Getting married in Germany. How hard is that ?

4POSTS

12 years ago

Hi i am a Malaysian planning to get married to a German in Germany. we have known each other for 2 years now and he is currently living in Malaysia. We have finally decided to tie the knot, however i am not sure, is it easier to get married here and then register our marriage in Germany or its easier to get married there?聽

We have both decided to move to Germany together, also because of economical reasons. (i am earning more money then him now), so by moving there he gets a better job opportunity.

What are the chances?
And how long will the process take us?

See also

Getting married in Germany - Guide
Marrying in Denmark, moving to Germany? - 2 Replies
process of married visa in germany - 162 Replies
Getting married with a Blue Card - 5 Replies
Getting married to a German national in Namibia - 4 Replies
can i get married in germany with visit visa - 9 Replies
Procedures of getting married - Indian with German - 15 Replies

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15633POSTS

12 years ago

The formalities and paperwork required by German authorities for marrying a foreigner can be frustrating. Many foreigners decide to marry elsewhere (e.g. Denmark or USA).
I married my wife in Singapore and we had no problems getting the marriage registered in Germany afterwards (when we moved there) - you just need an official translation (although English papers are sometimes accepted) and a legalization stamp by the German embassy at the back of your original marriage certificate.
A friend (also German) married his Singaporean wife in Germany and it took 6 months, about 聙1500 in translation and legal fees - and a lot of time and nerves (until almost the last minute they didn't know if they'll be allowed to marry at the intended date).
Good luck - and Congratulations!

YeeLin Member

1POSTS

12 years ago

thank u beppi.

yes I will definitely look into that option, which is getting Married here before leaving to Germany!

also the Malaysian law is less strict...

I also understand the government is strict because many marry for visa purposes!! which makes it difficult for those who genuinely marry for love!

ECS Norway Expert

1566POSTS

12 years ago

I've looked into a similar situation- getting married in Germany to a German who's currently residing abroad as a foreigner is not simple! That's probably partly why all the German destination wedding sites I found said you should get married legally somewhere else and just do the party stuff in Germany.

TominStuttgart Germany Expert

2802POSTS

12 years ago

I agree with most of what has been written already but want to add that you should really ask at the German consulate. Many people will write of their experiences but then the authorities might act in another way depending on a multitude of factors, so there really is no simple answer to your inquiry. Will they even give you a visa to get to Germany in this situation? If not, then your only option is to marry before going to Germany. Either way, you will have to contend with some paperwork and probably need to have a document or two translated by a certified translator. My insider advice to dealing with any immigrant or border authorities is to be friendly and truthful by all means but anticipate what they want to know and hear. They want to avoid scams and fraud or someone eventually needing social assistance so it sounds best that one is educated, has money, is not previously married and has no criminal record or record of being denied a visa or deported. If anything negative shows up then it might mean having to get a lawyer to facilitate a procedure

Your Europe Citizens Guest

0POSTS

12 years ago

You can find more information about marriage formalities in the EU on the following url:
europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/family/index_en.htm

YeeLin23 New member

4POSTS

12 years ago

Hmm.. can seem to view the link.

YeeLin23 New member

4POSTS

12 years ago

ECS wrote:
I've looked into a similar situation- getting married in Germany to a German who's currently residing abroad as a foreigner is not simple! That's probably partly why all the German destination wedding sites I found said you should get married legally somewhere else and just do the party stuff in Germany.

Yes, especially coming from an Asian country... and the stereotypes that comes with that....

ECS Norway Expert

1566POSTS

12 years ago

YeeLin23 wrote:
Hmm.. can seem to view the link.

For newly registered members, links are not posted automatically as a spam-prevention measure. If it's legit, the team should allow it through soon

Bellroth New member

9POSTS

12 years ago

#10

It is true that there is a mass of paperwork to complete when a non-German wants to marry a German. But this arose out of a lot of bad experiences suffered mainly by German women marrying American service-men. Until the drawdown that occurred some years back there were circa 350,000 US soldiers in Europe. Many were here in Germany. Many formed relationships with German women and promised to marry them and to take them back to the States and set up home there. Only for many of the brides to later discover that the guy actually had a wife and family back in the US. To help sort this problem out before anyone was hurt a system was set up that enquired deeply into all the circumstances in order reveal any "misunderstanding". So one shouldn't complain, basically the system is there to help you, not simply to be bloody awkward.

AlaaMajeed Member

2POSTS

12 years ago

#11

Hey there,

Agreed on most of what's being said here.

