Remarriage in the Philippines Following a Divorce Abroad: What You Need to Know

For many Filipinos, the dream of a second chance at love often hits a legal roadblock known as the "foreign divorce" rule.

While the Philippines does not have its own divorce law, it does recognize divorces obtained abroad under specific circumstances.

Understanding Judicial Recognition of Foreign Divorce
Many people mistakenly believe that simply presenting a foreign divorce decree at the Local Civil Registrar is enough to update their marital status.

Once the court issues a Finality of Judgment, you can then annotate your marriage record at the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Who Qualifies for This Process?
This covers two main scenarios:

Mixed Marriages: Where a Filipino is married to a foreigner, and the foreigner obtains a valid divorce abroad.

Naturalized Citizens: Where a former Filipino citizen becomes a remarry after foreign divorce philippines naturalized citizen of another country and then divorces their Filipino 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.

Step-by-Step Process to Regain Capacity to Remarry
To ensure a smooth transition to your new life, follow remarry after foreign divorce philippines these general steps:

Hire a Lawyer: You will need a Philippine-based attorney to file a Petition for remarry after foreign divorce philippines Judicial Recognition in the Regional Trial Court.

Gather Documents: You will need the original or certified true copy remarry after foreign divorce philippines of the foreign divorce decree, proof of the foreign divorce law, and remarry after foreign divorce philippines your marriage contract.

Authentication/Apostille: Foreign documents must be authenticated or Apostilled in the country where they were issued to be admissible in Philippine courts.

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
By securing a Judicial Recognition, you clear the path for a new beginning without any legal clouds hanging over your future.