Marriage License Requirements in the Philippines: Full Checklist
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Quick answer
Each of you needs a PSA birth certificate, a Certificate of Compliance from the family planning office and a sworn application at the civil registrar where either of you lives. The license issues after ten days of posting and is valid for 120 days anywhere in the Philippines. Cities add their own forms and fees.
To get a marriage license, each of you files a sworn application with the local civil registrar of the city or municipality where either of you habitually resides, with your birth certificates and a family planning Certificate of Compliance. Your notice is then posted for ten consecutive days, and the license you receive is valid for 120 days.
Two layers decide your list. National law sets the core; your city adds forms and fees on top, and the rows below say which layer each comes from. Statute text is quoted from the Family Code (Executive Order No. 209). City examples come from official pages of Quezon City, Davao City and Tangub City.
What both of you need
| Requirement | Layer | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sworn application, one each | Family Code, Art. 11 | Each party files separately. Quezon City calls its form Form 90 |
| PSA birth certificate | Family Code, Art. 12 | The law asks for the original birth certificates, or baptismal certificates if there is none |
| Certificate of Compliance, family planning | RA 10354, Sec. 15 | Issued "for free by the local Family Planning Office" |
| CENOMAR, one each | City practice | Listed by Quezon City and Davao; not in the Family Code or Tangub's checklist |
| Valid government ID | City practice | Quezon City and Davao want an address in their city, or a barangay certificate |
| 2x2 ID photo, one each | City practice | Quezon City lists it; ask yours |
| Community tax certificate (cedula) | City practice | Davao lists it; Quezon City asks if you lack a valid government ID; Art. 11 says residence certificates need not be exhibited |
| Two witnesses of legal age | Family Code, Art. 6 | They sign on the wedding day, not at application |
Two certificates get confused. The family planning one is national: Presidential Decree No. 965 and RA 10354 make it a condition of the license. The counselling certificate is separate. Article 16 requires it where parental consent or advice is needed, from a priest, imam or minister or an accredited marriage counsellor, and its absence suspends the license for three months from the completion of publication.
What your situation adds
| Situation | Extra requirement |
|---|---|
| Ages 18 to 20 | Written parental consent (Art. 14 covers 18 to 21; Quezon City and Davao apply it to 18 to 20) |
| Ages 21 to 25 | Parental advice (Art. 15): a sworn statement plus the written advice |
| Advice not obtained, or unfavorable | The license waits until three months after the publication is completed |
| No parents | Davao asks for an affidavit of guardianship with a barangay certification |
| Married before | Death certificate or the court decree of divorce, annulment or nullity (Art. 13); Quezon City also lists the annotated marriage certificate |
| Foreign citizen | Certificate of legal capacity from their embassy (Art. 21), passport, ACR if any; Quezon City also lists an apostilled Certificate of No Legal Impediment |
| Together five years, no impediment | No license needed (Art. 34), with affidavits |
| At the point of death, or no transport to the registrar | No license needed (Arts. 27 and 28), with the officiant's affidavit (Art. 29) |
The Article 34 exemption skips the license and the ten-day wait, but the officiant must swear that no impediment was found. Raise it with the registrar before planning around it.
Same law, three cities
| Quezon City | Davao City | Tangub City | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees | ₱50 form, ₱100 filing | ₱300 application, ₱200 license | ₱400 resident, ₱500 non-resident, ₱2,500 foreigner |
| Adds beyond the Family Code | ID photo, barangay or cedula if no local ID | Cedula of couple and parents, 2 photocopies of birth certificate | Tree planting certificate |
| Counselling | Ages 18 to 25 | Certificate listed | Certificate listed |
| Pick-up | Return after 11 days | Not stated | 11 days including posting |
Quezon City's guide also says the marriage must take place in the city, while Article 20 says a license is valid in any part of the Philippines. If you plan to marry elsewhere, ask before you apply.
The steps, in order
- Order both PSA birth certificates and, if your city asks, both CENOMARs. Later steps need them, so get them first. See our CENOMAR guide.
