I need help, I want to get married in the Philippines but no one seems to know the procedure for it. The checklist in MPF is for getting married here in Japan. I'm stuck on what to do for her medical statements. She is 3 months pregnant with my kid so I want to marry her before my child is born because I want it to have my last name. Please help!

It's going pain for you to get married that quickly. Talk to your legal office about it, but I think it requires getting permission from the commander in Guam, though it's probably different for the Air Force. I would recommend getting your fiancée to have the baby in Japan, if she is already here.

I already talked to the legal office and the guy I talked to didn't know much about getting married outside of japan. She's in the Philippines right now. I guess my other choice is to have her come here via invitation and marry here, and I also don't know to do that.. MPS keeps referring me to people and people refer me back to MPS, it is driving me crazy.

If you are getting married in PI you need to show a legal capacity to marry and your good to go. But if your doing that for the baby's last name the baby can carry your last name without even getting married all you gotta do is put it in writing at the legal office that the baby is really yours and you can bring that at the us embassy in the Philippines when doing the report of birth. If your gonna invite her here for a tourist visa it might not be possible to get married. So better go to PI if your really getting married bring all your paperwork like birth certificate. That's all that matters. Hopefully your thinking about a simple city hall like mayor or judge wedding. Because if your gf is planning to do a traditional extravagant foreigner wedding in the church that is more complicated since the church in the Philippines has a ridiculuos set of requirements.

@ yokota
No, I haven't talked to the commisarry ladies yet, it is a very good idea though. Some of them probably went through all these. Thanks.

@Akakmg
I don't know what the requirements are for Navy, but for some reason we need our commander's approval to get married in the air force.. The checklist our MPS gave me, she is required to undergo a pre-marital medical examinations by TRICARE. I don't know how to do that because she is in PI.

1.9.4. The MTF performs premarital physicals for the intended spouse (who is not an eligible beneficiary) of an entitled beneficiary. The sponsor must accompany the intended spouse to the MTF on the day of the physical.
1.9.5. The MTF Commander may determine that providing the physical or immunization serves the best interest of command health. If necessary, the MTF will provide physicals, health inspections and immunizations to ensure detection of any communicable disease at a uniformed services installation.
1.9.6. Under 31 U.S.C. 1535, the MTF provides physicals for applicants for:
1.9.6.1. Foreign Service Posts. The State Department requests physicals for Foreign Service Officers or applicants for the Foreign Service (including family members) on Form DSL-820, Letter of Authorization for Medical Examination (two copies). Return the report of the physical examination as outlined in the DSL-820.

Page-12 AF141-115
http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/shar...41-115.pdf

I think you need to go talk to the TRICARE / Hospital folks with your medical requirement.  The simple answer would be to have it done by a licensed physician in the Philippines if that's authorized.

My husband and I got married in the PI. He did the capacity to marry paperwork. Took leave after that was approved. He stayed in the PI for only 21 days. After we got married, he went back to Kadena (where he was stationed in 2007) and I stayed behind to work on expediting the marriage certificate. When i finally got the official marriage cert, I applied for a new passport with my husband's surname and applied for a Japan visa (about 10days processing). When i finally arrived Kadena, my hudband did the command sponsorship paperwork (u cant do that paperwork unless your spouse is present in Japan). Then we went thru some face to face interviews with the commander and other officials including Tricare. Then we went to the hosp to enroll me in tricare. We were married in june2007 and i arrived Kadena in August2007. Pretty much what i remember. Dont know if its different with Yokota. Requirements to be married in the PI is a different thing. Feel free to Email me for more questions at ria_rush@yahoo.com

Just fyi, some filipinas at the bx/commissary are Japan local residents, not SOFA status.

Did you do your Premarital examination statement? Like, tuberculosis skin test, blood test, etc..? It is a requirement for us to get a premarital examinations done by US forces medical facility or US Public Health facility before getting married.

ONE OPTION FOR GETTING MARRIED THAT QUICK WOULD BE TO GET MARRIED IN THE STATES. WHILE THE RULES DIFFER FROM STATE TO STATE, WHEN I MARRIED MY WIFE, ALL THAT WAS NEEDED WAS MY MILITARY ID AND HER PASSPORT. AND BY THIS ROUTE, YOU WOULDNT HAVE TO DO ALL THE PAPERWORK THAT IS REQUIRED FOR YOU NOW.

We didnt have that before getting married since i was in the PI and there are no Military med facilities in the PI. We just got married and did all that med exam thing when i arrived kadena. I dont know if the rules are different from base to base. But since your gf is pregnant, maybe its a different thing. I suggest you go to tricare at the hosp and ask about how to go about your situation. But u guys gotta act quick coz if your gf reaches 36weeks, she cant travel anymore. Then you'd have to do your childs citizenship and passports and crba at the embassy in manila, and that takes such a loooong time as compared to if your kid is born on base.

Nonameneeded has a point. But your gf still has to get a US visa to be able to enter the states. A japanese visa takes 10 days to process and only thru accredited travel agencies. A US visa has to be done at the US embassy and takes 2-3wks before getting an interview, another week or two to get a second interview, and weeks to months waiting for approval.

In short, it seems like you are screwed. The baby will have it's moms last name on the birth certificate, but its very easy to get your name on the report of birth abroad. My fiancee and I weren't able to get married before our daughter was born, so we went through it, though it was in Japan no PI. I do wish you the best of luck though.

