Registering your marriage with the Philippines Embassy

Yes. Thats what I thought. I wondered what Micawber had to say on it.

Residence is your address and the witnesses are the wedding witnesses.

Exactly that Graham, photos and triplicate copies and so on, take your ticket and wait, or your missus can wait and you go for a walk round to the local hostelry around the corner

I did think that, but the fact it has 2 witnesses for me and 2 for her made me wonder. Because that makes 4. It's a crap form basically!!

You're right, I remember the lady at the RO just asking for two witnesses.

They are all crap forms that we could well do without

We got married in the Philippines so we don't have to register the marriage with the Philippines Embassy. And we don't have to register the marriage with the British Authorities either as there is mechanism for that. So, I just told my wife that she should bring a few copies of the marriage certificate to avoid potential problems when she hopefully arrives here.

She is also now applying for a passport in her married name before she leaves the Philippines. She was not going to do that, but now that a Biometrics Residence Permit (BRP) has to be obtained for all settlement visa application from 31 May it seemed sensible to get a passport in her married name, as I think the BRP is issued in the name on the passport. It may cause complications if the BRP (issued after our marriage) bore her maiden name.

Its good she is getting the passport done, that will save you a lot of hassle believe you me when she arrives to these shores.

Yes, you are right but the general consensus on this forum was that a passport in the maiden name was OK. But when I actually sat down and thought about it all, I could envisage lots of problems. Arriving with a passport in your married name at an airport just 15 miles from my home (where I can drive to and meet her) is far better than her arriving at Heathrow with a maiden name passport and with me nowhere in sight because driving to London would be somewhat difficult for me now.

Far less likely that my wife would be refused entry to the UK - arriving at a provincial airport (where one-way fares are very expensive) but with me there to answer any questions from immigration officials. I will take with me to the airport a full copy of the supporting documents used for the visas application because being granted a visa is still no absolute guarantee of being allowed into the country.

Ditto.

The requirements listed in their website are different from the list written at the bottom of the form. They still don't update it until now. When we submitted our report of marriage last February, they said they won't be needing our photos anymore. Can someone do something about their website? It misleads people.

Why would she need to fly to a different airport if she had the passport in her maiden name?

So you don't need photos? Do you think it's worth calling the embassy to find out exacty what they need?

Yes you might want to ring them for clarification. Annoying, isn't it?

I have called the Philippine Embassy before and they helped with our query.

It is really. Even a simple matter like this becomes unclear!

I've tried hning but never get an answer. Also, their reviews on line all said exactly the same thing - no answer on the phone. I guess you got lucky. Was it the Embassy in London you called?

(Edit - Got through now! Used a different number: (44) 20 7451 1815 and they confirmed that photographs are not needed)

Yes. The embassy in London. I do recall having to try a couple of times.

You're the one Anne, get on the phone to the Embassy and give them a good rollicking, tell them their service is crap too.

Oh I forgot, you cant get through to them on the phone

My wife has so many things in different names now that I've lost track of it all, if I was in your shoes I would definitely get the passport changed to her marriedname before she ventures to our homeland.

Most recently the HMRC got confused because I pay my wife a salary from my business in her married name and she has been paying tax for her regular job with her maiden name.

Consistency is the key with this.

I agree but it is difficult to achieve.