- Attend the family planning session at the city or municipal health office. Add counselling if either of you is 18 to 25.
- File at the right office. Article 9 gives the local civil registrar where either of you habitually resides. Both appear in person; Quezon City stops filing and release at 3 PM.
- Pay at the treasurer's window and wait out the posting. Article 17: ten consecutive days on a bulletin board, and the license issues only "after the completion of the period of publication." If an impediment is reported, Article 18 has the registrar note its particulars and his findings in the application; the license still issues after publication unless a competent court orders otherwise.
- Claim the license and note the expiry stamped on it.
- Marry inside 120 days.
- Let the officiant file the certificate, which Article 23 requires within fifteen days. What happens next is in our PSA marriage certificate guide.
Work backwards from your wedding date; the wedding planning checklist covers the rest of the calendar.
Marriage license validity: 120 days
Article 20: the license "shall be valid in any part of the Philippines for a period of one hundred twenty days from the date of issue, and shall be deemed automatically cancelled at the expiration of the said period if the contracting parties have not made use of it". The expiry date is stamped on the license.
| If | Then |
|---|---|
| You marry on day 119 | The license is still valid, wherever in the Philippines you marry |
| Day 121 arrives unused | It is cancelled automatically; apply again (Tangub's charter says applicants may renew) |
| You are fixing the date | Leave room for the ten-day posting plus your city's release time (Quezon City: 11 days), and keep the date inside the 120 days |
Article 3 makes a valid license a formal requisite of a licensed marriage and Article 4 says the absence of a formal requisite makes a marriage void from the start. Read together, marrying on an expired license is a serious problem; do not gamble on the last week, and ask your registrar about renewal.
What it costs
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PSA birth or marriage certificate, door-to-door, first copy | ₱330 | PSA Serbilis FAQ |
| CENOMAR, door-to-door, first copy | ₱430 | PSA Serbilis FAQ |
| Each extra copy of the same certificate | ₱50 less | PSA Serbilis FAQ |
| City fees | ₱150 to ₱500 (Tangub charges foreigners ₱2,500) | The three city pages above |
| Certificate of Compliance | Free by law | RA 10354, Sec. 15 |
Two birth certificates and two CENOMARs come to ₱1,520 (₱330 + ₱430 each). Add Quezon City's ₱150 for about ₱1,670, or Davao's ₱500 for about ₱2,020. Tangub's checklist has no CENOMAR, so its total is ₱660 plus ₱400 or ₱500. This is our arithmetic at 30 September 2026 prices, and it excludes seminars, ID photos and notarization. Article 19 says the license is issued free to indigent parties. The ceremony fee is the variable part and we found no verified figure, so ask your city hall.
Marriage contract requirements: what the certificate must state
The "marriage contract" is the marriage certificate. Article 6 says no particular form or religious rite is required, but you must appear personally before the officiant and declare, before at least two witnesses of legal age, that you take each other as husband and wife. Article 22 lists what the certificate must also state:
| Item | Article 22 |
|---|---|
| Full name, sex and age of each party | (1) |
| Citizenship, religion and habitual residence | (2) |
| Date and precise time of the marriage | (3) |
| That the proper license was issued, unless exempt | (4) |
| That parental consent was secured, where it applies | (5) |
| That parental advice was sought, where it applies | (6) |
| That a marriage settlement exists, with a copy attached | (7) |
Both parties, both witnesses and the officiant sign. The officiant gives you the original and sends the duplicate and triplicate to the local civil registrar within fifteen days, keeping the quadruplicate.
