Marriage Between Filipino & French Nationals (FAQ)

Over the course of a few years I've been receiving mails, good feed backs and additional questions from Filipino women who are in the process of getting married or planning to get married with their French boyfriends.  As someone who went through this not-so-easy-sometimes-confusing-and-challenging process I decided to note and share how my husband and I went about it in the purpose of being able to help anyone who might need the information in the future.  I know how stressful it can be to scout for information and to wonder and worry if we are really doing the right thing.  

I've always been glad to respond to questions but truth be told, there were some questions which irritated me.  Some individuals forgot to read or ignored reading the articles and just went directly to the comments section to ask for something that is already mentioned in the article had she read it first.  I understand that not all of us are into reading but if we need any information especially for something as important as a marriage procedure, I think we need to set our laziness aside.  

Another thing is that, some readers ask really specific/subjective questions.  This is a personal blog not the French embassy's website, I couldn't possibly speak for anyone working there nor analyze your case and decide if it is okay to do this or proceed like that.  Needless to mention that the information I am sharing are based on my experience from a few years back, it is not impossible that the procedure or a part of the procedure changed.  Please don't hesitate to visit the French embassy's website for all specific and detailed information.  To visit the embassy's website and go directly to the "marriage information section" you may click HERE.

Here are the Frequently Asked Questions on Marriage Between Filipino & French Nationals (in the Philippines)

1. Is the CFO certificate still a requirement in order to have the certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry?
• Back in 2011 it was included in the list of requirements but the updated list of requirements doesn't have it anymore.  However, if you plan to settle in France and leave the country with your spouse visa after the wedding then you'll need to get it (later, after the wedding).  Otherwise the Philippine immigration won't let you leave the country even with your French spouse visa.
2. Is there a certain person in the embassy that we need to speak regarding this process?  If yes, do you have his/her phone number?
• I had the name and phone number of the person who assisted us on the process but this person has since left the embassy.  I suggest that you call the embassy and ask for the information from them directly.  Phone numbers and email addresses can be found in their website.
3. Do we need an appointment even if it is just for inquiries?  
• It is always better to call for an appointment first even for simple inquiries.  When you call they will advice you if you need an appointment or not for a specific visit.
4. Are there denied cases of LCM?
• Probably, but I personally don't know anyone who had a denied LCM case.  As long as your requirements are complete and no one opposes the marriage banns on both parties then I don't see why the issuance of LCM gets denied.
5. How many months does the  process take from the first visit to the embassy to the wedding?
• The processing time could take up to 5 months, that's for all the documents but this is just a rough estimate.
6. How long did your then fiancé (now husband) stay in the Philippines to process all the documents for the LCM?  Can I submit the needed documents alone?
• My husband didn't stay in the Philippines while we were processing the papers for the LCM.  I 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.
7. When is my boyfriend's presence required at the embassy?
• When you start the wedding process they will advice you when they'll need to have both of you in their office (for some sort of interview).  I suppose this is to protect both parties from "fake" marriages.
8. Is there a fee to get the certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry?
• No there is no fee for this certificate.
9. How do we set an appointment?
• You can set appointments by calling the embassy or sending them an email.  Their contact information can be found in their website.
10. Does it matter if my boyfriend's salary is low?
• I don't think so.
11. Is my French boyfriend required to stay in the Philippines before we can get married? If yes, how long?
• This is a question that has to be addressed to the French embassy directly.
12. How long can we get the NSO copy of our MC?
• If you didn't request for an electronic endorsement, I suppose it'll take 2 to 3 months.  You may contact the local NSO office near you to verify this information.
13. After the wedding, what do I do next?
• If you plan to settle in France then you must start filing for your "livret de famille".  This is the main requirement for your spouse visa.

These are the most common questions I received from blog followers.  Soon I'll write an FAQ about the spouse visa and living in France too.

Feel free to click on the following items if you would like to read the detailed blog entries on my experience on the marriage procedure (so as my husband's of course but I'm the only one writing).  We had a civil wedding done at the city hall officiated by the mayor.  To reach me directly, put down your email address on the comment section and I'll contact you via email without posting the comment consisting your email address.