Also, if you were married before, will need to apostille your previous marriage certificate and divorce decree and bring them with you to Germany. Make sure you bring all the originals of all documents you have. You will need to translate them here, and not in the home country.

I am a US citizen engaged to a German since September 2013, and living in Germany. And I continue wanting to pull my hair out every day since I got engaged. Providing all and the right paperwork is a very hard process, in my opinion.

The good news, according to my lawyer, is that you will get your residency pretty much聽 right after you get married.

Good luck!

Alaa

Venusvalentinus Member

3POSTS

12 years ago

#12

Go to las vegas or Denmark to marry. We did and my husband is from Berlin. Its too much red tape.
Too much wait time.

arkobello Member

2POSTS

12 years ago

#13

I am married to a German. It takes months and a lot of paperwork but in the end it will benefit you a lot. I am married to an executive and I can tell you that I had to tell my husband that at cocktail parties we do not talk about SEX, RELIGION, POLITICS and now IMMIGRATION. Pay whatever they want and get a German certificate. I have seen and heard horror stories of the consequences of trying to go very cheap and easy. Don't complain if after 20 years of marriage you get the cheap and easy treatment. p.s I am an American. [Moderated: no generalised statement here pls]

therustywhale Member

1POSTS

9 years ago

#14

Hi Beppi,

I'm a Singaporean looking to marry my German boyfriend and from your post it seems like it'd be easier for us to get married in Singapore first and then move to Germany. We would like to move to Germany straight away after marriage, would it be a hassle for me to get a permanent residency in Germany? Would I have to have a job in order to apply for the residency? Also, would I have to apply for any other visas (I saw this family reunion visa and all the info on the embassy page is just confusing me)?

Thanks a lot

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15633POSTS

9 years ago

#15

Hi from a fellow German-Singaporean couple!
Yes, it is much easier to marry in Singapore - at least if you currently live there and your boyfriend never had a Work Permit (other work passes are o.k.). Contact ROM for the details!
With your marriage cert (make sure it is not laminated!) you need to go to the German embassy and get an Apostille on its back. With that you can apply for a family reunion visa to move to Germany with your husband. This can take up to three months, as it is processed by the foreigner office (Ausl盲nderamt) of the town you intend to move to.
After arrival in Germany you need to register (Einwohnermeldeamt) and then apply for your residence permit at the Ausl盲nderamt. This also took three months in our case and required a lot of patience, stamina and tolerance for frustration (as dealing with German buerocracy for foreigners usually does - but maybe you are lucky and your town's office is better). You then get a one-year residence permit and after the second renewal (after three years in Germany) you can get an unlimited one. With the residence permit you go to the labour office (Arbeitsamt) and get your work permit (on the spot in our case).
If you have more questions, please reply here (or send a PM to keep it private).
Also come and visit us in Stuttgart!

Jedies Member

1POSTS

8 years ago

#16

Hi!

I'm from Singapore and married to a German. We are still in the process of getting the family reunion visa. It's been 2 months since I applied and they emailed asking for information from my husband which will take a while to process. If I fly to Hamburg now, and they issue the visa while I'm there, do I have to immediately fly back to get the visa or will they wait for me till I'm back? Is there a dateline to collect it?

Thank you in advance to all who replied

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15633POSTS

8 years ago

#17

Jedies wrote:
I'm from Singapore and married to a German. We are still in the process of getting the family reunion visa. It's been 2 months since I applied and they emailed asking for information from my husband which will take a while to process. If I fly to Hamburg now, and they issue the visa while I'm there, do I have to immediately fly back to get the visa or will they wait for me till I'm back? Is there a dateline to collect it?

We were in the same situation once (many years ago), but planned sufficient time for the visa processing (3 - 6 months).
Generally, changing a visitor visa to another type is not possible - and your family reunion visa will anyway be issued where you applied for it, not in Germany. So you will probably have to return to collect it. You could contact your nearest Ausl盲nderamt to ask if they can make an exception, but don't keep your hopes very high.
As for how much time you have to collect the visa: Please ask the embassy!

james324 Member

2POSTS

8 years ago

#18

please, i need an advice,
i got married to two women from different country legally one Islamic and one by court marriage.unknow to both of them.
the Islamic marriage was the first one before the court marriage
now i want to divorce the Islamic and continue with the woman i married by the court marriage.I want to know if the embassy will accept the marriage certificate if I attend it to them after divorcing the Islamic woman please someone advise me

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15633POSTS

8 years ago

#19

In Germany (and most other civilised countries) it is illegal to be married to two women at the same time.
Moreover, marriages by non-official rites (and this includes pure religious marriages without involvement of authorities) are not recognised here. Thus, from a German legal standpoint, you are not married to your first partner. And if you are not married, you cannot divorce.
Even if you convince the authorities that you are in fact married to her, you'd go to jail for bigamy (and rightly so!).
Since even under Sharia law (which is not valid in Germany) marrying a second woman is only possible with consent from the first, which you did not get, you also broke the law of most Muslim countries (and the second marriage is probably void because of that).
You got yourself into a pretty mess! What you can do about it? I think you should be honest to the two women (they deserve nothing else!), admit your mistake and ask for forgiveness. If they then both leave you (which would serve you right!), you should stay single for life. If not, you can find a mutually agreeable solution with them.