Who solemnizes it, and where
| Officiant | Authority | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Judge | Family Code, Art. 7 | Only within the court's jurisdiction |
| City or municipal mayor | Local Government Code, §455(b)(1)(xviii) and §444(b)(1)(xviii) | §444 reads "Solemnize marriages" and §455 "Solemnize marriage", each followed by "any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding" |
| Consul or vice-consul abroad | Family Code, Arts. 7 and 10 | Marriages between Filipino citizens abroad |
Religious ministers and rarer categories are in our wedding officiant guide. Article 8 sets the venue: the judge's chambers, open court, a church, chapel or temple, or a consular office, "and not elsewhere", with three exceptions:
| Exception | What it allows | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Point of death | A marriage outside the listed venues | Art. 8 |
| Remote place | A marriage outside the listed venues, in the cases Art. 29 describes | Art. 8 |
| Both parties request in writing | A house or place they designate in a sworn statement | Art. 8 |
A garden or restaurant wedding relies on the third row. Some cities run group ceremonies; see how kasalang bayan works.
Your two witnesses are not your principal sponsors. The law asks for two signers; the ninong and ninang list is a cultural role, covered in how to list principal sponsors on the invitation.
The checklist
BOTH OF YOU
[ ] PSA birth certificate (1 each)
[ ] CENOMAR, if your city asks (1 each)
[ ] Sworn marriage license application (1 each)
[ ] Certificate of Compliance, family planning office (free)
[ ] Valid government ID with matching address
[ ] 2x2 ID photo, cedula or barangay certificate, if your city asks
IF IT APPLIES
[ ] Ages 18-20: written parental consent
[ ] Ages 21-25: parental advice
[ ] Consent or advice needed: marriage counselling certificate
[ ] Married before: death certificate or court decree; annotated marriage certificate (Quezon City)
[ ] Foreign citizen: certificate of legal capacity, passport, ACR; apostilled Certificate of No Legal Impediment (Quezon City)
[ ] Together 5+ years: ask the registrar about Article 34
DATES
[ ] Filed where one of you habitually resides
[ ] 10 consecutive days of posting counted
[ ] License claimed; wedding inside the 120 days on the stamp
ON THE DAY
[ ] Two witnesses of legal age
[ ] Written request and sworn statement if not in chambers or a church
[ ] Officiant files the certificate within 15 days
Nothing here is difficult; it is sequential, and the ten days of posting punish late filers. Once your date sits inside the 120-day window, you can schedule the guest list and invitations against a real date.
Frequently asked questions
What are the requirements for a marriage license in the Philippines?
Each of you files a sworn application with the local civil registrar where either of you habitually resides, with a birth certificate and a Certificate of Compliance from the family planning office. Cities add items such as a CENOMAR, ID photos and barangay papers, and some situations add parental consent or advice.
How long is a marriage license valid in the Philippines?
It is valid for 120 days from the date of issue, in any part of the Philippines, under Article 20 of the Family Code. It is deemed automatically cancelled when the 120 days end if you have not used it, and the expiry date is stamped on the license.
What happens if the marriage license expires before the wedding?
The license is automatically cancelled, so you must apply again. Tangub City's citizen's charter says applicants may renew the application. A marriage without a valid license lacks a formal requisite, so confirm the new dates with your civil registrar.
How long does it take to get a marriage license?
At least ten days, because the notice of your application must be posted for ten consecutive days before the license can issue. Quezon City tells applicants to return after 11 days, and Tangub City's charter lists about 11 days in total.
How much does a marriage license cost?
It depends on the city. Quezon City lists PHP 50 for the form and PHP 100 filing, Davao City PHP 300 for the application and PHP 200 for the license, and Tangub City PHP 400 for residents, PHP 500 for non-residents and PHP 2,500 for foreigners. Add your PSA documents.
What must the marriage contract or certificate contain?
Article 22 of the Family Code says it must carry each party's full name, sex and age, citizenship, religion and residence, the date and precise time of the marriage, and statements that the license, parental consent or advice, and any marriage settlement were handled. The parties and two witnesses sign.
Do we need a CENOMAR for a marriage license?
The Family Code does not list one. Quezon City and Davao City list a CENOMAR from the PSA, while Tangub City's charter checklist does not. Ask the civil registrar where you will apply.
Can we marry without a marriage license?
Only in the cases the Family Code names, such as a marriage at the point of death, a residence with no transport to the registrar, or a couple who have lived together as husband and wife for at least five years without legal impediment. The last needs affidavits, so ask the registrar first.