Understand Philippine marriage requirements, validity, registration and legal effects. Start with the Marriage guide, then choose a focused question below.
Using a husband’s surname is optional under the Civil Code, not mandatory. Here is what Philippine law allows on IDs, contracts and bank accounts, and the passport rule under RA 11983: a one-time reversion to the maiden name.
No one under 18 can legally marry in the Philippines, not even with parental consent. See why marriage below 18 is void, and what RA 11596’s child-marriage penalties mean for families.
If your husband or wife has been missing for years and you want to remarry, Philippine law does not let you simply treat the marriage as over. Remarrying while a prior marriage still legally exists is void and exposes you to bigamy — unless you first obtain a court declaration that your absent spouse is…
Learn the main reasons a marriage may be invalid in the Philippines, including missing essential or formal requisites, prohibited marriages, psychological incapacity, and voidable grounds.
A marriage license authorizes the wedding before it happens; a marriage certificate records the marriage after solemnization. Learn the difference and why each document matters.
Learn who may legally solemnize a marriage in the Philippines, what authority the solemnizing officer must have, and when a defect can make the marriage void.
Learn the difference between a void and voidable marriage in the Philippines, including legal effect, grounds, court process, and why the distinction matters.
Some marriages may be celebrated without a marriage license in the Philippines, but only under specific Family Code exceptions. Learn when the exemption applies and when absence of a license makes a marriage void.
Learn when a marriage license is required in the Philippines, where to apply, what documents are commonly needed, how long the license is valid, and the exceptions under the Family Code.
Philippine law requires two essential requisites and three formal requisites for a valid marriage. This guide explains each requirement, the marriage-license process, the limited exemptions, and what can happen when a requisite is absent, defective or irregular.
Start with legal capacity, consent, the authority of the solemnizing officer, a valid marriage licence unless an exception applies, and compliance with the required ceremony and registration rules.
A marriage certificate is important civil-registry evidence, but registration alone does not cure a missing essential or formal requirement. The facts and the applicable Family Code provision still control.
Identify the suspected defect and whether it concerns a void or voidable marriage, then review the relevant Family Code ground and obtain case-specific advice before relying on the marriage being invalid.
These answers provide general Philippine legal information. Open the linked guides and primary sources for the complete rule and its exceptions.