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.
Now here is my own list of the documents the CFO asked from me:
- 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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