# Marrying my German girlfriend, questions about how to best do this?



## Ilancelot (Oct 5, 2016)

Hello all, thanks for taking the time to help me out!

My girlfriend and I have lived in Colombia for a long time and now intend on marrying and going to Germany together. 

Would it be better for us to marry here or in Germany? I've heard marrying in Germany is a nightmare but would like more info. If anyone can offer the best ways to go about it that would be great!

As far as being married and the moving there, what is the best visa or residence process we would be looking to do? Are there strict requirements we would need to meet? How straightforward or daunting is this process?

I read my girlfriend would have to get us an apartment or residence before I can go there, which she'd need to go there without me to do?

Thank you for all the help!


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

Ilancelot said:


> Hello all, thanks for taking the time to help me out!
> 
> My girlfriend and I have lived in Colombia for a long time and now intend on marrying and going to Germany together.
> 
> ...


Marrying a non-EEA national in Germany is expensive and takes a long time to get sorted but how difficult, how expensive and how long it will take differs from country to country.

Basically, you'd have to bring a whole stack of documents (translated into German and often also authenticated) - which documents depend on your country of nationality, your girlfriend would have to ask at the local register office where you would get married or Standesamt I in Berlin what documents are needed for a Colombian national. Then there is a fee to pay for document checking. The more usual fake papers are in a country the more expensive it gets. When I enquired about this years back, the fee was about €700 for my then fiancé's country.

Once the fee is paid, the register office sends the papers to the German Embassy in your home country. Where then all documents are verified and often even friends and family are interviewed to see whether a) you might already be married to somebody else b) friends and family know about your plans at all (if they don't that indicates a marriage of convenience).

This process can take weeks or months.

When all of this is done and you got permission to marry in Germany you also need the appropriate visa to enter Germany for the purpose of getting married.

In short: if your girlfriend is a legal resident in your home country, have the legal wedding there and spend the money you save on your honeymoon or the deposit for your flat in Germany!

Once married, you can apply for a spouse visa.

You will have to show that you have basic German skills (A1 level), have somewhere adequate to stay in Germany and how you will pay your living expenses once there.

This visa application usually takes several months to process.

After moving to Germany, you may be required to complete 660 hours of German language and culture lessons (you can get an exemption if you have a recognised degree).

Do you need to be somewhere specific in Germany or do the two of you just want to move to Europe?

Once married, any other EU country would actually be easier to move to because EU freedom of movement would kick in and you wouldn't need to show language skills.


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## Ilancelot (Oct 5, 2016)

Thank you for the reply, this is just the type of answer I was looking for, everything I'd googled was quite vague and the Embassy still hasn't come around to replying our emails.

It's pretty clear that marrying here would be the best option unless we could do it somewhere in Europe and it would be valid in Grrmany, does anything like that exist? Would that be something I could do while visiting? (Colombia has no Schengen visa requirement, but I assume this would all count as tourist entry)

Secondly, to get married here we need a certificate that she is married to no one in Germany and finding information about this has been tough, embassy still hasn't replied our questions. Do you know anything about how she could go about getting this document? Does she have to be there or can it be requested from the embassy or could someone with a power of attorney in her home country get it for her?

Once again thank you for helping us out


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

Denmark and Scotland are apparently the easy European options for Germans marrying non-Germans.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Just be aware that several European countries do want you to provide some sort of certificate or verification of eligibility to marry (i.e. that you're not married to someone else) for foreigners attempting to marry. There is also the issue of your eligibility to apply for a spouse visa - often you must apply from the country in which you are resident.
Cheers,
Bev


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

Ilancelot said:


> Thank you for the reply, this is just the type of answer I was looking for, everything I'd googled was quite vague and the Embassy still hasn't come around to replying our emails.
> 
> It's pretty clear that marrying here would be the best option unless we could do it somewhere in Europe and it would be valid in Grrmany, does anything like that exist? Would that be something I could do while visiting? (Colombia has no Schengen visa requirement, but I assume this would all count as tourist entry)
> 
> ...


She needs to contact the local register office of the place where she was last registered in Germany or Standesamt I in Berlin:

Auswärtiges Amt - Konsularischer Service - Ich bin deutscher Staatsangehöriger und lebe im Ausland. Für meine Eheschließung benötige ich ein Ehefähigkeitszeugnis. Wo kann ich dieses beantragen?

Denmark is easy (I got married there) but it will still involve sending documents back and forth and a fair amount of travel, too. I think it would be a lot cheaper and easier just to get the certificate about her marital status and do it where you are now.


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## Ilancelot (Oct 5, 2016)

ALKB said:


> She needs to contact the local register office of the place where she was last registered in Germany or Standesamt I in Berlin:
> 
> Denmark is easy (I got married there) but it will still involve sending documents back and forth and a fair amount of travel, too. I think it would be a lot cheaper and easier just to get the certificate about her marital status and do it where you are now.