STEP ONE 

STEP TWO 

STEP THREE 

STEP FOUR 

STEP FIVE 

LE LIVRET DE FAMILLE 

Different Ways to Wear a Scaf

Post by Brenda Hayes.

Credits to Brenda Hayes for posting this video.

Visiting the Northern Part of Bretagne (including Le Mont St. Michel)

When we buy new electronic gadgets like cellphones or computers there are these images that are pre-installed in them, they serve as sample pictures of the device.  I remember often seeing a beautiful image but I don't remember seeing any information about it, where it can be found or what it is.  It might have been noted as the image name but I just don't remember seeing it.  Anyway, the image I'm talking about is the famous Mont St Michel which is located in the region of Normandy in France.  It's in the northwestern part of the country at the boundary of the regions Normandy (Normandie) and Brittany (Bretagne).  One day, I came across this image again on the internet and at that moment I was already married to my husband (who is French), so I thought why not ask him about it.  Indeed he told me about this wonderful world heritage which he had already even visited and he promised to take me there one day.

I arrived in France in 2012 but we didn't get the chance to visit this famous and historical place until last weekend because we lived in the French West Indies (Caribbean).  Well, the first time I really saw it (from a distance) was on our very long drive from Picardy (Picardie) to Brittany on a hot summer day of 2013.  That was a few days after our arrival in the metropolis from our stay in the Caribbean.  I remember the excitement I felt even by just seeing it from afar.  Then last week my husband told me we're going away for the weekend, he'd like to show me the northern part of the region and then we'd go as far as "Le Mont St Michel".  I was like a child giggling for excitement the night before we left off.  

Before reaching our main destination we had made a few stops.  We left at past ten on a Saturday morning after running a few errands and we arrived past twelve in a village called Plélo.  My husband took me to a local farm/restaurant where he spent a part of his childhood.  It was so amazing to see him rediscover an important part of his growing up years and it actually brought me back some childhood memories of my own because the smell of the place was very much like the smell of my grandparents' house, it was the smell of the fire woods used in cooking.  I love the cozy feeling.  We had a very good "crêpe bretonne" which we ate with their homemade cider.  It was sumptuous and the ambiance was just so homey.  After eating we had a quick tour around the farm and then we hit the road again for the next destination, the town of Paimpol.  

galette - a crepe made out of black wheat

Char à Banc - restaurant/farm in Plélo

My husband had always wanted to show me where his parents came from.  It's a town in the northern part of the Brittany region.  This interests me so much as well because it is a part of him.  He spent most of his childhood vacations there, at his grandfather's house.  I was expecting to see a quite little village but it took me by surprise.  I found myself in a busy city with a port filled with really nice sailing vessels.  Well, it was a very beautiful sunny spring day so tourists sprang from almost everywhere and locals took advantage of the weather as well.  We went to visit the place where his grandfather used to live then to the part of the town where her mother grew up and we also paid visits to the tombs of his elders.  It was a beautiful special day.  For dinner, he took me out to a very good seafood restaurant in a village called "Loguivy de la mer".  It was quite pricey but we just decided to spoil ourselves that day!  And the dessert was at "crêperie Morel" a famous "crêperie" in Paimpol.  When our stomachs got a bit too much to eat for the day and our feet got weary after all the walking, we took shelter in an average hotel just a few meters from the port.  The price was correct, we paid 46€ the night without breakfast.  

Paimpol - this is facing the port.

seafood plate in Loguivy de la mer 

The next day was THE day we went up to Le Mont St Michel.  It was a very beautiful Sunday morning.  The sun was so up and the sky as blue as a summer day!  We left Paimpol after a quick breakfast.  It was a long two hour and a half drive.  We arrived at the parking lot of the heritage around 12:40.  The lot is quite far from the mount itself, as part of their efforts to preserve this historical place.  From the parking lot, visitors have the options to either take the shuttle buses for free which would take them directly to the mount (it'll only take a few minutes), take a forty minute walk or take their bikes (if they brought some with them).  We took the forty minute walk because we wanted to enjoy the view as we get nearer and nearer the mount.  It was so beautiful with the perfect weather and there were not so many people either.  I was literally jumping for excitement as we got nearer and nearer.