Don't rush getting married just because you are having a baby. But of you really love her and think that shes the one then go for it. Its a bad decision sometimes especially when you get married just because you think you have to. Just a suggestion.

I've known her for 18+ years and we've been engaged for 3 years already. Due to deployments and other issues, our marriage was always pushed to the side. I went there for vacation just before I thought I was going to qatar and knocked her up. Now that they cancelled my deployment and I extended here for another 2 years, I feel like this is the best time to finally go for it before my cycle comes up again. I owe her that much...

If you have known her for that long, has she been to the US at all? That would make the whole process a lot easier.

No she's never been there. I only started courting her about 4 and half years ago. We were childhood friends before I moved to the states.

If you cant get married in Pi just invite her here instead then. With enough money in the bank the Japanese embassy wont give her a hard time betting a tourist visa. But before you invite her complete all thenecessary paperworks and your all set by the time she arrives. Look at the Japanese embassy in Manila website for the necessary requirements.

Then i guess the easiest thing to do is get her a jap visa. She will apply for a 'visa to visit friends/relatives invited by military personnel'. You have to send her your statement of service, guarantee letter, letter of invitation, copies of ID and passport pages with stamps, daily sched in japan and copy of your form1040 and w2. She will need her recent NSO birth cert, bank account copy (if she has one) and ITR (if she has one)..the last 2 requirements arent really impt because you're gonna send a guarantee letter. Then she has to gather up pics of u and her together..the more, the better. Once she has all requirements, she can go to one of the accredited travel agencies (list is on the jap embassy in manila website, as well as sample templates of the guarantee letter, letter of invitation, and daily sched in japan). Its about 2000 to 3000 pesos for processing depending on which travel agency she goes to. When her visa is approved, she has to purchase a travelers medical insurance valid in japan so she can stay here on base. When she gets here in japan and u get married and have her command sponsored and she has her id, you can go to the japanese immigration office to cancel her visa. They will usually give her jap visa valid for 90days so u gotta cancel her visa before it expires. Please email me if u have more ??...im glad to help! Im currently doin paperwork for my sister's japan visa so she can be here during my surgery in june and the visa cancelling part is what my husband and i did 5 years ago. Now all u need is info on how to marry her here onbase.

Then i guess the easiest thing to do is get her a jap visa. She will apply for a 'visa to visit friends/relatives invited by military personnel'. You have to send her your statement of service, guarantee letter, letter of invitation, copies of ID and passport pages with stamps, daily sched in japan and copy of your form1040 and w2. She will need her recent NSO birth cert, bank account copy (if she has one) and ITR (if she has one)..the last 2 requirements arent really impt because you're gonna send a guarantee letter. Then she has to gather up pics of u and her together..the more, the better. Once she has all requirements, she can go to one of the accredited travel agencies (list is on the jap embassy in manila website, as well as sample templates of the guarantee letter, letter of invitation, and daily sched in japan). Its about 2000 to 3000 pesos for processing depending on which travel agency she goes to. When her visa is approved, she has to purchase a travelers medical insurance valid in japan so she can stay here on base. When she gets here in japan and u get married and have her command sponsored and she has her id, you can go to the japanese immigration office to cancel her visa. They will usually give her jap visa valid for 90days so u gotta cancel her visa before it expires. Please email me if u have more ??...im glad to help! Im currently doin paperwork for my sister's japan visa so she can be here during my surgery in june and the visa cancelling part is what my husband and i did 5 years ago. Now all u need is info on how to marry her here onbase.

Btw, make sure she gets the VISA FOR VISITING FRIENDS/RELATIVES INVITED BY US MILITARY PERSONNEL/SOFA STATUS and not the tourist/visit friends and distant relatives visa.

Thanks a lot ria1. To be honest this is my second option and it seems easy enough. Where can I get my statement of service, guarantee letter, letter of invitation? What do you mean by daily schedule in japan? As far as getting married here in Japan, it is very easy. You are more help than the legal personel here. Thanks again!

Yeah i've dealt with them before and got nothing out of them (legal). You can print out the statement of service from work. Go to the mps website, click self service actions, and it should be there. After printing it out, u gotta either have it signed by your squadron commander or have it notarized.

U can get the sample formats of the guarantee letter, letter of invitation, and daily schedule in japan at the Japan embassy in Manila website under "visiting japan". The daily schedule in japan is just a table where u have to fill in the dates, places, contact number and contact person. It would be best if you kinda let them know that all activities will be within the confines of yokota ab.

What about meeting in Guam and getting married there?

Meeting in guam ain't a good idea either since his gf still has to get a visa to enter guam. The processing time for that is the same as getting a CONUS US visa. Getting a japan visa takes 10days processing after all requirements are completed. Its still the fastest way for them to get married while his gf can still travel and not in her third trimester. Having their child born onbase also eliminates the more complicated paperwork of getting a crba and passport for the child.

Thanks a lot ria1, I think I'll try this route.

Np! Plus im thinkin the premarital exam would be stupid if done to her coz shes pregnant? And they cant give her immunization shots or TB skin test anyway! If she does get a japan visa, make sure she gets a copy of the medical records for her prenatal visits in the PI and a doctor's certificate saying she's ok to fly. Also, she has to carry with her an NSO birth cert when she leaves PI to join u here in Japan for when you apply passport and crba for your child. She can have that NSO birth cert delivered to her home. And if ur both catholic and plan on having the child baptized onbase, she needs an NSO baptismal cert too. So she can just call the NSO hotline and order them, pay at an accredited bank/atm, and NSO will deliver her docs to her via courier.