General Philippine Marriage Requirements
APPLICATION FOR A PHILIPPINE MARRIAGE LICENSE
Marriage License: a requirement for either a Civil or Church wedding to be held in the Philippines. The
Application Form for a marriage license must be secured at the Local Civil Registrar from the city, town or
municipality where either the bride or the groom habitually resides. The personal appearance of those getting
married is required in applying for a marriage license.
Follow this link to view the
Marriage License 
and expand
In Davao City, please get in touch with:
Office of the City Registrar
Ground Floor, Sangguniang Panglungsod Building
San Pedro St.,Davao City
Tel.Nos.: +63(082) 227-5794/+63(082) 227-8060
Contact Person: Atty. Leo Anthony Braceros, Officer In Charge
Each of the contracting parties shall file separately a sworn application for each license with the
proper local civil registrar. Philippine law prescribes a ten-day waiting period from the filing of the
Application to the issuance of the marriage license. The license is valid for 120 days from date of issuance
and may be used anywhere in the Philippines.
At the time the contracting parties appear to file their application for a Marriage License to the local
civil registrar, he or she must also submit the following supporting documents:
- Birth Certificate: Certified True Copy required of each the contracting parties with the respective
registry number. This document is issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO).
- NOTE: NSO now provides a web service which accepts online application for copies of birth and marriage
certificates. It is called the e-Census, a web facility aimed to provide Filipinos within and outside the
country an alternative means in applying for copies of their civil registry documents. It also has a 24-7
hotline called the NSO Helpline Plus with telephone no. (632)737-1111. You could also reach them via email
through: e-census.L.Hufana@mail.census.gov.ph
Parents' Consent (for 18-21 years old) or Parent's Advice (for 21-25 years old): Under Philippine law, the
legal age for marriage is 18. If the contracting parties are between the ages of 18 and 21, they must present
written consent to the marriage from their father, mother or legal guardian. While any contracting party between
the age of 22 and 25 must present written parental advice, i.e., a written indication that the parents are aware
of the couple's intent to marry.
Certificate of Attendance in a pre-marital counseling and family planning seminar conducted by the Division of
Maternal and Child Health at the Municipal/City Hall in the same municipality or city where the contracting
parties applied for the marriage license.
EXCEPTIONS TO THE MARRIAGE LICENSE REQUIREMENT
The marriage license is one of the vital documents to couples-to-be. However, the 1987 Family Code waives this
requirement when:
- Either or both of the contracting parties are at the point of death. The marriage remains valid even if
the ailing party subsequently survives.
- If the residence of either party is located that there is no means of transportation to enable such party
to appear personally before the local civil registrar.
- In the cases provided for in the two preceding articles, the solemnizing officer shall state in an
affidavit executed before the local civil registrar or any other person legally authorized to administer
oaths that the marriage was performed in articulo mortis (when the party at the point of death is unable
to sign the marriage certificate); or that the residence of either party, specifying the barrio or
barangay, is so located that there is no means of transportation to enable such party to appear
personally before the local civil registrar and that the officer took the necessary steps to ascertain
the ages and relationship of the contracting parties and the absence of legal impediment to the marriage.
- The original of the affidavit required in the last preceding article, together with the legible copy
of the marriage contract, shall be sent by the person solemnizing the marriage to the local civil
registrar of the municipality where it was performed within the period of thirty days after the
performance of the marriage.
- Marriages among Muslims or among members of the ethnic cultural communities may be performed validly
without the necessity of marriage license, provided they are solemnized in accordance with their customs,
rites or practices.
- No license shall be necessary for the marriage of a man and a woman who have lived together as
husband and wife for at least five years and without any legal impediment to marry each other. The
contracting parties shall state the foregoing facts in an affidavit before any person authorized by law
to administer oaths. The solemnizing officer shall also state under oath that he ascertained the
qualifications of the contracting parties are found no legal impediment to the marriage.
AUTHORIZED TO SOLEMNIZE MARRIAGES
The 1987 Family Code of the Philippines' Chapter 1, Article 7 recognizes the authority of the following
to solemnize marriages:
- Any incumbent member of the judiciary is authorized to solemnize marriages within his court's
jurisdiction (i.e. a Supreme Court justice could solemnize marriages anywhere in the Philippines
while a Municipal Trial Court judge of Davao City cannot solemnize a marriage in Samal(IGACOS);
- Any priest, rabbi, imam, or minister of any church or religious sect duly authorized by his church
or religious sect. He should be registered with the civil registrar general and act within the limits
of the written authority granted him by his church or religious sect. Likewise, at least one of the
contracting parties should belong to the solemnizing officer's church or religious sect;
- Any ship captain or airplane chief only in the case of marriages in articulo mortis between
passengers or crew members, not only while the ship is at sea or the plane is in flight, but also
during stopovers at ports of call;
- Any military commander of a unit to which a chaplain is assigned. The commander could solemnize
marriages in the absence of the chaplain or during military operation. Likewise, in the case of
marriages in articulo mortis between persons within the zone of military operation, whether members
of the armed forces or civilians;
- Any consul-general, consul or vice-consul in the case of marriages between Filipino citizens abroad.
The issuance of the marriage license and the duties of the local civil registrar and of the solemnizing
officer with regard to the celebration of marriage shall be performed by the said consular official.
FINAL STEP IN THE COMPLETION OF THE MARRIAGE
The marriage ceremony must be solemnized by an individual with the legal authority to perform such a
ceremony. Upon the completion of the ceremony all participants (the presiding official, the witnesses, and
the husband and wife) must sign the Marriage Certificate (Family Code of the Philippines, Articles 2-7).
Following the signing of the marriage certificate by all parties involved, the marriage certificate
must be sent to the city hall or the municipality in which the Philippine national habitually resides.
It will then be registered by the local civil register. (Family Code of the Philippines, Article 23).
Please remember to get certified true copies of the marriage contract from the local civil registrar.
Follow this link to view the
Marriage Certificate and expand