TominStuttgart Germany Expert

2802POSTS

8 years ago

#20

How should one advice someone who does such things? Do you think others have done such a thing and can tell you how it should work? You also don't mention which embassy or country you are referring to; Norway, Malaysia or where? Only way to find out is to ask them and take the consequences. But this is not really the place for advice for unethical and likely illegal behavior.

Also, your question should be posted as a new subject as it has nothing to do with this thread!

james324 Member

2POSTS

8 years ago

#21

SimCityAT Expert

13659POSTS

8 years ago

#22

TominStuttgart wrote:
Also, your question should be posted as a new subject as it has nothing to do with this thread!

With just the response "OK"

I guess this is not the response you wanted?

Agreed with TominStuttgart it should have been postest in a new thread.

Powerpuff88 New member

4POSTS

8 years ago

#23

Hi all,

I am from Singapore,聽 a Blue card holder and living in Germany. I plan to get married with my German partner here. I wonder if anyone can advise how to go about with conversion from blue card holder to dependent visa and rough timeline. Anyone who has experience in this, I would appreciate your advise. I am also planning to take short break from career afters which means my visa will soon become invalid if I stop working.

Powerpuff88 New member

4POSTS

8 years ago

#24

If you have any good contacts for immigration lawyer in Frankfurt, please share. Thank you in advance.

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15633POSTS

8 years ago

#25

Being German and married to a Singaporean myself, I can certainly give you advice.
First and foremost: Marrying a foreigner in Germany is very buerocratic, time-consuming and costly - friends of ours were wrestling with the Standesamt, getting all required documents and having everything officially translated, which took 6 months and lots in fees.
We married at Singapore's ROM and the experience was quick, painless and efficient - like all Singapore officialdom.
Recognition of a foreign marriage in Germany is easier than marrying here: You need to get the foreign marriage certificate stamped by MfA, then legalized at the German embassy聽 and then you can apply for a German family reunion visa (which took three months in our case). I don't know how to convert from a blue card - ask at the Ausl盲nderamt!

Powerpuff88 New member

4POSTS

8 years ago

#26

Thanks for advise. Looks like I have to head down to Super long queue Ausl盲nderbehorde here in Frankfurt.

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15633POSTS

8 years ago

#27

Here in Stuttgart, they respond better by email.
Maybe worth a try in Frankfurt, too?

Powerpuff88 New member

4POSTS

8 years ago

#28

If Stuttgart office responds by email, probably I may give it a try although my address is registered here in Hessen. I hope they will entertain me.

wafflehills Member

2POSTS

7 years ago

#29

Hi!

I'm a Singaporean who's going to get married in Singapore ROM with my German fiance. We're getting a little confused by contradicting information on the documents we need. Does my German partner need to get a letter of no impediment in order to get married to me in Singapore? (ROM website doesn't seem to say so but the embassy/ministry of foreign affairs site says so.) How was your experience with this?

Thanks a lot!

Theo123456 Member

12POSTS

7 years ago

#30

I got married in Germany last year. It wasn't difficult for me but they needed documentation similar to the one you do when you are coming for a scholarship here. A German translated birth certificate, it must be authentified by your ministry of foreign affairs in your home country and also by the German ambassador in your own country. A non marriage certificate authentified by your min of foreign affairs and Germany consulate in your own country. A valid passport with your permit or visa. When you have those in order you go and register.
It was relatively easy for me, the same office procedures you would go through elsewhere.

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15633POSTS

7 years ago

#31

Wafflehills: This is not a question for expats in Germany and thus better asked on the Singapore forum!
But since I happened to be in the same situation: I (German) married my Singaporean wife at Singapore鈥榮 ROM many years ago and did not need a certificate of no impediment, although the German embassy claimed I did need one.
But I heard the rules have since changed and ROM now requires it from foreigners (in order to comply with international rules and to prevent bigamy and marriage fraud, which makes sense!).