DFA Red Ribbon

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What is a DFA Red Ribbon?
Why is a DFA Red Ribbon important?
How can I get a DFA Red Ribbon?
How much does a DFA Red Ribbon cost?
How long does it take to get a DFA Red Ribbon?

DFA = “Department of Foreign Affairs”

A DFA Red Ribbon is simply and literally a red ribbon wrapped around your paper(s). It signifies that your papers are Authentic Philippine Documents. In most countries, your Philippine documents are not considered as valid if it doesn't have a red ribbon from the DFA. The red ribbon is a proof or an authentication.

For example, if you are using your NSO Birth Certificate just INSIDE the Philippines, you don't NEED a red ribbon for it. But if you are using your NSO Birth Certificate OUTSIDE the Philippines, then you NEED a red ribbon for it. For example, papers that need red ribbon when I applied for a German Spouse Visa were the NSO Birth Certificate and the NSO Certificate of Marriage.

Unfortunately, you can only get the red ribbon at DFA Manila. I lived in Cebu so what I did was ask for help in a Travel Agency, give them an authorization letter, and let them do the work. So I really have no idea with the actual processing of the paper at DFA Manila. I think if you process yourself, it would only cost about 300 Pesos or less (I am not sure just a rough estimate from what I have read or heard). I paid 1900 Pesos in the Travel Agency per document and I received my Certificate of Marriage with Red Ribbon from DFA after 3 weeks.

Now you are probably wondering why is it so expensive. In my opinion, 1900 Pesos for a single paper is really very expensive. But considering that I was not living in Manila, it would be much easier and hassle-free rather than I go to Manila. If you process the paper yourself you have to book a 2-way ticket from your place to Manila. You have to fall in line, and maybe wait for your number or whatever the procedures are. If something is wrong with your papers or the DFA needed some additional/supporting papers but you don't have it, you forgot to bring it or you need to process this additional paper in your hometown then it would be a TOTAL WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY! In addition, it would also be possible that you can't get your paper the same day. Maybe you can only get your paper the next day, or after 1 week, who knows? And so if that happens, you have to book a room in a hotel and so on...
So what you think? 1900 Pesos or process it yourself? ^_^

Related Posts:

• Marriage Requirements in the Philippines
  
• Wedding or Marriage in the Philippines
• Endorsing of Certificate of Marriage to the NSO
• CFO-SMEF-COW Seminar
• German Spouse Visa Requirements

Wedding or Marriage in the Philippines

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There are two ways where you can get married in the Philippines. First, you can get married in a church (Church Wedding). Second, is what they called Civil Wedding or Civil Marriage. I will talk more about the Civil Wedding because I don't have experience on Church Wedding yet.

Once you have all the requirements gathered in getting married in the Philippines (and no one objected on your Marriage Notice posted or announced in the church for 10 days), both you and your partner are allowed to marry.

Your civil wedding will be conducted by a judge. You can not choose the judge. The judge's names will be raffled/shuffled on to which couple they will conduct the wedding. This is a new rule. The reason for this new rule is that many marriages before are not legal or are not taking the necessary steps to get married.

For example, it is a requirement to attend the Pre-Marriage Counseling to obtain a Certificate of Attendance that you really attend the seminar. Many couples are lazy enough to attend this seminar even though it only last for 8 hours (in a day). They just pay the judge a high price and the judge will do the paperworks for the couple. What the couple only have to do is just sign a number of papers and that's it, done.

Because of this, many judges were suspended and many “married” couples are not accepted as valid or legal. That simply means they have to do the paper processing and get married again! A TOTAL WASTE OF TIME! As I remember, a friend of mine told me she paid 5,000 to 7,000 Pesos (some even paid for 5 digits especially the foreigners) and believe me, IT'S NOT WORTH IT! When I processed my marriage papers, I only paid around 2,000 Pesos or lower.

On the Wedding Day, a personnel in charge will type your information on the CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE paper. You have to make sure EVERY DETAIL typed on this paper are CORRECT. If it happens that some details are mistakenly, incorrectly or wrongly typed, immediately tell the personnel in charge or the typist to make the necessary corrections.

