Retirement Visa With Foreign Spouse

[gargamon]

I'm looking to retire in Thailand in the near future with my filipina patner. Most questions I had were expertly answered in this thread: www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thai-Visa-Philippina-Wife-t352535.html but a couple of my issues were not covered. We are not married yet but I intend to have the ceremony done in Thailand. Here's where the questions come.

1) I hear there are a number of different types of Thai weddngs. What type is required for this visa?

2) Is approval needed from either her or my embassy?

3) Does the wedding need to be registered at either her or my embassy?

Thanks

[tropo]

1. The only way to be legally married in Thailand is in a district (Amphur) office. You'll need 2 documents from her and probably one (depending where you're from) from your embassy translated into Thai and MFA certified. Wedding ceremonies don't count.

She will need translated into Thai and MFA certified the following:

i) CLCCM

ii) Affidavit of Legal Capacity to Marry

2. The biggest hurdle for you is to get the CLCCM for your Filipina partner. (Look on the Philippine Embassy (Bangkok) for the required documents). She'll need NSO authenticated CENOMAR (certificate of no previous marriage) and birth certificate with additional DFA red-ribbon authentication. If your girl is in the Philippines she can get these in Manila (will probably take over a week), or if she's here I can give you an online service that can get them for you in just under 3 weeks. This service will cost you about 10,000 pesos. How old is she? If she is under 25 you will need additional documents signed by her parents. 18 - 21: Parental permission; 22 - 24: Parental guidance. 25 and over: nothing required.

Once you have these documents she will have to fill in an "affidavit of legal capacity to marry" form at the Philippine Embassy. A few hours later they will issue her with a CLCCM (Certification of legal capacity to contract marriage). This is valid for 30 days only.

3. As far as the Thai Immigration Office is concerned, all she'll need is her Thai marriage certificate for the retirement extension.

The Philippine Embassy requires her to report her marriage. This is probably because the Philippines is a no divorce country and they want to keep tabs on who is married and who is not.

When she picks up her CLCCM she will recieve a marriage report form (x3) with the following notice: "Your are required to report your marriage after the ceremony to the Consular section of the Philippine Embassy, as soon as possible".

To achieve this she will have to have her marriage certificate translated into English and certified by the MFA before the Embassy will accept it.

Please note that this marriage reporting is not a Thai Immigration Office requirement, it's a Philippine Government Office requirement.

My Embassies (NZ & Australia) do not require marriage reporting.

[Dah fahrang]

If you are planning to retire in Thailand, why go to the end of the earth and back for paperwork for a Thai wedding?

Thai visas based on retirement only require that you meet the 800K in a bank for three months, or 65K a month income certified by your Embassy. Why not:

marry in the Philippines or elsewhere;

apply for a retirement visa for yourself, in the Philippines, move to Thailand, and extend your stay in Thailand using the above financial criteria;

apply for a dependent's visa for your spouse, and likewise subsequent extensions of stay her?

Minimal paperwork, minmal chasing around, less chance of disappearing up your own b*m.

[lopburi3]

He can not apply for a retirement visa in the Philippines and even if he could the same paperwork for marriage would be required (it is not a Thai requirement - the Philippines requires it). The only Thai requirement is the simple Embassy letter/translated/registered. With a foreign registered marriage there is likely to be more Thai paperwork involved to prove its validity. If done in Thailand the paperwork will be here.

[tropo]

He can not apply for a retirement visa in the Philippines and even if he could the same paperwork for marriage would be required (it is not a Thai requirement - the Philippines requires it). The only Thai requirement is the simple Embassy letter/translated/registered. With a foreign registered marriage there is likely to be more Thai paperwork involved to prove its validity. If done in Thailand the paperwork will be here.

If they marry in the Philippines, she will require less paperwork to get married. She won't need DFA red ribbon authentication of documents and will not need documents translated into Thai and MFA certified.

Her English Philippine marriage certificate will probably be enough for Thai Immigration when applying for a dependent retirement extension.

However...with an online service for PI documents and a translation service here in Thailand to take care of MFA stamping, only one trip to the couples' respective Embassies in Bangkok is required (one afternoon in Bangkok should do it), so although there are more documents required, there is very little work involved. I should know - I just did this last week.

[lopburi3]

Your saying it is no longer a requirement in the Philippines to attend church classes and such for marriage? It has been a few years since I was last there but it was my understanding church paperwork was a requirement.

[tropo]

Your saying it is no longer a requirement in the Philippines to attend church classes and such for marriage? It has been a few years since I was last there but it was my understanding church paperwork was a requirement.

Only if they want to get married in a church. A civil wedding will not require it.

[lopburi3]

But it does require a marriage license and a ten day cooling off period from quick check. Expect most will also want the church wedding if done in homeland.

[tropo]

But it does require a marriage license and a ten day cooling off period from quick check. Expect most will also want the church wedding if done in homeland.

Yes, in the Philippines there is a 10 day waiting period. There's also a 10 day waiting period if two Filipinos are marrying in Thailand, but it is waived if one party is non-Filipino.

Considering that, it's quicker in Thailand.

[Utterlyuseful]

Lots of Filipinas get married in Hong Kong. Suggest you google for details on this.

[tropo]

Lots of Filipinas get married in Hong Kong. Suggest you google for details on this.

There's no need to do that as the process is relatively easy in Thailand. It would end up costing a lot more to be married in Hong Kong and there is a 30 day advertising period before a couple can be married there. It could require 2 visits unless you can find someone reputable to take care of this step online.

The reason many Filipinos marry in Hong Kong is that there are no documents required from the Philippines so they can get away with lying about their marriage status in the Philippines.

It's a big undertaking and expense just to avoid getting documents from the Philippines.

(It looks like the OP has disappeared so I hope someone else will benefit from the effort I've put in on this thread)

[moo112]

Any foreign couple who are legally live in Thailand [any Type of Visa] can be married according to Thai law by register their marriage at District or Amphur Office in any provinces in Thailand. What the official needs are the couple's passports and translator. The official will ask for the couple relationships, carreer, and/or children that may be some privacy questions for westerns.

[lopburi3]

All foreigners require paperwork from there respective Embassies confirming there single status and being fit for marriage - no District Office will marry a foreigner until that document has been made and registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

[tropo]

Any foreign couple who are legally live in Thailand [any Type of Visa] can be married according to Thai law by register their marriage at District or Amphur Office in any provinces in Thailand. What the official needs are the couple's passports and translator. The official will ask for the couple relationships, carreer, and/or children that may be some privacy questions for westerns.

I'm trying to help out with info on how a Filipina can marry a foreigner in Thailand. I have specific knowledge of how this is done and it doesn't help one bit if you come on here to offer bogus information.