them? Anyway they will see that you really were in Paris at such and such period as stamped on your passport but you better ask the embassy if they'd accept such proofs though. If he could come over it is best to visit the embassy together so they'd be able to give you the best advice. As to the time frame for a fiance/short stay visa I really don't have any idea since I didn't go through that.
You may ask for an appointment by calling them or sending them an email. Visit their website to get there contact information.
Good luck!
Bonjour! Pangatlong balik na po ng fiancé ko ngayong april and balak namin kumuha ng legal capacity. May nadedenied po ba sa pagkuha ng legal capacity pag pinasa po namin ang mga documents?? Thank you po
ReplyDeleteI don't know of any denial case for the LCM. Just submit all the documents that they require and be patient, the wait time can be stressful.
DeleteBonjour , Thank you Rhea ! The certificate of legal capacity of my fiancé has already arrive in French embassy, only a months 1/2 for the waiting and I will claim it on May. Thanks to God :)
ReplyDeleteThat's good news Lucky! congrats and best of luck for the rest of the process.
DeleteHappy wedding, good luck po
DeleteHi Pai,
ReplyDeleteFirst I wanna thank you for making this blog it Helps a Lot.
I am a Filipina and I have a french boyfriend we are planning to get married this year because He plans to come to visit me and he will be staying for 3 weeks, my question is how long will it take for us to process the necessary requirements, what documents do I need to secure while waiting for Him and what documents should he bring that could help to shorten the processing time.
Please take time to read this entry, I suppose I have answers to your questions noted here. Pinay-French Marriage Celebrated in The Philippines FAQ
DeleteRegarding the documents that he should bring, please read this entry: STEP ONE: Filipino-French Wedding Procedure in the Philippines
DeleteHi. Tanong ko lng po kung ilan months ang aantayin for the transcription of marriage in france embassy po. I got married last april 18, 2015 with my French boyfriend (now husband), then almost one month and 1/2 ung processing ng nso marriage certificate namin at ng dfa reb ribbon. Madam CASSIN in the embassy just gave us an instructions what to do after our marriage when we got the lcm. I just sent the form duly filled out by my husband before he left after our marriage because it is written in french then i attached the needed requirements for the transcription, i sent it thru a courier and it informed me that madam cassin received it just today may 30, 2016. Do you have any idea how many days or months i have to wait?. Thank you po.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your recent wedding! The transcription could take minimum 3 months, it depends on the number cases they're working on.
DeleteHi..can we bring our baby with us during the submission/interview for the legal capacity to marry at the embassy?
ReplyDeleteHi! You need to address your question directly to the French embassy. You may send them an email or give them a call. Their contact info can be found in their website.
DeleteBonjour madam pia.. Ask ko lang if ano po ang requirements for spouse visa. I mean did they ask you to learn french first before they give you the visa? Merci beaucoup
ReplyDeleteHi Lyn! The list of requirements can be found in the french embassy's website. One of the requirements is the "Livret de Famille". No, they didn't require me to learn french before they gave the first visa. You'll be required to learn french upon your arrival in France. That will be a part of your cultural integration process.
DeleteGood luck!
Merci beaucoup
DeleteHi..we're planning to get married soon then apply for spousal visa after..we have a 7 months old baby..i just want to ask u what kind of visa can i apply for my baby? Im looking forward of your reply..thank u in advance
ReplyDeleteHello! Unfortunately, I don't have an answer to your question since I never experienced the same case. You may visit the embassy's website and check their visa section to see if you can find the answer there or better yet contact the embassy directly. Their contact information can be found in their website as well.
DeleteGood luck!
Great day i am filipina and i have french bf po my bf planning to apply my visa installation but i really dont know what the meaning of this and he wanted to do come to process all when he come to philippines to process all my paper any one knows what visa installation?
ReplyDeleteHi!
DeleteDo you mean long stay visa?
Hello poh ate!!! Ask ko Lang poh complete requirements Na poh Ako pati fiancé ko tapos ilang araw poh ba nila ibibigay ung legal of capacity to marry poh?
ReplyDeleteHi!
DeleteYou'll get the certificate in about 4 to 6 weeks (based on my experience).
Hi,
ReplyDeleteMy fiancee are planning to get married next year, we have our relationships for three years now. He visit me here every year and we stay in our house. He has a proof of residency here and he is also a member of the P.R.A.
