Notarised affidavit rejected...

Visas, Permits, Passports and Naturalization
21
this is odd, I remember many years ago (still this century though!) that an affidavit from the BVC Lugano was sufficient to convince Lugano town hall to let me marry. That covered me as a UK national stating I'd never been married - so should be the same as one stating divorced.

Escalate but in a nice manner. "Can we have someone else check?" "Are you sure?"

The objective is to get an attestation that the person is not legally prevented from marrying, divorced, never married or something else.

I actually found it to be remarkably simple.

22
Before I swore the oath at the Embassy it was emphasised that the document I was about to sign had to be true and should I be giving false information, was I aware of the legal implications.

It was simple enough at the time but somebody has thrown a spanner in the works since then!

23
ask them what's wrong with the document. Honestly, it's exactly what I did and I got no concessions for knowing the person issuing the document.

It's some myopic jobsworth. Bypass the problem.

24
Once the affidavit is back in my possession, I'm off to see the Pro Consul who legalised it for me.

25
by the way, fight paper with paper - they must have an official, government-issued list of requirements to fulfil. Check the boxes on the list and .....

From what I remember, I had to give a copy of permit (maybe, maybe not, don't remember), passport, the affidavit and a fresh copy of the birth certificate. Does that ring true for you? Even with the decree absolut (which, with the affidavit, you in theory don't need), it's not that much paper.

I have killed a few brain cells since then but does that sound like what you've tried to produce?

26
I had to give a certified copy of my birth certificate, a copy of my passport plus the affidavit.

On the list was also a CNI- Certificate of no impediment to marry- but it said the affidavit would suffice so long as it stated current civil status, nationality and address in the UK and that, "it was legalised by the Great Britain Representative, competent in Switzerland, ie: the Embassy, if already in the country".

The boyfriend's divorce papers were asked for (and given). Now the Officer wants the papers to prove that his first marriage did actually take place, even though in the beginning this was not asked for.

27
pencil pushing d**kwad.

I wonder how you get the absolut without marrying? Unless of course you're talking vodka.

28
...maybe they should have invented DNA banks long ago and then I'd be able to give them a sample of my blood, albeit vodka fuelled!

29
We got married in the City of Zurich, and I got the same affadavit that you did. It took about two minutes, and is obviously something the embassy staff do all the time.

It seems to me that the problem is with the bureaucrats, not with the embassy or the document.

Have you considered trying to get married in a different city or community? One where the chaps in the offices know their arseholes from their cucumbers?

30
Sorry didn't read all the replies but I can only suggest one place: Denmark Wonderfully quiet (dead) part of the country and they accept faxes and Bob's yer uncle and Fanny's yer aunt: Yer married AND you can do all the nice bits here in Switzerland

31
Crossed my mind too but I wonder if that wouldn't be likely to backfire. If you are not resident, you need an additional layer of documentation from the commune/gemeinde where you are resident. i.e. the one you've just tried to get married in with (in their opinion) dodgy documents. If they get wind that you are "marriage shopping" on top of that... it would look even worse for you and you could potentially spend much longer trying to clear it up. Probably best to stick with the process you've started.

32
PML!

The other choices are either France or the UK.

But am gunning on rectifying this issue here...

33
Thanks! But as it turns out a lot of his ex-girlfriends are from Denmark, don't really want to bump into them on my wedding day- you just never know!!

34
I was tempted to tell the Officer to close our marriage application and move on elsewhere but I kept quiet for that reason!

35
Just bring back the same paper and tell them the Embassy fixed it! I though it was a paper for something else. Seriously you need to bring this to someone else. I had a print out from the office of vital statistics with my name and "no entries" or something similar on basically a dot printer sheet! No apostle, no official anything. They accepted that but again they didn't accept the paper that says I didn't need to change my name. so... apparently everyone gets one thing rejected. lol.

36
No, you're not - and, yes, of course it is.

Therefore...

Go back to the XXX (Office de l'etat civil, Standesamt) and ask " Exactly what is it that you required", and get them to write it down in front of you, put their name and the date on it.

Take possession of that piece of paper. Do not ever let go of it.

Once you have done/have that, ask to speak to their boss. Ask them to confirm that what is on the paper is correct. If they hesitate/seem_dubious, ask to see their boss. And so on.

At every stage, ask them to write down that they concur or that they don't . Take these pieces from them ASAP, and never let them out of your possession ever again - even if it means going outside to get photocopies if they say that they themselves need copies.

Keep escalating.

The Swiss bureaucracy has somehow acquired a "reputation" for being good paper-pushers (just like - FCW - the French and the Italians have the "reputation" for being good lovers...)

None of this "accepted wisdom" stands up to close scrutiny, so it's up to to YOU to make 'em to perform...

.

37
Send a registered letter to the official, asking for the specific reasons for the objections and to inform you of the cantons legal representative where you can lodge an appeal against the decision made

38
I thought I'd post an update on the situation:

I now have the Affidavit back in my possession. The Officier has written on it, "not valid as Mme. lives in G.B" and in the attached letter has classified it as a 'certificate of celibacy only'.

WELL...am not at all pleased because now I've been given conflicting information. It's rejected on the grounds that I'm not a resident and yet, can be accepted as proof of my celibacy. If this is the case, then surely ALL the information on the piece of paper should be accepted too?

There is simply no swaying the Officier's mind!

I have since spoken to the British Embassy; gave them a word-for-word translation of the marriage application letter/ list of documents which I was asked to obtain and explained the outcome. According to the Pro Consul, regardless of the fact that I'm not a resident here, the Affidavit should suffice.

The matter is being looked into...

I was due to fly back to the UK today- snow has put an end to that- in order to process a CNI and gather proof of residence to satisfy the Canton of Vaud. It seems that the proposed 'crack-down on fake marriages in Switzerland', due to be implemented on January 1st, 2011, has already begun in our case.

I can understand such policies being enforced but when it comes down to applying for a truthful marriage, some of us are likely to be offended!

39
you don't have to be resident to marry in Switzerland. What a plonker.

http://geneva.angloinfo.com/countrie...d/marriage.asp

There's lots of other links out there but you've done what needs to be done, I'd escalate it. Plus he's defaced an official document.

I'd ask to speak to his superior.

WTF has celibacy got to do with it?

40
= bachelor or spinsterhood.

Nothing to do with one's sexual habits.