We are a fan of this very famous HBO series called Game of Thrones and visiting the mount was like being in one of the kingdoms of Westeros (if you know what I'm talking about)!  Anyway, we entered a huge gate just like what we see in old close villages or kingdoms in movies and inside is a centuries old city, houses made of stone which are now used as gift shops, restaurants, hotel and snack houses.  We climbed all the way up and made a first stop at the chapel of Joan of Arc then we made some more stops every now and then to enjoy the magnificent view as we keep ascending.  The mount itself was packed with visitors but not as much as during a summer day I suppose.  We decided to visit the abbey and monastery, this is the the place they call "top God" if I got it right.  We had to pay 9€ each (without a guide).  The price was worth it!  It's my most favorite part of the visit.  There are many enormous halls and the huge chapel with the blessed sacrament.  Being a catholic, I found it so holy and I couldn't stop myself from being teary eyed as I thanked The Almighty for the beautiful opportunity of being there.  Behind the huge chapel and in the middle of the halls is a beautiful garden.  When we descended we used the stares near the wall and we had the very beautiful view of the sea.  It was low tide though but it was still amazing especially with the seagulls flying all around.  I found it even magical in a way.  This world heritage is visited by around 3 million tourists per year and among them are of course Filipinos.  When we were at one of the souvenir shops my husband spotted some tourists and he told me "they're Filipinos" (he actually has an eye for Filipinos, he knows one when he sees one).  I smiled at them and as they smiled back, I then directly asked if they're Filipinos which they confirmed.  I was so happy because they are from Mindanao so they speak Bisaya too like me.  Oh how much I miss talking to Filipinos in person!  So, we had our chika moment for a few minutes.  After a few minutes of shopping (because the prices are hilarious as such the case in most tourist spots) we could no longer ignore our starving stomachs and tired feet.  We looked for the "not so expensive" food but we couldn't really find a lot and we ended up in a 3 star restaurant.  The price was "correct" but their stars were nowhere to be found from the food presentation to the ambiance and the staff!  Anyway, it wasn't so bad either..we were just expecting a better service due to their "stars".

Le Mont St Michel

Holy Sacrament chapel

After the memorable visit of the mount my husband told me we would make one last stop before heading home.  He took me to the old city called St. Malo.  On the way there we passed by a lot of farms and really beautiful villages where all houses are made of stone.  We took the way along the coastal area and view was breathtaking!  It is so flat and we saw a huge herd of sheep and a few kilometers away was a "bio" chicken farm and then a pig farm.  It was my first time to see a pig farm where pigs are out in the meadow.  It was so beautiful and we often saw advertisements about "vegetables for sale" fresh from the farm.  I enjoyed it so much.

Pig farm - photo grabbed from: www.pitchup.com

We arrived in St. Malo's Intra-Muros around past five in the afternoon.  I was again awestruck!  It's a close "ancient city".  We entered a huge gate again and inside is an old city with almost everything made of stone.  Of course it gave us the feeling of being in "Westeros" again.  It was very beautiful.  We climbed and walked beside its walls facing the sea.  The sun was still so bright but the wind was starting to be chilly.  Our energy level is starting to get low and the smell of crêpe all over the place was a torture since we don't want to "spoil ourselves" for two consecutive days.  We only bought a postcard  from there and then we decided to head home.    We've done enough walking for the day!

St Malo

For someone who doesn't like driving, it was a very long way so I am a super proud and grateful wife!  It was the longest drive my husband did, all for love and with love!  We got home at exactly 9:40 in the evening and that concluded our lovely weekend!

Now, I can say that I have quite visited the Brittany region, from north to south and it's so beautiful.  I already mentioned this in one of my blog posts but I'd say it again.  If you ever get the chance to visit France, try visiting this region.  You'll enjoy beautiful landscapes and delicious foods! ツ