Hola Amigos!

I am currently in a 9-year relationship with a Spanish Citizen here in the Philippines and we have just recently (yesterday) decided to make things legal (hopefully).... and we are planning to do it NOT here in the Philippines (we do not want the controversies and in the mean time we would like it to be a secret marriage). We are thinking of doing it in a Spanish Consulate in a neighboring country (maybe Hong Kong) and YOUR INPUT, COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS are very much welcome for we do not know how to go about this (we have never been both married before). We would like to know the steps, complications, etc. of this same-sex union between a Filipino and a Spanish citizen inside a Spanish Consulate in another country. Will our marriage be legal and recognized, etc.?

YOUR COMMENTS PLEASE

hello neo harvey,
a spanish citizen can marry his/her fianc?/fianc?e at the spanish consulate in the country were he resides as long as the fianc?/fiancee is not a citizen of that country. so in your case you and your spanish citizen fianc? cannot marry at the spanish consulate in manila. to do it in the spanish consulate in hong kong, he must be a resident in hong kong. however it would be best to contact the spanish consulate in manila and ask if they officiate the marriage since the spanish citizen cannot have a same sex marriage in the philippines.  they may allow it in this case. if they do allow it then go thru it but never say anything to your friends and family.

Hello Aritz 😊

Very informative (hopefully helpful) reply you have given here, but will the situation change if he (my partner) is a DUAL Citizen (Filipino and Spanish)?

neo harvey - 04 August 2011 11:39 AM

Hello Aritz 😊
Very informative (hopefully helpful) reply you have given here, but will the situation change if he (my partner) is a DUAL Citizen (Filipino and Spanish)?

dual citizenship is having two passports /two citizenships.
if your partner identifies himself using either a filipino or spanish passport, both of you as filipinos or filipino and spaniard are not married according to philippine laws or not considered married in areas where same sex marriage is not recognized.
if your partner identifies himself using a spanish passport at the spanish consulate, or in the european union or in areas where same sex marriage is recognized, then you are a married couple or you can get married to each other or you are divorced or you can get a divorce.
in other words, your obligations and rights as a married couple appear and disappear depending on the places you or your conjugal properties are in/at.

Possibly try Gibraltar?
I remember a American and Perian couple got married there (c1980.) (Friends of a friend.) This was when even the UK mainland turned them away.
Although Gib is a bit behind the times on gay issues, they do have an active group there and also I think it would be against the law not to offer a civil partnership.

Google and see what you can find out.

I ‘think’ as long as you can get to Gib for the ceremony, then all will be OK.

PS (I don’t think Gib has any consulates abroad!)