Thanks again for the info, I've concluded marrying here would be best if I have to apply for the visa in my home country.

This leads me to the question of showing proof of residence. Would she have to go there and rent an apartment or room under her name (she doesn't have a place there right now since she has been living here) or could we for example list her family's home as our place of residence to arrive there while we later look for an apartment?


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

Ilancelot said:


> Thanks again for the info, I've concluded marrying here would be best if I have to apply for the visa in my home country.
> 
> This leads me to the question of showing proof of residence. Would she have to go there and rent an apartment or room under her name (she doesn't have a place there right now since she has been living here) or could we for example list her family's home as our place of residence to arrive there while we later look for an apartment?


Staying with family is fine. The Embassy might ask for proof that the accommodation is of adequate size and if it's rented, a letter from the landlord allowing you to move in might be required.


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## Ilancelot (Oct 5, 2016)

ALKB said:


> Staying with family is fine. The Embassy might ask for proof that the accommodation is of adequate size and if it's rented, a letter from the landlord allowing you to move in might be required.


Thanks once again AKLB! 

We've looked into everything and are looking into the possibility of her doing the freedom of movement and actually going to France, since we'd both like to do a bit of studying out there. Is it very difficult to be able to do this?

Secondly, I have a pretty big question. My girlfriend works as a travel blogger, in fact it's how we met when she come through latin america. Due to her job, she may have to leave for a few weeks to a few months at a time throughout the year to do her job (she's done that since we've been together), which consists of traveling to places and reporting on them. We're concerned that if we're married, then she'd be obligated to stay out at our place of residence for years without being able to move because we'd be concerned some government entity could come by to check, see she's not there and create a problem out of it. Do you think there would be any problems with this? It is her job after all, but it was a concerned that we both share.

Thanks a lot and all the best!


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

Ilancelot said:


> Thanks once again AKLB!
> 
> We've looked into everything and are looking into the possibility of her doing the freedom of movement and actually going to France, since we'd both like to do a bit of studying out there. Is it very difficult to be able to do this?
> 
> ...


For her (and you) to enjoy freedom of movement under EU rules, she needs to exercise treaty rights in France = being employed, self-employed or study full time.

She sounds like she is self-employed. She would have to register with the relevant French authorities and pay taxes in France.

You should also research health insurance in France, I don't know much about how it works when self-employed in France. 

As long as your wife keeps her main residence in France, pays taxes and social contributions, there should be no problem with work related, limited absences. 

When you say 'a few months', how many months does that mean? Will she spend more time outside France than inside?

You might want to post about this on the France forum.


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## Ilancelot (Oct 5, 2016)

ALKB said:


> For her (and you) to enjoy freedom of movement under EU rules, she needs to exercise treaty rights in France = being employed, self-employed or study full time.
> 
> She sounds like she is self-employed. She would have to register with the relevant French authorities and pay taxes in France.
> 
> ...


It could be either, actually. We're still exploring the options between Germany and France since we came to find out about the freedom of movement thing. 

Be it Germany or France, (let's go with Germany which is your bigger area of expertise) there would be a trip of at most 4-6 months which she'd want to do, it involves covering the Balkans and Asia. Do you think this would be a problem? If not, what is the guideline or general rule for her being in or out of the country?

Also, let's say she did for example spend more time out than inside the country, would this be a problem? 

Thank you once again.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

If you're thinking of France, just be aware that France is generally very sticky about the requirement that it must be the EU national in the couple who is "exercising their EU rights" - and they do insist that the EU national "prove" their statut. More information on that over in the France forum.

But, if you marry a German and then settle in Germany, you are subject to the normal immigration requirements. If you settle in an EU country other than the one where your spouse is a citizen, the EU rules kick in.
Cheers,
Bev


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

Ilancelot said:


> It could be either, actually. We're still exploring the options between Germany and France since we came to find out about the freedom of movement thing.
> 
> Be it Germany or France, (let's go with Germany which is your bigger area of expertise) there would be a trip of at most 4-6 months which she'd want to do, it involves covering the Balkans and Asia. Do you think this would be a problem? If not, what is the guideline or general rule for her being in or out of the country?
> 
> ...


I think you'd be better served with German domestic immigration law than EU freedom of movement.

Freedom of movement is designed for EU nationals to easily work in any other EU country and just as easily take their non-EEA spouses with them so that they are NOT separated. It's not meant for the EU national to kind of drop their non-EEA spouse off and then leave, only to return for visits.

That could indeed get you into trouble.

If your wife maintains her residence in Germany, pays her taxes, health insurance and social contributions there then you should be okay. Again, your status depends on her being resident, even under German immigration law.

How long are you planning to stay in Germany and will her frequent long absences continue for several years?

You will receive a one year spouse permit and after a year you will have to get a new 2-year permit. At that point, the alien department will want to see that you are living together and how you finance your living. Your wife will also have to accompany you to the appointments, so you need to plan any absences around that.


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