Philippines Visa - One Year Balikbayan Privilege

[22pilgrim]

My wife & I have been advised by the Philippine Embassy in London that we can enter the Phillipines for a year using the balikbayan privilege.

They also advised that she should take her old Philippine passport which showed her maiden name and proof of marriage.

I am extremely reluctant to take the original copy of our marraige contract (we got married in the Phillippines years ago) and wonder whether a photocopy will do??

Any advice would be appreciated,

Nigel

[andypaul]

My wife & I have been advised by the Philippine Embassy in London that we can enter the Phillipines for a year using the balikbayan privilege.

They also advised that she should take her old Philippine passport which showed her maiden name and proof of marriage.

I am extremely reluctant to take the original copy of our marraige contract (we got married in the Phillippines years ago) and wonder whether a photocopy will do??

Any advice would be appreciated,

Nigel

Can you get a copy signed and stamped by the embassy?

[22pilgrim]

Wish I'd thought of that before! No time as we're flying on Thursday!

[A_flyer]

My wife & I have been advised by the Philippine Embassy in London that we can enter the Phillipines for a year using the balikbayan privilege.

They also advised that she should take her old Philippine passport which showed her maiden name and proof of marriage.

I am extremely reluctant to take the original copy of our marraige contract (we got married in the Phillippines years ago) and wonder whether a photocopy will do??
For the photocopy, may be it will work but I don't know really. When arriving at Immigration in Manila, your Wife hahe to request for you the Balikbayan privilege showing proof she's Filipino (with the old passport) and you're married (last passport and marriage contract).

When in the Philippines, get a NSO Sepca copy of your marriage certificate and you can use next time instead of your original marriage certificate.

Apart this, the Balikbayan privilege is well known here and discussed many times. Use the forum search function to get more infos.

[22pilgrim]

Update.
Wife and I flew into Manila early May with her old Philipino passport (showing her married name), a copy of our marriage contract (uncertified) and a copy of a notice from the Philippine Embassy in London. No problems at all, we were both granted the Balikbayan visa