One of the major life events anyone can have is getting married. Often, it is a start of a new life, whether in the Philippines or overseas. And for Filipinos abroad, this momentous event does not only need to be solemnified at the altar or the state but also on paper by the Philippine Embassy or consulate. It’s one of those things that need to be duly reported with the Philippine government so that your records ad papers will be acknowledged should you decide to travel or return to the Philippines for good.
Also Read: How to Process Report of Birth in Canada (for Filipinos)
In this post, we will share everything you need to know about this process. So, if you’re planning to tie the knot anytime soon, or even in the future, make sure to read until the end of this guide.
Contents
Guide on Filing a Report of Marriage in Canada
Marriage is an important life event for Filipinos since the country is mostly composed of families founded on traditional values by the church and the state. That being said, reporting a marriage becomes very crucial when couples decide to start a family and plan about the legal identification documents of their children, especially when either of the couple is a foreign national. Having this kind of distinction will prove to be essential at every layer in society, regardless of where you are in the world.
What is a Philippine Report of Marriage?
The Report of Marriage is the same as the Philippine Marriage Certificate, and it’s sent to the country’s foremost civil registry authority, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Authenticated copies of the Report of Marriage that were printed on security paper may also be obtained from the PSA.
Requirements
If you plan on filing this document to the nearest foreign service post (Philippine Embassy or Consular office) in your area, it’s best to take note of the following requirements:
- Four (4) copies of the Report of Marriage (ROM) Form, which you can download here:
- Original and four (4) copies of the following:
- Registration of Marriage issued by the Vital Statistics Office of your nearest foreign service post OR a Certified True Copy of a Registration Document issued by the same office in your area.
- PSA-issued Birth Certificate of Filipino spouse/s, and Foreign Birth Certificate of foreign spouse, if applicable;
- Current valid passports of spouses (if foreign spouse has no passport, present valid ID);
- Proof of Filipino citizenship at the time of marriage (PH Passport, Permanent Residency (PR) card / work permit/landing documents) is required for the Filipino spouse.
- If the Filipino spouse is now a Canadian citizen, he / she must submit a Certificate of Canadian Citizenship.
- If the date of marriage is more than twelve months after the date of the ceremony, an affidavit of late registration of marriage must be signed by a local notary public.
REMINDER: Please do not ship actual passports or PR cards. Only photocopies should be sent.
- Authenticated Judicial Decree of Divorce (with four photocopies) for the previously married foreign spouse. Submit an annotated PSA Marriage Certificate (with four photocopies) confirming that the prior marriage was later cancelled for the Filipino spouse.
- One (1) original or certified genuine copy and four (4) photocopies of the dead spouse’s Death Certificate if a widow/widower, as well as the marriage certificate with the deceased spouse.
Fees
The processing cost of CAD 36.25 in the postal money order/bank draft. Do not send cash in the mail.
Procedure
There are two ways by which you can file a report of marriage to the foreign service post nearest your location:
- Submission in person
- For those who want to submit a report of marriage (ROM) in person, you should first book an appointment at the embassy or your respective PCG’s website. Otherwise, you may email the foreign post regarding the filing of this civil registry document.
- Make sure to bring the documents above to your appointment on the day and time specified.
- Cash payment of CAD 36.25 (Note: Card payments are not accepted).
- Unused self-addressed and stamped return envelope in which the embassy or consulate will ship the ROB to the applicant; and
- Include the applicant’s entire name, address, email address, and phone number.
Reminder: The processing time of the documents is typically around 7 days. This is because the foreign service post requires various documents to be processed before they are sent back to the applicants.
It would be best if the documents are sent in an envelope with a tracking feature so the applicant knows when their delivery is expected.
- Submission thru mail
- The ROM Form and, if applicable, the affidavit of late registration must be notarized by a local notary public.
- The notarization must be authenticated by a local notary public where the marriage took place.
- Applications submitted through the mail should also include the applicant’s contact information (telephone number and/or email address) in case the PCG must contact the applicant for further information on the materials provided.
- Self-addressed, prepaid envelope (ideally with tracking features) for shipping the applicant’s copy of the registered ROM.
Important Reminders:
Additional documents such as citizenship and identity documents are required before a person can register to marry under the Philippines’ immigration law.
The PCG sends all reports of marriage to the Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA). A copy of the report should be requested at least six months after the date of its submission.
Video: How To A File A Report Of Marriage Abroad
Here’s a video guide if a Filipino based in the USA, sharing her experience in filing a report of marriage through the Philippine consulate or Philippine Embassy. This is important because registering your marriage through the Philippine Foreign Service post will provide you with a record of your marriage in the Philippines. This will provide a record of your marriage, certifying its authenticity and validity, should you decide to go back or travel to your home country in the future.
