Overview

A CENOMAR—short for Certificate of No Marriage Record—is a certification issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) stating that, based on PSA records, a person has no record of marriage (and typically no record of certain other registrable events affecting civil status, depending on how the record appears). In practice, it is commonly requested for marriage applications, visa/immigration filings, and foreign legal requirements.

Once a Filipino is validly married (including marriage to a foreign national), an important reality sets in:

A person who already has a recorded marriage in PSA records generally cannot expect a “clean” CENOMAR showing “no marriage.” What you may need instead is an Advisory on Marriages or a PSA Marriage Certificate (Certificate of Marriage / Marriage Contract)—sometimes along with relevant annotations (e.g., annulment, death of spouse, judicial recognition of foreign divorce).

Understanding what the requesting party actually needs—and what PSA can legally certify—prevents wasted time and rejected submissions.

1) What a CENOMAR Is—and What It Is Not

What it is

A CENOMAR is a PSA-issued certification based on the PSA civil registry database. It is often used to prove that a person is “single” as far as PSA records show, especially for:

Applying for a marriage license in the Philippines
Submitting proof of civil status to foreign governments, embassies, employers, or schools
Supporting immigration and visa applications
Certain court or administrative processes where marital status is relevant

What it is not

A CENOMAR is not:

A court declaration of civil status
A guarantee that no marriage exists anywhere (it is record-based)
A substitute for a PSA Marriage Certificate if a marriage exists
A document that “resets” to “no marriage” after annulment, widowhood, or divorce recognition

2) What Happens to Your CENOMAR After You Marry a Foreigner

If your marriage is recorded with PSA

If your marriage to a foreign national is registered and already transmitted/encoded into PSA records, requesting a CENOMAR will typically produce one of these outcomes:

Not a “No Marriage” result: it may show that there is a marriage record (formats vary), or
The issuing system may instead direct you toward an Advisory on Marriages (which lists marriage record(s) and remarks), and/or
You should request a PSA Marriage Certificate because that is the proper proof of the marriage.

Key point: after marriage, the document most institutions want is usually:

PSA Marriage Certificate, or
Advisory on Marriages (especially when there are annotations like annulment, recognized divorce, etc.)

If your marriage is not yet recorded with PSA

This is common in two scenarios:

You recently married in the Philippines Your local civil registrar (LCR) registers the marriage and forwards it through channels until it appears in PSA records. That transmission/encoding process can take time.
You married abroad and have not completed (or recently completed) Report of Marriage with the Philippine foreign service post (embassy/consulate) or the proper registration route.

If PSA does not yet have your marriage record, a CENOMAR request might still show no marriage record—not because you are unmarried, but because the PSA database has not been updated.

Practical risk: presenting a “no marriage record” certification when you are actually married may cause:

delays or suspicion in immigration cases,
requests for additional documents,
or outright rejection if the receiving authority expects consistency.

3) The Correct PSA Documents to Request After Marriage

A) PSA Marriage Certificate (Certificate of Marriage / Marriage Contract)

This is the primary document proving the marriage is registered with PSA.

Best for: immigration filings, name change processes, spousal benefits, bank/insurance updates, and general proof of marriage.

B) Advisory on Marriages

This is often the most useful PSA document for “marital history” questions.

Best for:

visa cases asking for “marital status history,”
proof of whether there were multiple marriages,
proof of annotations (annulment, foreign divorce recognition, death, etc.),
situations where the requesting party asks for “CENOMAR even though married” (what they usually mean is “a PSA certification of marriage history”).

C) CENOMAR (in post-marriage situations)

A CENOMAR is usually not the right document once married—unless the requesting authority explicitly demands it and understands it may reflect the existence of a marriage record (or the lack of PSA record due to non-registration).

Tip: If a foreign office says “CENOMAR,” ask whether they really need:

“proof of single status,” or
“proof of civil status / marriage history,” or
“proof of marriage.” Most often, after marriage, they actually need your PSA Marriage Certificate and/or Advisory on Marriages.

4) How to Obtain the Appropriate PSA Document (Within the Philippines and Abroad)

Where to request

Common request channels include:

PSA outlets/service centers (where available for civil registry document requests)
PSA-authorized online/request systems
PSA-authorized partners and courier delivery services
For people abroad: authorized request routes that can deliver internationally (availability varies)

General requirements

You typically need:

Full name (including correct spelling)
Date of birth
Place of birth
Parents’ full names (often required for accurate matching)
Government-issued ID (for certain request methods)
Authorization letter and IDs (if requested by a representative)

For married women using a married surname

PSA records are fundamentally tied to your identity details. If you married and began using your spouse’s surname:

You may still be indexed under your maiden name for certain searches and matching.
Many forms request both maiden name and married name. Provide both when possible.
If the requester is searching for your civil status, the maiden name is frequently essential for accurate retrieval.

5) Special Rules and Common Scenarios for Marriage to a Foreigner

A) Marriage solemnized in the Philippines

If you married in the Philippines, your marriage is registered with the local civil registrar and should eventually appear in PSA.

If you can’t find your marriage record yet:

It may still be in transit/processing.
You may need to coordinate with the Local Civil Registry (LCR) where the marriage was registered to verify endorsement/transmittal details.

B) Marriage solemnized abroad (foreign country)

If a Filipino marries abroad, the marriage does not automatically appear in PSA unless properly reported/registered through the appropriate process.

