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
This is a court process where a Philippine judge validates the foreign judgment.
Once the court issues a Finality of Judgment, you can then annotate your marriage record at the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Are You Eligible to Remarry?
This covers two main scenarios:
Mixed Marriages: Where a Filipino is married to a foreigner, and the foreigner obtains a valid divorce abroad.
Filipinos who have acquired foreign citizenship and subsequently divorced their spouse.
It is crucial to check the citizenship status of both parties at the exact moment the divorce decree was issued.
Step-by-Step Process to Regain Capacity to Remarry
Here is the typical remarry after foreign divorce philippines roadmap for legalizing your foreign divorce in the Philippines:
Hire a Lawyer: You will need a Philippine-based attorney to file a Petition for Judicial Recognition in the Regional Trial Court.
Prepare your documents, including the divorce certificate and an official copy of the foreign country's divorce laws.
Authentication/Apostille: Foreign remarry after foreign divorce philippines documents must be authenticated or Apostilled in the country where they were issued to be admissible remarry after foreign divorce philippines in Philippine courts.
Court Proceedings: Your lawyer will present evidence to remarry after foreign divorce philippines prove the validity of the remarry after foreign divorce philippines divorce.
After winning the case, the final step is updating your marriage certificate with a "divorced" annotation.
Conclusion
While the process may seem daunting, it is the only legal way to ensure your next marriage is valid and protected under Philippine law.