Things to Know Before Marrying Filipino Woman

Philippe Berry
InspirationalWomenSeries
5 min readMay 17, 2024

Filipino brides are the most popular brides when it comes to international marriages.

They are more popular than all the other Asian brides combined, and they are more popular than the whole European or South American continent in this regard.

Here, we’re going to explain why Filipino girls are so incredibly popular, where you can meet a Filipino bride, and why getting a Filipino wife is a great idea.

And we are also going to tell you everything about the process of meeting a Filipino girl and marrying her.

5 interesting facts about marrying a Filipino woman

1. Filipina women are the most popular mail order brides when it comes to the United States.

Thus, 4,968 K-1 visas were issued to the citizens of the Philippines in 2022 — it’s more than the number of visas issued to any other country and any other continent.

2. Filipino wives are typically very young.

The median age at first marriage of Filipino women is only 21.6 years old — it’s one of the lowest median marriage ages in the region.

3. Filipino women typically become mothers quite early, too.

The average age when Filipino women have their first birth is around 23 years old.

4. The divorce rate here is 0, but it’s not that simple.

The thing is, the Philippines is one of the two countries in the world where divorce is illegal.

But this doesn’t mean that 100% of the marriages in this country are happy and successful, of course: people can still apply for a legal separation, but lots of couples who don’t want to live together anymore just live separately without any legal procedures.

However, the number of marriage annulments (it’s possible, too) is constantly increasing in this country.

5. The fertility rate is higher in the Philippines than in the majority of Western countries

In 2022, it was 1.9 children per woman. However, it’s interesting that the TFR (total fertility rate) is declining quite fast: in 2017, for example, it was 2.7 children per woman.

Pros & cons of marrying a Filipino woman

Is marrying a Filipino woman really a good idea?

What to expect when marrying a Filipina?

And are there any disadvantages?

Let’s talk about them.

The pros of marrying a Filipino woman:

  • Filipino ladies are very loyal and caring.

They are well known for these qualities, and this is one of the main reasons why they are so popular among Western men, by the way.

  • They are generally more “traditional”

And they usually have more conservative views and values than Western ladies, so if that’s what you’re looking for, the Philippines is certainly the right place for you.

  • They are pretty educated

Unlike the common stereotypes about Southeast Asians, Filipino women are more educated than Filipino men, for example.

Yes, there’s still a problem with female education quality in this country, but the local women are more interested in learning and focused on getting an education than they were a few decades ago.

  • Women from this country are generally not as demanding as Western ladies.

It’s not like they don’t need anything, of course — obviously, they love it when a man brings them gifts, and obviously, they prefer a man to be financially stable because they want to feel secure, too.

However, they do not ask for a lot of attention and are ok even with small gifts: for them, the feelings you want to express with a gift are more important than the price of a gift.

The cons of marrying a Filipino woman:

  • Filipino women may not be fluent English speakers.

Yes, most ladies you meet on a bride/dating website will most likely chat with you without any problems but don’t expect them to speak fluently. You’ll have to learn their language and help them learn yours.

  • The process of adjusting to a new country is always time-consuming

Because of the cultural differences, and Filipino brides are not an exception.

Thus, Filipinos are used to a slower pace of life than Americans do, they are more tolerant of breaking some simple rules (like they can try to bribe the police without a second thought), they are generally more emotional than Westerners, etc.

But at the same time, Filipinos are more Westernized than people from some other Asian countries, so it’s not as bad as it could be.

  • Intercontinental dating is far from being cheap.

It’s about a lot of expensive things, from a paid dating website to the wedding party and the marriage ceremony, which will cost you a few thousand dollars.

It is worth weighing all the pros and cons to understand what awaits you, but you shouldn’t hope that all Filipino women are the same.

Process of marrying a Filipino woman

So, do Filipinas make good wives? As we have just discussed, they are. We have also discussed the best places to meet Filipino women online — but it’s not even half of the way. Let’s talk about how to marry a Philippines girl. Here, you’ll find a step-by-step guide.

1. Find a dating website, sign up, and chat with Filipino girls.

Just sign up on one of those 6 websites we talked about earlier; they are 100% good for your purposes.

2. Meet the ladies in real life.

You’ll have to meet your future wife in person in order to get a K-1/CR-1 visa for her, so it’s a very important step.

3. If you’re going to marry her in the Philippines, here’s how it looks

You collect the documents first (legal capacity certificate to contract marriage, birth certificate copy, passport, divorce decree/order of annulment, and updated photo for you, PSA Birth certificate, certificate of No Marriage, valid ID, a community tax certificate, and sometimes a Barangay certificate and a parental consent for her).

Then, you visit a local civil registry office, fill out the marriage license application form, and submit all the documents to apply for a marriage license.

Then, you’ll be able to marry her (in 10 days after the application).

After that, you’ll get a marriage certificate and will be able to apply for a CR-1 visa for your foreign spouse.

4. If you’re going to marry her in the US, you don’t need to worry about Philippine government authorities

You’ll have to worry about something more serious, the USCIS.

You’ll need to collect all the documents and apply for a K-1 visa, and after that, you’ll need to wait for 6–12 months until it’s approved.

After that, your bride will need to attend the visa interview, and if everything’s ok, she’ll be able to enter the US.

There, you’ll be able to marry her, and after that, she’ll become a US resident (=get her green card).

As you can see, marrying a Filipina is not that difficult, but it takes time and a little patience.

I believe that marrying a Filipina is definitely a good idea.

Filipino women make great wives, are a perfect choice for those who have serious intentions, are often pretty marriage-minded even in their early 20s, and are extremely loyal to their partners.

If the idea of meeting a traditional, loyal, beautiful, non-demanding, educated, and fun Asian girl sounds nice to you, then you just can’t miss the Philippines, seriously.

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Philippe Berry
InspirationalWomenSeries

I’m Philippe Berry, a dating coach for men and your companion for love adventures