In short, you can't become a resident unless you are married or apply for a Quota Visa (expensive). My advice would be to forget getting married in the Philippines and marry instead in Hong Kong where it's hassle-free, less bureaucratic and cheaper. It also has the advantage of providing a built-in honeymoon and, upon your return to the Philippines, your wife can apply for a Balikbayan Privilege for you (and your daughters). That Privilege will give you 1 year's Visa-free stay in the country. Apart from your Passport, the only document you will need to marry in HK is an original (plus 1 photocopy) of your Divorce Decree (Decree Absolute), or Death Certificate as appropriate. You will not require a CNI, Police Clearance or any of the other bureaucratic nonsense that the Philippines demands. Your fiancée will similarly need her Passport and a CNI issued by the NSO. As you've told us that you're planning to use the Surinder Singh Route, I would strongly suggest that you register your marriage - be it in Hong Kong or Cebu - with the British Embassy in the country you married. You will then be issued with a Consular Certificate of Marriage Abroad and also your marriage will be registered with the Registrar in the UK (at the Liverpool main Registry).
Jim. There were 2 options available to us: A) to stay in the Philippines for 21 days and then obtain a local Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) from the British Embassy in Manila; or B) to obtain a CNI at our local registry in the UK and then hand this over to the British Embassy in Manila, who will then swap this for a local CNI issued by them, which in turn is recognised by the Philippine authorities as legal and valid.
Thanks for all the advice guys. So I managed to get an appointment at the registry office here in the uk today and I applied for the CNI. They said they'll send it in 21 days to a friend who can send it on to me - I hope I can trust the Philippines postal service! The only thing is: I couldn't remember my girlfriend's middle name - does this matter?
Not 100% sure but I think you should be OK. Personally I like to dot the i's and cross the t's . anyhow good luck and enjoy the ride.
Just have the documents sent via DHL to make sure it gets to you. To share, my husband applied for a CNI here in Manila and we had no problems. After the 21 "residency" date, we made an appointment and submitted our documents. He didn't have to be there when I picked up our CNI.
Good point, DHL only costs about £34 and gets there in about 4 days. Sometimes better to pick up from the DHL place rather than have it delivered as that can add days/stress onto the delivery.
Didn't realize that we can register our marriage in the British Embassy. Is it essential or optional if we're planning to stay in the Philippines maybe 3-4 years more
Hi, I am looking to marry my Filipino transgendered girlfriend in the Philippines, I believe the only way is marry her in the UK embassy in Manila, what I would like to know is the GOV site says i need to be a resident of the Philippines for 21 days before i can apply for a CNI? As I live in the Uk is it ok for me to travel out for 25 days say and apply on the 22nd day even though im a tourist? Can I get the CNI in the UK beforehand? It seems I need to travel out for about 25 days then come back within 3 months to get married, is this the only way of getting married over there? I want to marry over there so her family can attend the reception etc rather than applying for a fiancee visa and marrying in the UK. As long as I qualify for the Visa requirements should she be ok to get a visa after we marry and would I be able to live in the Philippines at a later date should we wish to? I know thats a lot but i would be grateful for any help
That option of 25 days and back in 3 months rings a bell. But for us it was a 10 day routine with travelling and preparing either side. 2.5 weeks in all. Ours was a Philippine civil wedding in Paranaque.
That's correct, the only venue for your marriage in the Philippines would be the British Embassy. As far as I'm aware, you are the first that we know of to be planning such an event meaning that there is no body of experience to answer your question. You should email the Embassy and pose your question there but I think it's fair to say that the documentary requirements will be about the same as if the ceremony were to be conducted in a Registry Office in the UK. There will almost certainly be a 'residential qualification' period after which you may marry. You should realise that the Philippines does not afford legal recognition to same-sex marriages or domestic partnerships even though it is one of the more gay-friendly countries. This situation is unlikely to change given the Catholic Bishops Conference - a very powerful and influential group - is steadfastly against any civil rights legislation for the LGBT community. You will therefore not be able to register the marriage (with the NSO), nor will you be entitled to a Balikbayan Privilege stamp should you visit the country with your partner and you will not be entitled to reside here as the spouse of a citizen.
I have emailed the embassy 3 times without reply so far and phoned them as has my fiance, the latest info from them to her was we could only register a civil partnership in the embassy yet the GOV.UK information updated in May 2015 says that it is now legal and possible to have a same sex marriage in a list of embassy including Manila as it is not legal in those countries. I guess we could be the first case for them and they are not set up for it so its very frustrating so far
This question might be slightly out of context to the rest of the thread, but I was wondering if someone could point me in the direction of a reliable contact address for marriage matters in the Philippines? Like Jason Chamberlain, I have also e-mailed the British Embassy in Manila twice now without response, and my fiancee in the Philippines is having difficulty contacting them as she says she cannot contact landline phone numbers from her mobile phone, her only means of communication. She is planning to find a landline telephone she can use, but in the meantime I would also like to gather some information on my end. But I do not know the appropriate address. I have also phoned the Philippines Embassy in London but was only greeted by a non-helpful automated service. I was finally prompted to speak to an operator by pressing 0 (zero) and only could hear nothing but silence. Does anybody please have a telephone number of e-mail address I could contact, regarding an impending meeting at the British Embassy in Manila I have on August 17th? And also my upcoming wedding in October of this year. Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks. Nick
I believe there is a chatline. https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-outside-uk But there is a charge. Also: https://ukvi-international.faq-help.com/
Hi Guys Im new to this forum and me and my fiance are getting married in September 2016, i have booked my visit to the embassy to sort out my affirmation but theres one thing im unsure on. That is does my fiance also have to come with me to do any paperwork? Or is it just me as though i am the one from the UK? the website is very unclear on this so thought it would find out from you guys.