How to Obtain a Certificate of No Marriage Impediment (CENOMAR) Online in the Philippines – 2025 Comprehensive Legal Guide

1 Introduction

A Certificate of No Marriage Impediment—better known locally as a CENOMAR, “Certificate of No Marriage,” or “Certificate of Singleness”—is the Philippine government’s official proof that, as of the date of issuance, a person has not contracted any valid marriage (or that all previous marriages have been duly dissolved). The document is issued exclusively by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and is required everywhere from Filipino–foreign national marriages abroad, to local civil marriage licenses, to overseas fiancé-visa applications. This guide explains everything you need to know in 2025 about securing a CENOMAR without visiting a PSA outlet—your rights, the legal bases, today’s online portals, step-by-step procedures, costs, timelines, and practical tips.

2 What Exactly Is a CENOMAR?

Feature	Key Points
Nature	An Advisory on Marriages printed on PSA security paper (SECPA).
Contents	Your full name; date & place of birth; a statement that no marriage record / no impediment exists, or a list of marriages found, if any.
Validity	Not prescribed by statute; agencies often require an issuance within 3–6 months. Always check the receiving entity’s cut-off.
Legal weight	Accepted prima facie by Philippine courts and foreign consular posts as an official civil-registry certification.

3 Legal Bases

Article 3(2) & Article 4, Family Code – Parties must be “free of legal impediment” before a marriage license may issue.
Act No. 3753 (Civil Registry Law) + R.A. 10625 (Philippine Statistical Act of 2013) – Authorize PSA to keep civil-registry archives and issue certified transcripts & certifications.
Data Privacy Act (R.A. 10173) – Protects personal data; PSA requires identity proof or written authority before releasing someone else’s record.

4 Who May Request a CENOMAR?

Under PSA rules, a CENOMAR may be obtained:

By the person named in the record (self).
By a direct relative (parent, child, spouse, grandparent, grandchild) with a signed authorization letter and valid IDs for both parties.
By an authorized representative, upon presentation of:
- A special power of attorney or authorization letter signed by the person named in the record.
- The requester’s and owner’s valid government-issued IDs (scans are accepted for online uploads if required).

Tip: When transacting online, the authorization letter and ID images are submitted only if the courier asks for them on delivery, so prepare printed copies in advance.

5 When Is a CENOMAR Required?

Applying for a marriage license at a Philippine Local Civil Registry Office (LCRO).
Marriage abroad or before a foreign embassy in Manila (many posts also require a DFA-Apostilled CENOMAR).
Fiancé(e)/spouse visa or family reunification petitions.
Annulment or judicial recognition of a foreign divorce (to prove single status beforehand).
Certain employment, scholarship, or religious-vows applications.

6 Online Channels Available in 2025

Portal	Notes
PSA Helpline (psahelpline.ph)	Flagship service partner; mobile-friendly; accepts digital certificates (pilot).
PSA Serbilis (psaserbilis.com.ph)	Legacy platform; still active but slated for retirement.
PSA Certificate Online Request System (PSA-CORS)	Rolled out 2024; integrates PhilSys e-signature and optional e-Document PDF delivery for users with national ID.
eGov PH Super App – Civil Registry module	One-stop government mobile app; mirrors Helpline ordering workflow.

Caution: The PSA never sells through social-media pages. Use only the official URLs above or their in-app links.

7 Step-by-Step: Ordering Your CENOMAR Online

Create / log in to your account. Enter your working e-mail number; confirmation links and status updates are sent here.
Choose “Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR)”.
Encode the registrant’s details exactly as they appear on the birth certificate:
- Full name, sex, date & place of birth, parents’ names.
- If known, enter PhilSys Number (PSN) or PhilID Card Number to speed up backend matching (optional).
State the purpose (e.g., “Marriage License – Local,” “Marriage Abroad – Singapore”). The PSA prints this purpose on the certificate header.
Answer screening questions (“Have you been married?” “Do you have corrections pending?”).
Accept the Data-Privacy & sworn-statement tick-box. This replaces the notarized affidavit previously required for third-party requests.
Select delivery type
- Paper SECPA copy – default; nationwide courier.
- Digital copy (PDF with QR-coded e-SECPA watermark) – available to PhilSys-verified users and overseas Filipinos.

