Marrying a Filipino partner in Switzerland
The Philippines has applied the Hague Convention since 2019: the apostille is issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
- Documents
- Birth certificate showing both parents (PSA), proof of civil status, certificate of residence, passport
- Apostille
- DFA, in 2 to 5 working days
- Language
- Documents in English; a translation may be requested depending on the office
- Divorce
- A foreign divorce must generally be recognised by a Philippine court and annotated on the PSA certificate
Common pitfalls
Philippine law does not in principle provide for divorce: a previous marriage dissolved abroad must be recognised in the Philippines before the partner can remarry. The spelling of the name must be identical on the PSA certificate and the passport.
Sources: Swiss Embassy in the Philippines, DFA.