Marriage certificate attestation is an essential process for making your Philippine-issued marriage certificate legally valid in the UAE. Whether it’s for a UAE family visa, residency application, or spouse sponsorship, your document must be verified through the DFA in the Philippines, attested by the UAE Embassy in Manila, and finally stamped by the MOFA in the UAE. This multi-step legalization ensures your Filipino marriage document is officially recognized in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and across all Emirates.
A PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority) marriage certificate is an official document that records a couple’s names, the date and place of their marriage, and the names of the witnesses. After a marriage is registered at the local civil registry office (LCRO) where the wedding was celebrated, the LCRO forwards the record to the PSA, which prints the certificate on its security paper. The document is signed by the couple, witnesses, and the officiant to be valid.
Attesting a forgien issued marriage certificate is required by UAE law for various legal purposes. The most common is for UAE visa and immigration processes, such as obtaining a family residence visa to sponsor your spouse or children in the UAE. UAE immigration authorities like ICA, GDRFA, or TAMM require proof of marital status, and an attested marriage certificate serves as verified evidence that your marriage is legally valid. Beyond visas, an attested marriage certificate is also needed for other official matters, such as opening joint bank accounts, buying property, applying for family health insurance, or completing other legal transactions as a married couple. In essence, attestation certifies the document’s authenticity, giving UAE institutions confidence that the foreign-issued marriage certificate is legitimate and can be legally recognized in the UAE.
PSA allows online requests to be delivered directly to your home or address. You can request a PSA marriage certificate by:
1. Visiting PSA’s Online Services Portal:
Access their official request system via https://psa.gov.ph and follow the links for online requests.
Choose the Marriage Certificate option.
Provide the necessary personal and marriage details.
2. Pay the Government Fees:
As of the latest PSA bulletin, the fee for online requests is typically:
₱330 per copy (inclusive of processing and courier delivery within the Philippines).
Fees for overseas delivery may vary.
3. Wait for Delivery:
Processing typically takes:
3 to 8 working days for Metro Manila and provincial addresses.
7 to 15 working days for international delivery.
4. Track Your Delivery:
A tracking number will be sent to your email or mobile phone once the document has been dispatched.
You must file a Report of Marriage (ROM) at the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Dubai. This is the only way to officially register your marriage with the Philippine government. Filing the ROM ensures your marriage is legally recognized in the Philippines and recorded in the national civil registry.
Before booking an appointment at the consulate, your UAE marriage contract must be properly attested within the UAE. The Philippine Consulate will reject your application without these attestations.
Why are these attestations mandatory? These stamps verify that your marriage contract is a legitimate and official document issued by the UAE government, a prerequisite for the Philippine government to recognize it.
Accuracy and completeness are key to a smooth application. Use this checklist to prepare your file:
| Document | Details & Quantity |
|---|---|
| ROM Application Form | Download from the PCG Dubai website. Type or print legibly. Do not use pencil. |
| Attested UAE Marriage Certificate | Original document with MOJ & MOFA stamps + Four (4) photocopies. |
| Spouses’ Passports | Original passports + Four (4) photocopies of the data page for both spouses. |
| Spouses’ UAE Visas | Four (4) photocopies of the UAE residence visa page for both spouses. |
| Passport-Sized Photos | Four (4) recent photos for each spouse (white background). |
| For Annulled/Divorced Applicants | Additional documents such as PSA CENOMAR and annotated PSA Marriage Certificate from previous union, authenticated by the DFA. |
The Consulate will process your ROM, which can take a few weeks. Afterward, they transmit the documents to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila. The DFA then forwards the records to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) for encoding into the national civil registry. This entire transmission and encoding process can take 3 to 6 months.
When preparing for Philippine marriage certificate attestation (for UAE use), be sure you have the following documents in order:
If you are not going in person and instead sending someone (or using an agency) to process on your behalf, an authorization letter or power of attorney may be required, along with IDs of the representatives. For example, DFA or embassies might require a letter authorizing a third-party to submit or collect documents for you.
If your marriage certificate was issued in the Philippines, follow these steps to get it attested for use in the UAE. This process is often referred to as Philippine marriage certificate attestation for UAE, and it involves multiple authorities in both countries:
Make sure you have an official copy of your marriage certificate from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The PSA-issued marriage certificate (sometimes called a “PSA marriage contract”) is the primary document required for attestation. If you don’t have a PSA copy, you will need to request one (either online or through a PSA office) before proceeding.