Payment – 2025 schedule of fees:

Mode	Convenience Fee	How to Pay
Debit/Credit Card (Visa/Mastercard/JCB)	none	Pay in-site
GCash / Maya	₱10	App redirect
Over-the-counter (7-Eleven CliQQ, Bayad Center, SM Bills Pay)	₱15	Pay within 24 h using reference code
Bank transfer (BPI, BDO, LandBank)	varies	InstaPay or OTC deposit

Total landed cost per copy (Metro Manila delivery): ₱330 (₱210 doc fee + ₱120 logistics & IT). Provincial delivery adds ₱15 fuel surcharge; international courier ranges US $18–28.*

Confirmation & tracking. Save the Request Reference Number (RRN) and the courier tracking link.
Delivery & receipt. Present a valid ID and, if you are not the owner, the printed authorization letter. Couriers do not release to building guards.

8 Processing & Delivery Times

Location	Working-day Processing	Typical Door-to-Door*
Metro Manila	1–2	2–4 days
Luzon major cities	1–2	3–5 days
Visayas & Mindanao	1–2	4–7 days
Remote islands / AFP mail	1–3	7–14 days
Overseas PDF	–	< 24 h e-mail link
Overseas courier	1–3	5–12 days

*Calendar days excluding weekends & holidays. Add extra lead time during December and June (peak wedding seasons).

9 Validity & Renewal

The PSA does not set an expiration, but embassies, courts, and LCROs typically honor a CENOMAR issued within the last 6 months (some, like the South Korean Embassy, insist on 3 months). When in doubt, obtain a fresh copy shortly before submission.

10 Using Your CENOMAR Abroad – Apostille & Translation

Authenticate (Apostille) at the DFA-Office of Consular Affairs or any DFA Consular Office with authentication service.
Translate into the destination-country language if required (official or sworn translator).
Legalize at the foreign embassy only when the receiving state is not a party to the Apostille Convention.

Shortcut: Some Philippine embassies abroad issue a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage (LCCM). They will still ask for your fresh, Apostilled CENOMAR as supporting evidence.

11 Data-Privacy & Security Notes

All PSA partner sites are PCI-DSS compliant and use encrypted payment gateways.
Uploaded IDs are automatically purged after 60 days unless a fraud investigation is pending.
Under R.A. 10173, you may request deletion or correction of your personal data held by the portal.

12 Common Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them

Pitfall	Prevention
Misspelled parent’s name causes record “not found.”	Copy exact spelling from your birth certificate.
Duplicate records confuse the matching algorithm.	Provide your PhilSys Number if you have one.
Courier returns item because occupant unavailable.	Use an address where someone (with ID) can receive weekdays.
Wrong purpose printed (e.g., “Travel”) and receiving agency rejects it.	Double-check purpose on the order summary screen before paying.
Expired CENOMAR at filing date.	Count back six months (or three, if stricter) from your target filing date and order accordingly.

13 Frequently Asked Questions

Can I order multiple copies at once? – Yes; tick “Add another copy.” Each copy is billed separately.
May I pay after delivery? – No. Payment confirms the order and triggers PSA processing.
What if no record exists and I was actually married? – The PSA can only certify based on filed civil-registry events. Unregistered marriages must first be late-registered or judicially declared void before PSA data can reflect them.
Can foreigners get a CENOMAR? – Only Filipino citizens (or former citizens) have PSA civil-registry files. Foreign nationals obtain similar “certificate of no impediment” from their own governments.
How do I correct an error on my CENOMAR? – File a Petition for Correction (R.A. 9048 / 10172) at the LCRO of the city or municipality of your birth, not with the PSA online portal.

14 Sample Authorization Letter (excerpt)

Date

I, JUAN D. DELA CRUZ, born 12 June 1995 in Quezon City, hereby authorize MARIA P. DEL ROSARIO (ID No. P1234567) to request and receive on my behalf one (1) copy of my Certificate of No Marriage Impediment (CENOMAR) from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Signature: _____________________

15 Key Takeaways

Apply early—build in courier lead time and embassy validity windows.
Use only PSA-accredited portals to avoid fraudulent or outdated copies.
Check spellings twice and always align with your birth record.
Secure an Apostille if you will use the CENOMAR outside the Philippines.
Respect privacy rules—never post your CENOMAR publicly; it contains sensitive data.

Obtaining a CENOMAR online has never been easier, and with the 2024 roll-out of PSA’s digital certificate option, overseas Filipinos can now receive a secure, verifiable PDF in hours rather than weeks. By following the steps and cautions outlined above, you can obtain this crucial document smoothly and focus on the more exciting parts of planning your wedding or visa application.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific concerns, consult the PSA or a qualified Philippine lawyer.