Filipino – Japanese Marriage – What you need and how to do it

Finally saying “I do” to your Japanese girlfriend / boyfriend?

Here is a step by step guide for Filipinos on what to do, papers / documents to get, and what to prepare before the big day if you are marrying a Japanese in the Philippines.

Ryo, my husband, and I had our civil wedding in the Philippines last year in August. We knew from the beginning that it’s going to be a tough and tedious process.

That’s why we allotted 2 months at least for the preparation.

We do have some Filipino – Japanese couple friends who also got married in the Philippines.

We asked them what they did and how they did it, but the problem was all of them asked for an agent’s help to process pretty much everything, and it surely costed an arm and a leg. So, we decided to do everything by ourselves, and it was indeed a heck of an experience (good and bad) 😀

What you need (for the Filipino):

1: CENOMAR – Certificate of No Marriage

Where to get: PSA (previously NSO)

How:
1. go to their website https://nsohelpline.ph/
2. Fill out the required the fields
3. Settle the payment – (You can pay using your credit card or their other accredited payment channels.)
4. Wait for it to be delivered 🙂 – Since I was living in Makati (Metro Manila area), I received the certificate after 2 days only 🙂

2: BIRTH CERTIFICATE

Where to get: PSA (previously NSO)
How: same as above 🙂

NOTE: We lived in the city (Makati) and because I was busy too, I had the certificate delivered at home (It’s a bit more expensive than claiming them in person)

3: VALID ID/s

I am sure you have at least one valid ID 🙂 right? haha

4: CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE IN PRE-MARRIAGE COUNSELING, FAMILY PLANNING, and RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD SEMINAR

Where to get: City hall

How: (may differ depending on which city hall) in our case, we went to Makati City hall
1. Go to the city hall where you are planning to apply for your marriage license.
2. Choose your desired seminar date. They would inform you all available schedules for it.
3. Attend the seminar!

REMINDER:
Make sure that you and your partner would attend.
The seminar is about 6 – 7 hours, and after which they’d give you the certificate on the same day. 🙂

5: COMMUNITY TAX CERTIFICATES (cedula)

Where to get: Barangay office
How: Just go there and let them know your purpose why you need one (for your marriage license)

6: BARANGAY CLEARANCE

Where to get and How: same as above (cedula)

What your JAPANESE partner needs:

1: KOSEKI TOHON – (This is equivalent to the Philippine birth certificate)

Where to get: Partner’s town city hall (of course in Japan 🙂

How: In our case, since my husband was employed and living in the Philippines that time, we asked his mother to get his and send it to us.(Thanks to my very helpful mother-in-law)

NOTE: You need to have this translated in English. Luckily, there is a translation template on the internet. 🙂 Just fill it out! haha

2: CENOMAR –  Certificate of No Marriage (Oh yes guys! Your Japanese partner also needs one. I think this proves, that he/she has no records of being married to a Filipino before, otherwise…. tsk tsk tsk)

Where to get: PSA (previously NSO)
How: same as the CENOMAR above 🙂

3: LEGAL CAPACITY

Where to get: Japanese Embassy

How: Your Japanese partner must be the one to go to the embassy to request for this. (He got his the day after- that’s how quick they process things 🙂

4: VALID IDs
Since he was employed in the Philippines, he had his AEP (Alien Employment Permit) card, ACR (Alien Certificate of Registration) card, and of course his passport. 🙂

NOW YOU’RE READY! 🙂

Once you already have everything, go back to the city hall to apply for your MARRIAGE LICENSE. Once you have it, CONGRATULATIONS!! you may now tie the knot.. yey!!! 😀

TIP: Bring 2 -3 photocopies of all the documents, just in case. 🙂

REMINDER: A month after your wedding, you may already claim or request for your MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE! 🙂  Take this certificate to the Japanese embassy (with Japanese translation this time- again there are tons of translation found on the internet) along with the other requirements to have your marriage registered in Japan. You have 90 days to do this. 🙂

Here are the requirements you need to submit at the embassy

1. Marriage certificate with the city hall stamp / seal – they are very strict with this (with Japanese translation)
2. Filipino spouse’s original birth certificate (with Japanese translation)
3. Japanese spouse’s Koseki Tohon
4. Legal capacity
5. Marriage license and Marriage license application form
6. Valid IDs (yours and your Japanese spouse)

There you go guys!

I hope you find this article helpful. Feel free to ask me any “wedding-related” questions that you have.

Thank you.. See you next time! 🙂