How long is CENOMAR valid for visa applications?

Most countries require CENOMAR issued within 6 months of the visa application submission date. Some countries have stricter requirements — always confirm with the receiving authority.

15+ Countries CoveredUpdated May 2026Apostille & Authentication

Updated: September 8, 2026

CENOMAR Requirements by Country — Complete 2026 Guide

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A CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage Record) may be requested in spouse, partner, or marriage procedures. Each authority has different document and authentication requirements, and requirements can vary even within the same country.

This guide covers the CENOMAR requirements for all major destination countries. We verify the specific requirements for your case before starting — free consultation.

We retrieve CENOMAR from PSA, get DFA Apostille, and ship to your address worldwide. We confirm the exact requirement for your country before starting.

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North America

🇺🇸 United States

Visa type: K-1 Fiancé Visa, CR-1/IR-1 Spouse Visa, IR-2

Authentication: Confirm with the current checklist

Validity: 6 months from issuance

Authority: USCIS / National Visa Center (NVC)

Requirements differ by visa stage. Confirm the current USCIS, NVC, or embassy checklist before ordering; do not assume an Apostille is required.

🇨🇦 Canada

Visa type: Spousal Sponsorship (IRCC), Common-law Partner

Authentication: Authentication required (Apostille or DFA certification)

Validity: 6 months from issuance

Authority: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

IRCC accepts DFA Apostille. Requirements may vary slightly by province stream. We verify the correct format before starting.

Oceania

🇦🇺 Australia

Visa type: Partner Visa (subclass 309/100, 820/801)

Authentication: DFA Apostille required

Validity: 6 months from issuance

Authority: Department of Home Affairs

Authentication requirements vary by visa subclass and document. Confirm the current Home Affairs checklist before ordering.

🇳🇿 New Zealand

Visa type: Partner of a New Zealander Visa, Resident Visa

Authentication: DFA Apostille required

Validity: 6 months from issuance

Authority: Immigration New Zealand

Immigration New Zealand follows Hague Convention — Apostille is accepted as the standard authentication.

Europe

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Visa type: UK Spouse Visa, Fiancé(e) Visa

Authentication: DFA Apostille required

Validity: 6 months from issuance

Authority: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)

Authentication requirements vary by route and document. For PSA e-Certificates used in Apostille Convention countries, DFA issues an electronic e-Apostille.

🇩🇪 Germany

Visa type: Ehegattennachzug (Spouse Visa), National Visa

Authentication: DFA Apostille required

Validity: 6 months from issuance

Authority: German Consulate / Ausländerbehörde

German consulates and the Ausländerbehörde require apostilled Philippine documents. Some offices may also require a certified German translation.

🇮🇹 Italy

Visa type: Family Reunification Visa, Spouse Visa

Authentication: DFA Apostille + Italian translation required

Validity: 6 months from issuance

Authority: Italian Consulate / Questura

Italian authorities require both apostille and a certified Italian translation. We handle the apostille; translation is arranged separately.

🇳🇴🇸🇪🇩🇰 Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark)

Visa type: Family Immigration, Spouse/Partner Visa

Authentication: DFA Apostille required

Validity: 6 months from issuance

Authority: Respective national immigration authority

All Schengen/EEA countries follow Hague Convention. Apostille is universally accepted. Confirm specific requirements with the consulate.

Middle East & Gulf

🇦🇪 UAE (United Arab Emirates)

Visa type: Marriage Registration, Residency, OFW documentation

Authentication: Embassy attestation (not a Convention party)

Validity: Varies by emirate

Authority: Philippine Consulate General / UAE local authority

Filipino nationals residing or working in the UAE often need CENOMAR for marriage registration at the Philippine consulate or local civil authorities. Requirements vary by emirate.

🇶🇦 Qatar

Visa type: Marriage Registration, OFW documentation

Authentication: Embassy attestation (not a Convention party)

Validity: Varies

Authority: Philippine Embassy in Qatar

OFWs in Qatar may need CENOMAR for marriage registration or employer documentation. Confirm current requirements with the Philippine Embassy in Doha.

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

Visa type: Marriage Registration, OFW documentation

Authentication: DFA Apostille (Convention party since 2022)

Validity: Varies

Authority: Philippine Embassy / POLO

Saudi Arabia has been a Contracting Party to the Apostille Convention since 7 December 2022. Some sponsors still ask for embassy attestation in practice — confirm with the receiving office.

🇧🇭 Bahrain, 🇰🇼 Kuwait, 🇴🇲 Oman

Visa type: Marriage Registration, OFW documentation

Authentication: Embassy attestation (not Convention parties)

Validity: Varies

Authority: Philippine Consulate / Embassy

Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman are not Contracting Parties to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille has no effect there — documents follow the DFA authentication plus embassy attestation route. Always confirm with the Philippine consulate in-country before submitting.

Asia

🇰🇷 South Korea

Visa type: F-6 Marriage Migrant Visa

Authentication: DFA Apostille required

Validity: 6 months from issuance

Authority: Korea Immigration Service (HiKorea)

Korean Immigration Service requires apostilled CENOMAR for F-6 visa applications. Korea is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention.

🇯🇵 Japan

Visa type: Spouse or Child of Japanese National (配偶者等), Certificate of Eligibility

Authentication: Authentication required (Apostille or DFA certification)

Validity: 6 months from issuance

Authority: Japan Immigration Services Agency / Japanese Consulate

Japan has been a Contracting Party to the Apostille Convention since 27 July 1970, so a DFA Apostille is the authentication route. Since March 2026 the DFA issues PSA authentication electronically, so confirm with the receiving office whether it accepts an e-Apostille or asks for a SECPA paper original.

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FAQ

Not necessarily. Requirements differ by visa type and stage. Confirm the current USCIS, NVC, or embassy checklist before ordering.

Not in every case. IRCC requirements vary by application and document. Confirm the current checklist before ordering.

Yes. Japan has been a Contracting Party to the Apostille Convention since 27 July 1970, so a DFA Apostille is the authentication route for spouse visa (配偶者等) applications. Since March 2026 the DFA issues PSA authentication electronically, so confirm whether the receiving office accepts an e-Apostille or asks for a SECPA paper original.

Most countries require CENOMAR issued within 6 months of submission. Some authorities have stricter requirements — always confirm before ordering.

Since March 2026, DFA issues only an electronic e-Apostille for PSA documents like CENOMAR — a physical apostille sticker is no longer available. Whether a given authority accepts the e-Apostille varies, so we confirm the specific requirement for your case before processing.

Contact us. We handle CENOMAR retrieval and shipping to any country worldwide. Requirements vary — we research and confirm before starting.

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※ This is a private document retrieval service by IGRS Inc. We are not affiliated with PSA, NBI, DFA, or any Philippine government agency.