Submit the PSA marriage certificate to the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for authentication. The DFA will verify the certificate and apply an Apostille stamp or certificate (previously known as the “DFA Red Ribbon”) to confirm its authenticity. Note: Since 2019, the Philippines uses the Apostille system for document authentication. However, because the UAE is not a signatory to the Apostille Convention, an apostilled document alone is not sufficient for use in the UAE. You must still complete the next steps of embassy and MOFA attestation.
After obtaining the DFA apostille, the next step is to have the document attested by the UAE Embassy or Consulate in the Philippines. This consular attestation (also called embassy legalization) involves UAE diplomatic officials stamping or attaching a certificate to your DFA-authenticated document. This confirms that the document has been duly authenticated in its home country and is now legalized by UAE authorities in the Philippines for use in the UAE. Typically, you would submit the apostilled marriage certificate, along with any required forms and fees, to the UAE Embassy in Manila (or the UAE Consulate if applicable). Once the UAE embassy/consulate attests the certificate, it is almost ready for acceptance in the UAE.
The final step is attestation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in the UAE. After arriving in the UAE (or sending the document there), you must take the embassy-attested marriage certificate to MOFA. The MOFA office will verify the UAE Embassy/Consulate stamp and then apply the MOFA attestation stamp/sticker on the document. This step officially certifies the document within the UAE. Once MOFA attestation is complete, your Philippine marriage certificate is fully legalized and accepted by all UAE authorities for any official purpose. MOFA attestation can be done via MOFA customer service centers or through approved service providers like GloboPrime Corporate Services Provider.
If you prefer to walk into a PSA outlet or aren’t eligible to order online, you need to book an appointment and bring specific documents. According to the PSA, a copy of your marriage contract can be issued if it is already in the Civil Registry Database.
The process involves the following steps:
Visit the CRS Appointment System at https://appointment.psa.gov.ph/ and book a slot at your preferred PSA outlet. Print or save the appointment slip showing your name and schedule.
Use the pink form (Application Form for Marriage Certificate). You can download it from the appointment site or fill one out at the PSA outlet. Write in clear, printed letters.
The requesting spouse must present a government or company-issued ID with a clear photo and signature. If the requester is a direct descendant (e.g., child) or legal guardian, they must also provide:
If someone else is claiming the marriage certificate on your behalf, provide them with the following:
The authorization document must match the ID signature and clearly state that the PSA is allowed to release the marriage certificate to your representative.
The following individuals can request their own certificates using their respective IDs:
On your appointment date, bring your appointment slip and valid ID. Follow the health and safety protocols. Once inside:
| Feature | LCRO Copy | PSA Copy |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing Office | Local Civil Registry Office (City/Municipal Hall) | Philippine Statistics Authority (National Agency) |
| Document Type | A certified copy of the original, local entry. | An official copy from the centralized national database. |
| Paper | Printed on the local office’s official paper. | Printed on special, yellowish security paper (SECPA). |
| Primary Use | Local transactions, school enrollment, initial record corrections. | Passports, visas, licenses, legal proceedings, and most official government requirements. |
Always submit the original PSA-issued certificate printed on security paper (color: straw yellow-green) with visible watermark and serial numbers.
No, you cannot use a digital PSA e-Certificate or a DFA e-Apostille for official purposes in the UAE. The UAE does not accept digital or electronic versions of official documents for attestation. A physical document with a complete chain of attestations is required because the UAE is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention.
Important: An e-Apostille will be rejected. You must go through the full legalization process using physical documents.
To have a Philippine document legally recognized in the UAE, follow these four mandatory steps using the original physical certificate (not a scan or digital file):
The physical PSA certificate — printed on security paper (SECPA) — must be authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in the Philippines with an official Apostille stamp.
Next, the DFA-apostilled document must be submitted to the UAE Embassy in Manila for further verification and attestation. This step is essential for recognition by UAE authorities.
Finally, once you’re in the UAE, bring the document to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to receive the final attestation stamp. After this step, the document is officially recognized for use in government, legal, or immigration transactions across the UAE.
Embassies Attestation