Typical route: Report of Marriage

The Filipino spouse reports the marriage to the Philippine embassy/consulate having jurisdiction over the place of marriage.
That Report of Marriage is transmitted for registration and eventual inclusion in PSA records.

If you skip this step:

PSA may show no marriage record, leading to document inconsistencies later.
It can complicate future transactions (passport updates, benefit claims, remarrying, etc.).

C) The foreign spouse and “CENOMAR”

A CENOMAR is a Philippine civil registry certification. A foreign spouse generally cannot get a “CENOMAR” equivalent from PSA for foreign civil status unless they have a Philippine civil registry record (usually they don’t).

In marriage applications in the Philippines, the foreign spouse typically proves capacity to marry through consular documentation (commonly referred to as a certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage), not a PSA-issued CENOMAR.

6) If You Need to Use PSA Documents Abroad: Apostille/Authentication

Foreign governments often require proof that a Philippine civil registry document is authentic.

Common approach:

Obtain the PSA-issued document on security paper (as required), then
Have it apostilled/authenticated through the proper Philippine authority for overseas use, depending on the destination country’s rules.

Different countries have different acceptance rules:

Some accept apostilled public documents,
Others may require additional consular legalization (depending on treaties and local practice).

Because requirements vary by destination and by the receiving institution, always check the specific instruction list you were given (visa checklist, embassy instructions, court filing requirements, etc.).

7) Corrections, Delays, Non-Appearance, and Record Problems

A) “My marriage isn’t showing in PSA”

Possible causes:

Recent marriage still in transmission/encoding pipeline
LCR endorsement delay
Report of Marriage abroad not yet transmitted/processed
Name/date/place discrepancies causing mismatch
Clerical or encoding errors

Practical actions:

Verify details with the Local Civil Registrar (or embassy/consulate for ROM cases)
Request the marriage certificate first; if unavailable, check indexing details
If mismatched entries exist, you may need correction processes

B) Errors in names, dates, or places

Corrections depend on:

whether the error is clerical/typographical or substantial,
and what the civil registrar and PSA procedures require.

Some corrections can be administrative; others may require judicial proceedings, especially when the correction substantially affects identity or civil status.

C) Late registration and complicated histories

Late registration, multiple marriages, annulments, and foreign divorces often produce:

annotated PSA documents,
and stronger need for an Advisory on Marriages plus annotated marriage certificates.

8) Annulment, Widowhood, and Foreign Divorce: What You Can Expect from PSA Records

A) Annulment / Nullity (Philippine court)

If a marriage is declared void or voidable and the decision is recorded/annotated:

PSA documents may carry annotations reflecting the court decision.
You generally should request an annotated PSA Marriage Certificate and/or Advisory on Marriages.

A common misconception is that annulment means you can get a “no marriage” CENOMAR again. In record-based systems, the prior marriage often remains in the history, with annotations showing its legal status.

B) Widowhood

A spouse’s death does not erase the marriage record; it changes the civil status but the marriage record remains.

Advisory on Marriages + death certificate context is often used depending on the transaction.

C) Divorce involving a foreign spouse

In Philippine practice, a Filipino’s ability to remarry after divorce is a specialized topic and commonly requires proper recognition and annotation steps to align PSA records with the updated civil status. Where institutions ask for proof, they often want:

annotated marriage certificate and/or
advisory on marriages reflecting the updated status, rather than a “no marriage” certification.

9) What Institutions Usually Ask For (and How to Avoid Rejections)

If the institution wants proof you are married

Provide:

PSA Marriage Certificate (often the primary)

If the institution wants proof of “marriage history”

Provide:

Advisory on Marriages (often the most informative), plus
supporting annotated documents if applicable

If the institution insists on “CENOMAR” even though you’re married

Do this:

Clarify whether they mean “PSA certification of civil status/marriage history.”
Offer the Advisory on Marriages and the PSA Marriage Certificate.
If they truly insist on a CENOMAR, confirm they understand it is record-based and may reflect the marriage record (or, in some cases, show none if the marriage is not yet recorded).

10) Practical Checklist: “I’m Married to a Foreigner—What Should I Request?”

Most common, safest set:

PSA Marriage Certificate
Advisory on Marriages (especially if the case is immigration/visa or involves prior marriages/annotations)
If using abroad: authentication/apostille as required by destination

If married abroad:

Ensure Report of Marriage is properly filed and transmitted so PSA can reflect the marriage.

If the goal is “prove I was single before I married”:

Some institutions want a CENOMAR issued close to the date of marriage (pre-marriage context). After marriage, you may need to explain timing and provide older-issued certifications if you have them, plus your marriage certificate.

Closing Notes (Philippine practice reality)

After marriage—whether to a Filipino or a foreign national—the document strategy shifts. In most legitimate post-marriage needs, a CENOMAR is no longer the centerpiece. The PSA documents that usually do the work are the Marriage Certificate and the Advisory on Marriages, especially when the case involves overseas filings, annotations, or complex civil status questions.

If you tell me what you need the document for (e.g., “spouse visa to X,” “passport update,” “remarriage,” “foreign registry,” “bank/benefits”), I can map the most defensible PSA document set and the usual sequencing so you don’t end up with a technically-correct document that still gets rejected.