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✎ EN British Citizen marrying non-eu citizen (Marriage Process?)

Discussion in 'Immigration UK' started by tommy31, Apr 17, 2008.

  1. tommy31

    tommy31 Member

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    Hi,

    I am hoping someone on this excellent site may be able to assist me on a small matter.
    I am a British Citizen currently planning my marriage to my fianceé who is south-american. She is currently living in Spain on a Spanish Residency Card. This is valid for a further two years.

    We are debating whether to marry in Spain or in the UK. My query is what would be the differences between each,what is the basic format time-frame of each and a few questions on the steps to complete each.

    My Understanding of the marrying in the UK would be.
    1)acquire fianceé visa (how long does this normally take once applied for?)
    2)Marriage in UK
    3)acquire marriage visa (can my fianceé work once obtained?)
    4)apply for residency after 2 years

    My Understanding of the marrying in the Spain is limited.
    1) marriage in Spain
    2) my fianceé could then come to UK without a VISA to work/live?(do we require any documentation to enter the uk and how long does it take to arrive?)

    Any help or advice in this matter would be a great help.
    Thanks
     
  2. thsths

    thsths Addicted member

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    Re: British Citizen marrying non-eu citizen (Marriage Proces

    I think generally these two options are correct. There is a third one: if you marry in Spain and stay there for 6 months, you are then covered by the European right of free movement. This means you can apply for a visa to the UK free of cost, and the visa has to be granted.

    If you do not stay in Spain for a while, you will have to apply for a regular spousal visa. This is quite expensive nowadays (600 GBP?), but it also has a faster path to citizenship, if that is the ultimate goal.

    Tom
     
  3. tommy31

    tommy31 Member

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    Thanks for your prompt reply.

    Actually had a meeting with a Spanish solicitor - marrying in Spain would just mean getting a certificate of marriage from Spain. We would then still need to present it to the British Embassy in order for the us to come and live in UK.

    The best option looks like applying directly for the spouse visa (for UK) - although as you rightly say, its quite expensive. :(

    I will investigate the third option you suggested - European Free Movement. Does that require both myself and my fianceé to reside in Spain whilst the 6 months pass?

    Thanks again
     
  4. RicardoCervera

    RicardoCervera New Member

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    Hi.
    I'm engage with a british lady and i am from Venezuela with Spanish residence, now we are in the same as you and i think we can help each other here, Spain is one of the most difficult places in the world to do anything you will need hours of waiting, numbers, appointments, papers, stamps and signatures, also all depends where in spain you are planning to get marry, i am in Pamplona, here you need:
    Open a folder in the registro civil, there you both need to bring birth certificate and pass through HAYA, british can get an international birth certificate valid as HAYA, if you dont have that one then you will need the HAYA thing.
    Both will need to prove you are not marry at the moment, that is a letter from civil register in your country saying you are not HAYA stamped too or a divorce final decree.
    In spain you need either of you to be EMPADRONADO in that town.
    All english documemts need to be translate in spain with a legal translator.

    I think i'm forgetting something but i will look and post later... Anyway all this HAS to be well timed coz you have 3 month from the first paper you get to introduce EVERYTHING at the same time, then they will check all that and give you a paper, with that paper then you can look for a place to do the wedding.

    Now... I got marry 1999 in london, i don't remember well but i'm almost sure i didnt need to show any of this paperwork there, i'm waiting to find out what crazy paperwork UK is asking from the couples to get married, one good thing for me is that i'm waiting for me final decree on my divorce and if there is less papers needed in UK we gonna do it there coz both of our families life there...

    Let me know if i can help you with anything else, and if you could find out what they ask in the UK in order to do the wedding there would be great...


    Oh!, one more thing, might help for the uk visa to have already all paperwork and place booked and all needed for the wedding, so organize the whole thing first then apply for the visa, this is my oppinion...
     
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