Rules to follow when registering Cambodian spouse

International marriages are becoming more and more common, especially in the farming communities and countryside.

According to the National Statistics Office, for every eight married couples in Korea, one is an international or interracial marriage.

The Cambodian Embassy receives at least one call per day concerning the proper paperwork that needs to be completed for a Korean-Cambodian marriage to be legally binding in Cambodia.

The embassy explained that applicants must submit their request with a duly completed application form to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia through the embassy.

Application forms must be submitted with a certificate of celibacy or late spouse's death certificate or divorce verdict, criminal records, certificate of profession and monthly income, medical certificate issued by an officially recognized Cambodian medical institution, copy of passport and entry visa into Cambodia and family record book.

Furthermore the embassy said that all marriage applicants are not under any legal obligation or requirement to be a member of any association or organization to be eligible for marriage with a Cambodian citizen.

The embassy also advised against engaging an intermediary agency or association, which constitutes a violation of Cambodian law.

By Yoav Cerralbo

(yoav@heraldm.com)