Just a quick question. Do i need the pre- seminar cert as one of my requirements to apply for my marriage licence. I was led to believe that i could apply for the marriage licence in the embassy which takes about 2 weeks and in the mean time go to the pre- counselling seminar and acquire the cert..
The British Embassy is not interested in any seminar requirement imposed by the Philippine Government or church. Also, the British Embassy does not issue marriage licences. Only the Philippine authorities can issue marriage licences in The Philippines. When you visit the British Embassy in Manila (by appointment only) you will have to take an affidavit or affirmation that you are free to marry. You sign that in front of an Embassy official and they put the Embassy seal on it. You apply for the marriage licence after attending the pre-marriage seminar at the city health department, so you will need to take the sealed affirmation/affidavit with you. EDIT: Maybe you are planning on marrying at the Embassy? If so, I am not sure what the requirements are.
I did my research a few months ago and im trying to familiarize with it all again..since its only 4 months away. Ive got my appointment booked and ive got a flight to Ozamiz the next day and we plan to have a Civil marriage in Molave. So I go to the Embassy and they give me the official sealed affidavit, then i need to find a City health Department with Tambulig for the pre- marriage seminar. I will ask her mother to go and inquire for me..I expect the marriage licence will be processed in the local town?? Am I right??? thanks for your answer by the way
I can only really say what happens in Cebu. We booked an appointment with the City Health Department on one morning for the seminar. Once we got the certificate of attendance at the seminar (which was immediately after the seminar) we just had to walk a few metres to make the marriage licence application in another government building on the same site. My wife went upstairs and I waited downstairs (I am disabled) I think it was then 15 working days later that my wife returned to collect the marriage licence. I did not go with her because of my disability but prospective spouses are usually required to attend together. The marriage licence it is valid for 120 days. We did all this in December 2014 and I returned to The Philippines in March 2015 for the wedding. There were three further seminars required by the church before we could get married.
It may have changed in the past 9 years, when we did ours in Cainta (near Manila). It was presented in Tagalog, which although I understand the ‘Spanish words’ I do not speak. I had been married previously for 25 years and had two adult children. From what I understood, and my wife later told me, I could probably have made the presentation. There was a sewing machine class going on beside our presentation. I think I learnt more about sewing than marriage ! I got my certificate of attendance and we applied for the marriage licence. Whilst I can see value in the presentations for young couples, if one has been married, is of mature years, and does not understand the language, it does seem a complete waste of time.
As long as it can be chargeable in some way, shape or form, it will be deemed mandatory............ Methinks.
