If you are a Filipino citizen who has ended a marriage abroad, you might be wondering if you are legally free to wed again in your home country.
The short answer is: Yes, you can remarry, but it is not an automatic process.
Understanding Judicial Recognition of Foreign Divorce
To be legally recognized, the foreign decree must undergo a process called Judicial Recognition of Foreign Divorce.
Once the court issues a Finality of Judgment, you can then annotate your marriage record at the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Eligibility for Remarriage After Foreign Divorce
This covers two main scenarios:
Mixed Marriages: Where a Filipino is married to a foreigner, and the foreigner obtains a valid divorce abroad. remarry after foreign divorce philippines
Filipinos who have acquired foreign citizenship and subsequently divorced their spouse.
Note: If both parties were Filipino citizens at the time of the divorce, the Philippine government generally will not recognize the decree, even if it was obtained in a foreign court.
The Legal Steps to Getting Remarried
To ensure a smooth transition to your new life, follow these general steps:
Engaging a competent lawyer is the remarry after foreign divorce philippines first step in filing the necessary petition.
Prepare your documents, including the divorce certificate and an official copy of the foreign country's divorce laws.
Ensure all foreign-issued papers are properly Apostilled for legal use in the Philippines.
Court Proceedings: Your lawyer will present evidence to prove the validity of the divorce.
After winning the case, the final step is updating your marriage certificate with a "divorced" annotation.
Moving Forward
remarry after foreign divorce philippines While the process may seem daunting, it is the only legal way to ensure your next remarry after foreign divorce philippines marriage is valid and protected remarry after foreign divorce philippines under Philippine law.