In addition to providing passport and visa services, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) facilitates civil registry services. In particular, the Civil Registry Division of the Office of Consular Affairs (OCA-CRD) receives applications for the registration of Reports of Birth, Marriage, and Death involving Filipino citizens who are based abroad.
Furthermore, the OCA-CRD serves as the transmitting office between the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and Philippine Embassies and Consulates overseas. It coordinates with DFA Foreign Services Posts (FSP) regarding civil registry concerns of Filipino citizens outside the Philippines.
Requirements
Below are the lists of requirements for filing Reports of Birth, Marriage, and Death at the DFA. Please note that original documents, along with five (5) photocopies each, must be prepared and submitted.
Report of Birth
- Filled out and notarized Report of Birth Form;
- Birth Certificate issued by the country of birth;
- First Passport or Travel Document of the child;
- Authenticated Marriage Certificate of Parents from PSA/Foreign Marriage Contract; and
- Passport of Both Parents.
Additional Requirements (if applicable)
- Notarized Affidavit of Delayed Registration (for children more than one year old);
- Notarized Affidavit of Two (2) Disinterested Persons (for children more than one year old); and
- Negative Certificate of Birth Record from PSA.
Report of Marriage
- Filled out and notarized Report of Marriage Form;
- Marriage Contract/Certificate;
- Birth Certificate of Both Parties;
- Passport of Both Parties; and
- Five (5) recent Passport-sized Photos of Both Parties.
Additional Requirements (if applicable)
- Notarized Affidavit of Delayed Registration (for applicants who are married for more than one year);
- Notarized Affidavit of Two (2) Disinterested Persons (for applicants who are married for more than one year);
- Negative Certificate of Marriage Record from PSA;
- Copy of DFA Authenticated Marriage Contract issued by PSA (for annulled or legally separated Filipino spouse);
- Copy of Divorced Decree/Certificate validated by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) nearest the spouse’s place of residence in the Philippins (for divorced Filipino spouse);
- Death Certificate issued by PSA or Foreign Death Certificate of previous spouse (for widowed Filipino spouse);
- Copy of Foreign Decree/Decision (for divorced, annulled, or legally separated foreign spouse); and
- Death Certificate of previous spouse (for widowed foreign spouse).
Report of Death
- Filled out and notarized Report of Death Form;
- Death Certificate;
- Certificate of Sealing of Casket;
- Autopsy/Embalming Report; and
- Photocopies of Passport of the deceased (data pages only).
Application Process
Meanwhile, here is a step-by-step guide to the application process for filing a civil registry document. Please note that these steps apply to registrations made in the Philippines:
- Gather and prepare all the required documents.
- Request for appointment via email from the Consular Records Division before going to the nearest DFA Consular Office. For initial verification and appointment schedule, send an email request with attached copies of required documents to the following email addresses: oca.crd-us@dfa.gov.ph (America); oca.crd-aspac@dfa.gov.ph (Asia Pacific); oca.crd-eu@dfa.gov.ph (Europe); and oca.crd-mea@dfa.gov.ph (Middle East and Africa).
- On the appointed date, go to the DFA Consular Office and submit the documents at the Civil Registration Window. The staff will assess submitted documents before going to the next step.
- Pay the consular fee at the Cashier. The consular fee is USD 25, to be paid in Philippine currency.
- Have the payment receipt photocopied five (5) times and return to the Civil Registration Window. You will be given the original receipt and a copy of the Request Form.
- The submitted Report and supporting documents will be transmitted to the concerned Foreign Service Post (FSP) for registration.
NOTE: Some FSPs may require additional documents to verify the applicant’s identity or Philippine citizenship.
For more information about filing Civil Registry Documents, visit the DFA official website. For inquiries and details, you may also send an email to oca.crd-concerns@dfa.gov.ph.
The DFA’s Civil Registry Services helps to ensure that major events such as the birth, marriage, and death of Filipino citizens abroad are duly registered and recorded by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
What’s more, the DFA also provides authentication services for Philippine documents that will be used abroad. Visit this link for more information about the agency’s authentication services.