Yoi tsuitachi! 

Are you a Japanese citizen who plans to get married here in the Philippines? 

How’s your wedding planning? Confusing, right? There are just too many paper work! 

Luckily, the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines was kind enough to share guidelines online to help you process your legal papers. Below is a step by step guide that you can follow.  

STEP 1: CERTIFICATE OF LEGAL CAPACITY TO CONTRACT MARRIAGE APPLICATION 

If a Japanese national wishes to contract a marriage with a Filipino national, the Japanese national must first apply for and receive in person, a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage from the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines (Manila) or Consular Offices of Japan in Cebu and Davao (Family code of the Philippines, Article 21).

To apply for the Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage, the following documents are required:

FOR THE JAPANESE NATIONAL 

• Certified True Copy of Japanese Family Register (Koseki Tohon), within 3 months from date of issue.
• Certified True Copy of Removed Japanese Family Register (joseki tohon) and/or Japanese Family register   before revision (kaiseigen koseki), within 6 months from date of issue.
• Original and valid Japanese Passport Written consent to marry from the parents/legal guardian of  the applicant if  he/she is below 20 years old.

Note: Japanese males below the age of 18 and Japanese females below the age of 16 are not eligible for marriage. 

FOR THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL 

• Certified True Copy of Birth Certificate (with original stamp/seal of a true copy, from PSA(former NSO) or Local Civil Registrar)
• If birth certificate is unreadable: please also present a valid passport, any valid government issued ID with photo (driver’s license, postal ID, etc.) or baptismal certificate (please not that Filipinos below the age of 18 are not eligible for marriage).
• If you have been married before, please be informed that your Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage will state the information of your previous marriage (such as: date of marriage, date of divorce and name of former spouse). Furthermore, a Divorce Certificate will also be needed. Please prepare all the family registers (kaiseigen koseki or family register before revision, joseki tohon or removed family register) that will show the information of the previous marriage. 
• If you are the head of the family and getting married for the first time, please prepare also the family register that will explain the reason for becoming the head of the family.
• If the Embassy cannot validate the above-stated status, no Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage will be issued. The Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage will be issued one working day after the date of application. Please make sure to make photocopies of the original certificate as these will be required during the report of marriage. 

STEP 2: MARRIAGE LICENSE APPLICATION 

After receiving the LEGAL CAPACITY TO CONTRACT MARRIAGE, both parties must proceed to the city hall of the Philippine national’s place of residence and apply for the MARRIAGE LICENSE. Please refer all questions regarding the procedures and requirements necessary to apply for your marriage license directly to the local civil registrar. 

Upon submission of requirements for the MARRIAGE LICENSE, details regarding the application will be posted for 10 consecutive days inside the city hall. 

The MARRIAGE LICENSE will be released after this 10 day period of publication. Once issued, the MARRIAGE LICENSE is valid in any part of the Philippines for 120 days.

STEP 3: MARRIAGE CEREMONY AND MARRIAGE REGISTRATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

The MARRIAGE CEREMONY must be solemnized by an individual with proper legal authority to do so. After this ceremony, the presiding official, the husband, wife and witnesses must sign the MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE. The signed MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE shall be forwarded by the presiding official to the city hall and registered at the local civil registry where the marriage was solemnized. Please make sure to get CERTIFIED TRUE COPIES of the registered MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE as these will needed to report the marriage to Japanese authorities.

STEP 4: REGISTRATION OF MARRIAGE IN JAPAN

Japanese nationals are legally obligated to submit a report of marriage to the city hall of their place of residence in Japan, or to the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines (Manila) or Consular Offices of Japan in Cebu and Davao, WITHIN 3 MONTHS of entering into a contract of marriage with a Philippine national. If the report of marriage is to be submitted directly to the city hall in Japan, please contact the city hall directly regarding the submission of requirements and procedures.

The following documents are required in submitting the report of marriage to the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines (Manila) or Consular Offices of Japan in Cebu and Davao (2 copies each, unless otherwise stated).

1.    Certified true copy of the Japanese National’s JAPANESE FAMILY REGISTER (KOSEKI TOHON)

2.    Certified true copy of the Philippine National’s BIRTH CERTIFICATE and Japanese translation

3.    Certified true copy of the MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE and Japanese translation

4.    1 Photocopy of the CERTIFICATE OF LEGAL CAPACITY TO CONTRACT MARRIAGE

5.    1 Photocopy of the MARRIAGE LICENSE and MARRIAGE LICENSE APPLICATION FORM     

6.    Passport / Valid ID of person submitting the marriage report        

NOTE: For the Japanese translation of items 2 and 3, 1 original and 1 photocopy may be submitted. It will take approximately two months for report of marriage to be recorded in the family register. The Filipino spouse may submit this report on behalf of the Japanese spouse provided that all necessary forms are completely filled out.

BIRTH REGISTRATION AND JAPANESE NATIONALITY

Please be advised that a child born in the Philippines, between a legally married Japanese national and Filipino national, shall be considered a Philippine national by birth. The child shall not be considered a Japanese national until the parent of the child clearly indicates his/her intention to have the child claim his/her Japanese nationality.

This must be done NO LATER THAN THREE MONTHS after the birth of the child. If not declared within this period, the child shall lose Japanese Nationality.

After marriage, the spouse has to obtain a visa to go to Japan. In case the purpose of travel is to live in Japan as a “Spouse of a Japanese National”, a Certificate of Eligibility is needed to apply for a visa. Please inquire directly with the Japanese Regional Immigration Bureau regarding the procedure for acquiring a Certificate of Eligibility.

For any concerns or clarifications, please feel free to contact the Embassy of Japan in Manila, Consul Office of Japan in Cebu or Consul Office of Japan in Davao.

*text originally appeared at the website of Embassy of Japan in the Philippines