Perhaps one of the most important and unforgettable milestones in a person’s life is the day he or she gets married. It is the moment you commit your life to someone and promise to stay and choose to stay in the marriage, for better or for worse.
Getting married also requires a lot of paperwork and application processes. You need to get a marriage license, get copies of your PSA Birth Certificate and PSA CENOMAR, and attend pre-wedding seminars. These are the most important aspects of your wedding day; in fact, your wedding will not happen unless you fulfill all these requirements.
After your wedding, you need to make sure that your Certificate of Marriage is duly submitted to the Local Civil Registrar’s office (LCR) for proper registration and endorsement to the PSA. After that, you wait until a PSA-certified copy of your marriage certificate is made available for you and your spouse. Once you have a copy of your PSA Marriage Certificate, you can use this as basis for updating your civil status in your IDs and other public records – from single to married.
How do I know if my marriage is registered?
It is the solemnizing officer’s duty to report the marriage to the LCR for proper registration and endorsement to the PSA. The solemnizing officer could be the priest who officiated your wedding (if you got married in a Catholic church), your pastor, a mayor, a judge, or a registered solemnizing officer recommended by the LGU where you secured your marriage license.
Unlike Certificates of Live Birth, Death, and Fetal Death, a duly accomplished Certificate of Marriage must be submitted to the LCR no later than 15 days after the date of marriage. Otherwise, the registration will be tagged as delayed.
It is good to note, too, that there are certain types of marriages that do not require a marriage license. The prescribed period for these types of marriages to be registered at the LCR is 30 days (from the date of marriage). Examples of marriages that are exempted from Marriage License are the following (based on EO 209):
Article 27 – In case either or both of the contracting parties are at the point of death, the marriage may be solemnized without the necessity of a marriage license and shall remain valid even if the ailing party subsequently survives;
Article 28 – If the residence of either party is so located that there is no means of transportation to enable such party to appear personally before the local civil registrar, the marriage may be solemnized without the necessity of a marriage license;
Article 33 – Marriage among Muslims or among members of the ethnic cultural communities may be performed validly without the necessity of a marriage license, provided they are solemnized in accordance with their customs, rites or practices; and
Article 34 – 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.
You may request for a copy of your Certificate of Marriage (COM) at the LCR of the city or municipality where your marriage was held and registered. If your COM was duly submitted by the solemnizing officer, then the LCR will be able to provide you with the registered copy. Take note though that the registered copy of the COM is not a PSA-certified copy yet. Also, allow at least a month from the date of your marriage before requesting for a copy at the LCR.
If the LCR is unable to give you a copy of your COM, that means that your marriage was not registered or that the COM you signed during your wedding was not forwarded to the LCR for registration.
What will happen if my marriage is not registered?
This question may be answered by first citing the requisites of a VALID marriage. According to the Family Code (E.O. 209), there are ESSENTIAL and FORMAL requisites of marriage that must be met for it to be considered valid. These are:
- Essential requisites (also as verified against Article 2, Family Code):
- Legal capacity of the contracting parties who must be a male and a female.
- Consent freely given in the presence of the solemnizing officer.
- Formal requisites of marriage (Article 3, Family Code):
- Authority of the solemnizing officer.
- A valid marriage license.
- A marriage ceremony that took place with the appearance of the contracting parties before the solemnizing officer and their personal declaration that they take each other as husband and wife in the presence of not less than two witnesses of legal age.
If either or both contracting parties are 18 years old (but below 21 years old), they must secure a Parental Consent as part of the Essential requisites. If they are between 21 and 25 years old, they need to secure Parental Advice. These shall be required of them when they apply for a marriage license. The consent and or advice may be presented in writing by the interested party who personally appears before the LCR or in the form of an affidavit made in the presence of two witnesses and attested before any official authorized by law.
If the above-mentioned requisites were met, the marriage is valid. If you failed to satisfy even just one of these premises, the marriage is void.
If the certificate of marriage was not submitted by the solemnizing officer to the LCR for proper registration and endorsement to the PSA, it does not necessarily mean that the marriage is no longer valid. It only means that it was not properly registered. If the formal and essential requisites were met, the marriage is valid and binding – the couple are legally married to each other. They need only to have their certificate of marriage submitted to the LCR for registration. If the 15-day reglementary period for registration of marriage is already up, then they can file for delayed registration of marriage.
How long after my wedding before I can get a PSA marriage certificate?
The LCR forwards the certificates of marriage by batch. It is best to allow three to six months from the date of your marriage before you request for a copy of your marriage certificate from the PSA. You may order a copy of your PSA marriage certificate online at PSAHelpline.ph or personally visit a PSA CRS outlet and request for a copy over the counter. To do this, one must secure an appointment to visit any PSA CRS outlet via the PSA Online Appointment Systems.
How can I get a copy of my PSA marriage certificate online?
Ordering your PSA certificates online and having these delivered to you is a safe and convenient option when getting copies of your civil registry documents, especially during these uncertain times. You may order copies of your PSA marriage certificate online at PSAHelpline.ph.
PSAHelpline.ph is authorized by the PSA to handle online ordering and delivery of PSA birth certificates, PSA marriage certificates, PSA death certificates, and PSA CENOMAR. They deliver nationwide.
All you must do is visit PSAHelpline.ph and click on the Order Now button. Choose Marriage as the certificate you wish to order and then follow the rest of the ordering process.
You may pay immediately after placing your order using your Visa or Mastercard credit cards, or through your GCash or PayMaya apps. Other payment options are through Bayad stores, ECPay at 7-Eleven stores, Palawan Pawnshops, or through any of the participating banks (via DragonPay).
Metro Manila orders are delivered in three to four working days while provincial orders are received in three to eight working days.
How do I get a copy of my PSA marriage certificate over the counter?
You also have the option to visit a PSA CRS outlet so you can personally request for a copy of the PSA marriage certificate over the counter. To do this, you need to get an online appointment through the PSA Online Appointment System.
Be at your chosen PSA CRS outlet on the date and time of your appointment and submit your application for copy issuance of your PSA marriage certificate. You can also request for the PSA marriage certificate (and any other type of civil registry document) of your family members. You need only to have a signed authorization letter from the owner of the document as well as his or her original valid ID.
How much does a PSA marriage certificate cost?
When you order online at PSAHelpline.ph, a PSA marriage certificate costs P365.00. This already includes the processing and delivery fees.
Does the PSA marriage certificate expire?
No, it does not. However, you still need to request for new copies of your PSA marriage certificate for the following reasons:
- PSA updates the Security Paper (SECPA) of the PSA marriage certificate. This means that if you have an old copy of your PSA marriage certificate, some establishments and government agencies may not accept it because the SECPA of your copy is outdated. The SECPA has unique features that cannot be copied by fraudsters.
- If you had your PSA marriage certificate amended or corrected, you need to get a new copy with the amendments printed on it.
- Some of your transactions may require you to submit the original copy of your PSA marriage certificate. You will have to request for new copies for your files and other transactions.
- The PSA advises government agencies every time they change the SECPA of civil registry documents.
- Old and dilapidated PSA birth certificates may not be accepted by private and government agencies.
Conclusion
This blog must not be considered as legal advice on getting married and how to accomplish all the documentary requirements involved in getting married. The best people to consult about your plans to get married are your parents, maybe a priest or a pastor friend, or any other person you look up to and consider a close friend. Getting married is a huge decision that you can only make once in your lifetime. Make sure you are getting the best advice on how to go about it from people who are genuinely concerned with your future and your welfare.
Best wishes!