He is asking me if it is possible to get marry direct to civil wedding and do not inform the French Embassy, instead we will inform the French embassy after the marriage. is it possible? or it will be accepted by the French embassy if we will not inform them before our marriage and the declaration of the marriage will be after the civil wedding.
He is a widower, is it necessary that the death certificate is authenticated by the embassy or is it OK to authenticate it in his local government only.
I hope you will answer me as soon as possible. Thanks and God bless.
hi!
DeleteI'm afraid you can't get married without informing the French embassy because you'll be needing the certificate of Legal Capacity to marry which is only available at the embassy. Without this certificate you can't celebrate your wedding since it's one of the documents required by our government if you wish to marry a foreign national.
Good luck!
Bojour Mme pai i just would like to ask may possibilities ba na ma-deny yung spouse visa even complete yung requirements.
ReplyDeleteBonne journée.
hi!
DeletePersonally, i don't see why a spouse visa can be denied if the requirements are complete but only the embassy can clearly answer your question.
Good luck!
Mg aapply k ng spouse visa sis or ng apply na? Ako mg aapply plng at a little bit worry din ako lol. Pero sabi ni husband impossible daw n ma deny ang spouse visa application po kasi my batas daw yan s France na pg asawa mo ay French whether they like it or not they will approve spouse visa unless nlng cyempre kung terorista or my special reasons ung french government not to approve spouse visa.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your opinion on this Rhea!
DeleteHi ask ko lng if mag file ng visa kailangan pa bang my photocopies ng family book tapos transcription ng marriage certificate?
DeleteMerci beaucoup
I just got my spouse visa last Friday, when I applied wla naman madameng questions. As long as your requirements are complete I think ok naman. 2 weeks ang processing time for the spouse visa. :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats Erika! Thanks for sharing te good news.. ^_^
DeleteBon courage pour la nouvelle vie en France!!!
Regards.
Hi miss pai ask ko lang if kailangan pa ba ng photocopies ng livre de famille then sa transcription ng marriage certificate for filing visa
ReplyDeleteMerci beaucoup
Hello!
DeleteYes, you need to present the original Livret de famille and transcription de mariage and submit a photocopy of each of these documents.
Good luck!
Yup needed photo copy po at original. Pwede k po maki usap doon sa loob embassy na ei photo copy ung livre de famille pg kuha mo po ung transcription of marriage nmn 3 copies mn ibibigay nila kaya kahit ibigay mo n ung isa no need ng ipa photo copy, pag pick up mo ng livre famille at transcription of marriage pwede kn diretso apply spouse visa basta andun kn before 11am po,
ReplyDeleteMagka - iba po ba transcription of marriage SA livret de famille? Thank you
ReplyDeletehi,
DeleteYes, the transcription of marriage and livret de famille are different though they can be done simultaneously. The transcription is the act of registering/transcribing your marriage under the French civil registry while the livret de famille is a small booklet containing your civil information (date of marriage, name of the couple and their parents then later when you have children you'll need to update the information by adding each child and the same thing applies if there's death in the family or a divorce, you'll need to update it in there as well). You will be the one to keep the original livret de famille whereas for the marriage transcription, you can always ask for a new copy whenever you need one for whatever legal purposes.
I found your this post while searching for some related information on blog search...Its a good post..keep posting and update the information. french transcription services
ReplyDeleteHi found this blog while searching for some related infos and i find it very helpful. My fiancee and I are actually staying here together in PH for a year now it's his 3rd literally long visit. Now we wanted to get married here in Philippines but we are quite confuse about the requirement his "Legal Capacity of Marriage". Is it really necessary to go to manila to request for this document (Legal Capacity Of Marriage)? or we can just ask someone from France to get it personally for us since one close friend is coming to visit us.
ReplyDeleteHi! I don't think it's possible for you to request a third party to acquire the LCM and you need to apply for it at the French embassy in Manila that's the protocol. It is actually an equivalent to our CENOMAR in the Philippines, a document making sure that your fiancé is not or no longer married (in case pf divorce), first they will publish the banns at the French embassy for 10 days and given that there's no opposition received they'll forward the information to your fiancé's city hall in France where the banns will be published again for another ten days. After ten days, if no one comes forward to oppose the city hall will then forward a notice of no opposition back to the French embassy which will be their main cue to issue the LCM. It is really time consuming, give it a month or two before the document can be released.
DeleteGood luck!