The wedding ceremony will be held inside the court (but you can always choose that your Civil Wedding will be held in a different place like in your house, in a garden, hall, or restaurant but of course you have to pay the judge for this). In my wedding, it only last for about 10 minutes. “What? 10 minutes? But the paper processing take days?“ Yes, you are right ^_^! But anyway, congratulations on your wedding! ^_^

Related Posts:

• Marriage Requirements in the Philippines
  
• Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage (“Ehefähigkeitszeugnis”)
• Pre Marriage Counselling
• DFA Red Ribbon
• Endorsing of Certificate of Marriage to the NSO
• CFO-SMEF-COW Seminar

Pre Marriage Counselling

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Before you can get a Marriage License, you and your spouse will need to attend a Pre-Marriage Counseling. The Pre-Marriage Counseling is just like a seminar. The topics you will get from the seminar are about Marriage, Relationship, Sex, Sex Diseases (HIV, AIDS), and Family Planning. So basically the seminar will discuss about Marriage. The seminar will take place at the Cebu City Health Office.

Before lunch time, you will be given an Application for Marriage License form which should be completed and submitted within the day. Please, please... BE VERY EXTRA CAREFUL of the data you are writing on the form. BE VERY EXTRA CAREFUL of the Names, Dates, Address, EVERYTHING! Please write CLEARLY, NEATLY and I suggest it to be in PRINT FORM and all in CAPITAL/UPPERCASE LETTERS. For example:









If you are not sure about what to answer then you better ask the personnel in charge. If it happens that you have mistakenly, incorrectly or wrongly written/inputted, then you will going to have problems when you apply for a VISA and other papers. Then, you will have additional paper(s) processing, and that is a total WASTE OF TIME!

The duration of the seminar will only be 8 hours (in 1 day). Please be advised that you and your partner should be present during the whole seminar because the counselors or people who conduct the seminar will check your attendance. If you happen to miss a single topic in the seminar for any reason(s) and your attendance is incomplete, they will not let you proceed to the next process. In my experience, a number of couples where advised to take the seminar again because there attendance are incomplete and again that is a total WASTE OF TIME! Remember that this seminar is a Requirement for Marriage License Application.

Related Posts:

• Marriage Requirements in the Philippines
  
• Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage (“Ehefähigkeitszeugnis”)
• Wedding or Marriage in the Philippines
• DFA Red Ribbon
• Endorsing of Certificate of Marriage to the NSO
• CFO-SMEF-COW Seminar

Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage (“Ehefähigkeitszeugnis”)

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What is a Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage (“Ehefähigkeitszeugnis”)?
How to get a Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage (“Ehefähigkeitszeugnis”)?

This paper is issued by their diplomatic official in the Philippines. This is called the “Ehefaehigkeitszeugnis” in German and is available from the Local Civil Registry Office or “Standesamt”. The German fiancee/fiance SHOULD have this document ready before his flight to the Philippines.

" ä "= " ae " in German

The requirements for this document depends on the Local Civil Registry Officer in the local town where the German fiancee/fiance lives. In our case the following papers were asked:

German fiancee/fiance:

1. German Passport
2. Internatonal Birth Certificate

Filipino fiancee/fiance:
1. NSO Birth Certificate with Red Ribbon from the DFA
- Note that in the first page you will see a Red Ribbon, your NSO Birth Certificate is actually on the next page.
2. Joint Affidavit of Civil Status with Red Ribbon from the DFA
- Note that in the first page you will see a Red Ribbon, your Joint Affidavit of Civil Status is actually on the next page.
3. Joint Affidavit of Parental Advice with Red Ribbon from the DFA
- Note that in the first page you will see a Red Ribbon, your Joint Affidavit of Parental Advice is actually on the next page.
4. CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage, issued by the NSO)
5. Barangay Certificate
6. Clear Copy of Passport ID with a Certification from the DFA that this is a Certified True Copy


The Filipino fiancee/fiance should submit all documents in Original Copies, unless otherwise stated, per courier to his/her German counterpart.

The German fiancee/fiance should have the documents (from the Filipino fiancee/fiance) Translated to German by a Certified Translator.

DFA = "Department of Foreign Affairs"
NSO = "National Statistics Office"

Note that this paper is a Requirement for Marriage License Application

List of Requirements As of JUNE 2007
Note that these list of requirements might change from time to time or case to case.
For updates please visit the official site of the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines

Related Posts:

• Marriage Requirements in the Philippine
• Pre Marriage Counselling
• Wedding or Marriage in the Philippines
• DFA Red Ribbon
• Endorsing of Certificate of Marriage to the NSO
• Tips for contacting the Embassy

Marriage Requirements in the Philippines between a Philippine and German (Foreign) Citizen

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Good Day to all! In this Blog you will know what requirements/steps I have submitted/made when I and my German Spouse were planning to get married in the Philippines. Just click on the links to see the actual papers.