In this video, you will find all the requirements, some tips, as well as the processes on how to file a report of marriage through the Foreign Service post. This applies to either the Philippine Embassy or the Philippine consulate. Basically, the process is the same for either post. However, there might be some differences when it comes to the requirements because this will be based on your status and certain conditions about your marriage and current citizenship. So, if this is your first time filing this report, make sure to watch the video and consider all of the things listed in this guide.
FAQs
- Do I need a report of marriage if my wedding was solemnized at the Philippine Embassy?
No, the marriage contract that you signed during the wedding will suffice. The embassy or consulate will automatically have a record of the marriage so the report will no longer be necessary. This is a good idea to legalize your vows and at the same time skip all the filing process after your marriage.
- Can I have my marriage solemnized at the Philippine embassy if I’m marrying a foreign national?
This is quite common, but unfortunately, only marriages between Filipinos are solemnized at the Philippine Embassy. There are alternatives offered by the local government. Only Filipino couples can be solemnized by the foreign service post overseas. As such, you will need to file a report of marriage at the foreign service post under which you are part. Make sure to keep this guide on hand to serve as your quick reference.
- My fiancé cannot appear during the filing of requirements of our marriage, can I be the only one to to submit the requirements?
No, both contracting parties should appear during the filing of requirements. This is an important requirement set by the Philippine government to legitimize the filing of the documents.
- How can I have a record of birth/marriage/death that happened abroad be made available in the database of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)?
The report of Birth/death/marriage should be sent to the nearest Foreign Service Post (Consulate or Embassy) with jurisdiction over the area where the event took place.
- Where can I file the requirements for the registration of the Report of Birth/Marriage/Death?
If you are in the Philippines, you can submit the required documents at any of the following agencies:
- DFA-Office of Consular Affairs,
- DFA-Regional Consular Office all over the country.
- DFA-Regional Consular Office, or
If you are not in the country but would like to submit the requirements to the PSA, then you can do so by sending them to the nearest Foreign Service Post.
Summary
Marriage is indeed an important life event for every Filipino or any person for that matter. Therefore, it’s important that everyone makes sure that the process is legal. Especially if you are a Filipino who got married overseas, whether with another Filipino or a foreign national through the help of the Philippine Embassy or the Philippine consulate in your area, can easily file a report of marriage to sop to certify the event that you just had overseas This makes the process of travel and return to the Philippines much easier because you will have proper documents to support your status as an Overseas Filipino now as a married individual in a foreign country, such as Canada.
Hopefully, through the help of this guide, you were able to have some insight on what you need to do, what you need to gather, and what you need to prepare in order to file a report of marriage in the Philippine Foreign Service post in your country. It’s quite easy if you have all the requirements prepared and have them submitted through the process provided by the consular office.
If you are planning to get married anytime soon, or perhaps even in the future, make sure to have a copy of this guide because this will provide you with a step-by-step process in filing a report of marriage in your place or in your host country. Either way, if you know someone, perhaps, a friend or family member who is based abroad and is planning to get married, make sure to share with them the content of this guide so that they would also know what to do after they get married abroad.
With the pandemic still ongoing, it’s important that you understand the processes that you must go through, especially when filing these kinds of reports or similar transactions through the Philippine Embassy or the Philippine consulate in your area, especially since not everyone can visit these offices at the same time in person. Appointments and due preparation are necessary for a successful transaction in these offices. Of course, while you want to have your documents certified or recognized by the Philippine Embassy or Consulate, you also want to make sure that your health is protected as well as that of others.
We hope that you can use this guide to your advantage so that you can process your documents as conveniently and as easily as possible.
READ NEXT: Services by the Philippine Consulate in Canada and Overseas Labor Office
Contact Information
Philippine Embassy in Toronto, Canada
Address: 30 Murray Street, Ottawa ON K1N 5M4
Tel. Nos. : +1 613-2331121
Fax No. : +1 613-2334165
Email : embassyofphilippines@rogers.com
Timings: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Mondays to Fridays, except Philippine and Canadian holidays.
Google Map Location
Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver Canada
Address: 999 Canada Place, Suite 660 Vancouver, BC V6C 3E1
Phone: 604-685-1619
Fax Number: 604-685-9945
Email: vancouverpcg@telus.net
Timings: 9 AM – 5 PM (Monday to Friday except on Philippine and Canadian holidays)
Google Map Location
Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, Canada
Telephone (416) 922.7181
Facsimile (416) 922.2638
Email: consularmatters@philcongen-toronto.com
Timings: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (except for Philippine and Canadian Holiday)
Google Map Location
Philippine Consulate General in Calgary, Canada
Address: Suite 920, 517 10th Ave. SW Calgary, AB T2R 0A8
Tels.: (403)4559343; 4559346; 4559457; 4559483; (587)577-1524
Email: calgarypcg@dfa.gov.ph/
Timings: 9:00am – 10:00am · 10:00am – 3:00pm; (except for Philippine and Canadian Holiday)
Google Map Location
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