(most of the following information has been derived from an email correspondence between Dirk and Dennis, both planning to marry their respective Filipinas in the Philippines
Marrying in Germany
(for a chapter about marrying in the Philippine, click
here)
(For a chapter about the
activities after the wedding, click here!)
The following papers are required from the Filipina bride when you want to marry in Germany (all of them cannot be older than 6 month! The important date is not he date of the certification but the date of the issue of the original document!):
The three above mentioned documents typically are already available in case that a fiancée visa had been used. They have to be translated into German by a certified English-German Translator. A list of these translators typically is available in the "Standesamt", the German office for marriage.
In addition the Filipina has to be registered in the German city hall (Meldebescheinigung). This usually takes a few minutes but is very important for the further procedure. Finally you need a copy of the passport of your Filipina.
The final paper required is the "Legal Capacity to marry" (not in all German marriage offices, check with the officer). This certificate is only available from the Philippine embassy in Berlin and the side office in Bonn. In order to get this you have to appear there together with your Filipina and 2 copies of all above mentioned documents including your own passport, plus all the originals (you will get these back). You have to fill in the application form, and you will get the papers back a few hours later on the same day.
The papers required for the German are:
All these papers have to be authenticated. Typically these papers will be then submitted to the court for some legalization. This can take up to six weeks. But we never have heard the result was not an OK for the upcoming wedding.
Of course all these requirements should be checked with the Standesamt, rules are changing fast, and actually there are differences depending on the region within Germany.
So once you have all these papers, the translations, then you can marry the next day? Not quite, you need to organize a certified translator again who will translate all words from the officer into English. This is to ensure that your lady will understand clearly what she is signing now. (By the way, as the English of my translator was not quite up-to-date, I had top help out quite a lot. We had a lot of fun!).
Marrying in the Philippines
When you want to marry in the Philippines the groom needs the following papers:
All three documents have to be translated into English and be certified. A list of certified translators can be obtained by the German Embassy in Manila. The first two documents you will get from the registration office of your birth town and your current home address. The third one (Legal capacity to marry) should be available in the "Standesamt", the marriage office. In addition you will need two copies of your passport.
In case that you plan to marry in the church, you need in addition:
All these documents are available form your local church. In case your are protestant and your bride is catholic, you will need the "Dissmissoria", a paper which allows you to marry in the catholic church. Again you will get this in your church.
All these papers should not be older than three month to stay valid.
The bride needs:
The procedure:
You need the "Marriage License". This you will get from either from the major or the priest. In case of a wedding in the church you need to participate in a two day wedding seminar where the priest teaches you how to produce many little mixed Filipinos and Filipinas :-). Furthermore the announcement of your wedding will be published 4 weeks before the intended wedding date, so take your time. If you only marry in the city hall you have to be there in person 10 days before the ceremony. For the wedding ceremony itself study the respective chapter in the book "Culture Shock Philippines", this describes the details quite accurate.
After the wedding:
With the marriage certificate you will have to go to the city hall for a certification. A further certification is required from the NSO in Manila. These two certificates have to be legalized by the German Embassy in Manila (will cost around 40 German Marks).
Now you are officially married, congratulation, and celebration, and all bells are ringing! Kisses for the bride and the groom, talaga!!!!!!!
Ok, a few more things are to do after the wedding
The following activities have to be done when the weeding has taken place in Germany, but similar activities have to be performed in the Philippines as well. When we get more information about these, we will add them in this page.
In addition to the normal German wedding certificate you should request several International wedding certificates. You will need some of these for later. This is a simply document in English and German. In addition there are two forms which you will get from the Philippine Embassy as well which have to be filled out and signed and stamped by the wedding officer. (HTML copies are available here! Wedding-Report Registration for Passport Change). With these two documents and the other papers mentioned on the documents you have to go to the Philippine Embassy in Bonn or in Berlin to get the name change registered in the Passport of the bride. In case that the name of the husband should be changed as well, this will be done in the "Standesamt".
Finally you have to go the Alien Office now to get your "Residence Permit", (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) stamped in the passport of the bride. This will either be done for three year, or will be repeated for one year three times in a row. After that you will get the unlimited residence permit.
Now you can live happily together until the end of your days...