It's not a seminar it's a CENOMAR - CErtificate of No MA Record - And you will BOTH almost certainly need one - not just her - You'll get one from the PSA (used to be NSO) - they'll want to see the document the Embassy is going to give you in order to issue it to you. Having said that you may also need to attend a Seminar - where they talk about the birds and the bees and things like that - waste of time and given our ages the woman doing ours simply gave us the "sign off" we needed to fulfil the local requirements... depending on where you marry there may be other things you need to do... That's to say @Maley is absolutely right - your fiancee needs to get the detailed local requirements. And you also need to make sure you avoid marrying near to Holy Week or any other holidays (of which there are many) if you're going to try and do it in two or three weeks. Our local waiting time here was 3 weeks not 10 days ... Ours was civil but the local requirement was for three readings of the banns ... When I found out that it was going to take at least 3 weeks in my wife's home town I suggested marrying in another location where only 10 or 15 days were required... as long as you don't mind paying for (all) her family's travel and board at a nice hotel... Lastly, if I had my time again I would get married in Church - My wife is quite religious (Catholic) and she was happy with a civil marriage but she would have much rather we married in Church - As @a8amg said - Basically as long as you've been baptised and can say you "regularly" attend a "church" they'll let you marry in the Catholic Church - more requirements (and time required) if you do though. Well if the O.P was confused before ... I give up.
The Affidavit (or Affirmation if civil ceremony) is the piece of paper you get from the embassy. This also serves as YOUR CENOMAR. Your fiancee needs a local CENOMAR also, as I stated in my previous reply. The seminar is a talk/advice session given to all prospective married couples in the Phils. Don't take everything stated on forums as gospel, or up to date. Also check with the relevant authorities yourself.
Use this link as a checklist of where you want to get to you can also use the links within the link to get the printed form you need https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...FjABegQICBAB&usg=AOvVaw2k_9yd2O6bygO18g52kpGt
last year when i almost got married, the church wanted to see my baptism certificate, also an up to date one and i had to go to our local catholic church to ask them to write a letter to say i was free to marry. i then did the affidavit form on line and attended the appointment at the british embassy ,think its in taguig. i think we then applied a marriage licence which i think the forms we filled out in Makati city hall. i had to attend two of those seminars , one was in Makati city hall, and the other at the church in pasig. from what i remember i think we also had to go to our local church in Guadalupe , i think they like advertise that we was getting married for think its 2 weeks , i guess its if anyone objects to us getting married. well to be honest that's as far as we got before it all went tits up.
@Mattecube well it was last may when it happened, 3 years of my life wasted, wasted my life savings,everything was paid for and it never happened, yeah it was hard to start with when i first came home and having to explain to everyone why it didn't happen, because lets face it made me look stupid, but since then i found another Filipina and have visited her and her family twice now and I'm also going back in may to see them again so at the moment things are going ok
Yes... getting married in church is a little more complicated, and usually a lot more expensive. Fortunately for me... I'm an Atheist, so that was never going to happen.
Thanks for the help everyone it seems pretty straight forward my fiance went to the local registry this morning I need to do my embassy paperwork bring my passport birth certificate and cenomar that seems to be all just hope there's no dramas with it when I'm there thanks again
Hi I hope you're all well. I dont know if this has been answered lol but i am getting married in October this year and i need to attend an affirmation appointment in Manila. Does my fiance need to attend with me or can i go alone and we both go and apply the marriage licence? We're having a civil wedding near Davao.
You can go alone. You're the British subject... not your intended. You're simply swearing on oath that you're not already married. The embassy man witnesses that, and processes the forms for you. All local stuff, like marriage licence application... go together (if you are there).
I didn't really feel it necessary to drag my poor long-suffering partner down to Manila from Pangasinan to sit in a waiting room for 30 mins... as it was the day after I'd landed in the Phils that I had my appointment ... and after which, on to Pangasinan with Affirmation clutched in sweaty hand. But yes, if it suits others, fair comment.