Marriage Requirements in the Philippines between a Philippine/Filipino/Filipina/Pinoy/Pinay and German/Foreigner/Foreign Citizen

For Widow/Widower:
1. Death Certificate, issued by the Local Civil Registrar's Office
- NSO of deceased husband/wife
- 1 Original Copy and 2 Photocopies
2. CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage, issued by the NSO)
- 1 Original Copy and 1 Photocopy
3. Certificate of Attendance, issued by the HRD Office
- 1 Original Copy and 1 Photocopy
4. CEDULA with signature
- 1 Original Copy and 2 Photocopies

For Annulled Marriage:
1. Certificate of Finality of Annulment, issued by the court
- 1 Original Copy and 2 Photocopies
2. Certificate of Registration, from Local Civil Registrar's Office
- 1 Original Copy and 1 Photocopy
3. CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage, issued by the NSO)
- 1 Original Copy and 1 Photocopy
4. CEDULA with signature
- 1 Original Copy and 2 Photocopies

For a Foreigner Applicant (German fiancee/fiance):
1. Passport ID
- 2 Photocopies
2. Date of Arrival (Latest), from the passport
- 2 Photocopies
3. Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage
- For details see my other post about “Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage”.
- 1 Original Copy and 3 Photocopies
4. CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage, issued by the NSO)
- 1 Original Copy and 1 Photocopy
5. For Divorced applicant
- 1 Original Copy and 2 Photocopies
6. For widow/widower – Death Certificate of deceased
- 1 Original Copy and 2 Photocopies

NOTE:
- Appearance of both applicants is necessary in applying for Marriage license.
- Marriage License will be released after a 10 day posting period.
- At least one of the applicant is a resident of Cebu City(not necessarily from Cebu City).
- Address in the Cedula, Barangay Certificate and Certificate of Attendance must coincide.
- For Naturalized Citizen, bring original and a photocopy of naturalization papers.

Requirements for Marriage License Application (Filipino fiancee/fiance):
1. Birth Certificate
2. Pre Marriage Counselling Certificate of Attendance, issued by the HRD Office (both Filipino and German)
3. CEDULA with Signature
4. Barangay Certificate
5. CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage, issued by the NSO)
6. For ages 18-24, appearance of both parents, with valid ID for parental consent or advice
7. At least one of the applicants is a resident of Cebu City
NOTE: Marriage License will be released after a 10 day posting period

NSO = "National Statistics Office"

List of Requirements As of NOVEMBER 2008
Note that these list of requirements might change from time to time or case to case.
For updates, please visit the official site of the Republic of the Philippines:

These List of Requirements were given to us by the Office of the City Civil Registrar. Not all of the requirements listed here are needed, meaning it depends in YOUR SITUATION. In my situation, I (Filipino) was SINGLE, and my Spouse (German) was SINGLE.

The requirements which have TEXTS IN BOLD above signifies that these were the requirements/steps that I have submitted/made based ON MY EXPERIENCE.

Congratulations in your wedding! ^_^

Related Posts:

• Marriage Requirements
• Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage (“Ehefähigkeitszeugnis”)
• Pre Marriage Counselling
• Wedding or Marriage in the Philippines
• DFA Red Ribbon
• Endorsing of Certificate of Marriage to the NSO

Welcome! This is My First Post!

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Hello Everyone and Welcome to my Blog – Pinoy IN Germany!
I came from Cebu City, Philippines. My parents are both Filipinos and Cebuanos so therefore I am a 100% Filipino and a 100% Cebuano. Ako ay isang Pilipino. Ako ay isang Pinoy. Usa ako ka Bisaya. Usa ako ka Bisdak.

I am Filipino Citizen and I am living here in Germany for 5 months (I'm still a newbie, not even a toddler ^_^). I have decided to create this Blog to share my Life as a Filipino or Pinoy Living in Germany. This Blog will also be helpful to Filipinos who want a glimpse about Germany; Pinoys/Pinays who are married or getting married to their German fiancee/fiance; someone who wants to make a vacation in Germany; or anyone who wants to know just anything about Germany.

In my Blog you will also see pictures and videos that I have taken personally.

Topics you will see here that I am going to post will be about the following:
* Marriage Requirements in the Philippines between a Philippine and German Citizen
* German Visa Requirements
* The very expensive Philippine Red Ribbon
* Interview at the German Embassy in Makati City, Philippines
* Requirements in going to Germany
* Departure in Philippines
* Arrival in Germany
* Additional paper processing for Prolonging my German Visa
* People and Other nationalities living here
* Mannerism
* Food
* Clothing
* House or Apartments
* Train Stations
* German Language School
* Climate
* Religion
* Languages
* Culture
* Sports
* Jobs
* Shopping
* And more and more...

Thanks for Viewing! ^_^