Hi there! I've read a million posts regarding visas, marriage, etc. It seems intense to get all of the appropriate documentation to get settled into Switzerland. There has been a lot of talk regarding marriage and the like but here is a very direct question.
My boyfriend is Swiss. I'm American. We currently reside in the USA. He has no interest in American citizenship. We're moving to Switzerland in January(ish). We're getting married for all of the right reasons. Is it easier to marry in the US before we move or wait until we arrive to Switzerland to marry? We have all of the appropriate documents for either location but I just want to know how easy it is to show up and say, "We're already married!" or is it easier to say, "Hi! We are really in love and want to be married on Swiss soil."
If it's all the same to you, I would have thought it would be less stressful to get married and submit your visa application before your planned arrival in CH so that by the time you arrive you can walk straight in. Applying as a spouse is one of the most straightforward processes and you would have an entitlement to a visa. My guess is if you're uprooting yourselves, moving to a new country and changing jobs you'll have enough on your plate without having to worry about planning a wedding and applying for visas. But if you want to marry on Swiss soil and can't do that until Jan then you could do that too. As an unmarried foreigner you will be able to stay for three months as a tourist. After that you would have to apply for an extension to stay as a tourist. Alternatively, if you want to delay the wedding longer, you can apply for a concubine visa but that is up to the discretion of the Canton - you have no automatic entitlement (showing an intention to marry should make that more straightforward as long as you have proof of a long standing relationship) :
Although I got admit your obviously are a very pratical person and for that I have great respect for you, marriage in Europe is usually a family thing, like you invite your parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts etc etc. Who has the most family that they would like to attend the wedding?
Hi Rebecca, from my personal experience, I came from the UK Switzerland to marry my girl back in 2003. went to the gemeinde and since I am Moroccan citizen they have asked for plenty of docs. they did advise us at the gemeinde that it is much easier to go to Morocco and get married in there! and that was actually what we did!
After receiving the marriage certificate, we had to take it to the Swiss Embassy to be sent to bern and issue a visa to enter Switzerland as a spouse of a swiss citizen!
after revceiving my visa we came over and applied for my B permit which took only 3 days to receive! they actually consider it from the day you inter the country even if you get it couple of weeks after applying which was the case of some other nationals. then we got the family booklet issued from the gemeinde at alater time.
My suggestion is go for it and get married in the US to make life easier for both of you when you land over here.
Thanks for all of the replies. There is no question that marriage is about family, love, forever, partnership and everything else that goes with it. Honestly, we'll be having a wedding in Switzerland regardless of where we marry. This fact is what enables me to be so straightforward about the actual marriage paperwork. My only concern with popping down to the US courthouse is whether the Swiss folks will look at the marriage date, raise an eyebrow and wonder what made us make that decision.
Alternatively, if we do wait until we get to Switzerland to marry is it possible to marry on a tourist visa? I read somewhere on this board that it was not.
Here is one other question....my BF has a home in France. If I go to Switzerland on a tourist visa unmarried and then decide to get married, can I receive the visa from the American embassy in France?
Thanks again. You're being extremely helpful. I have a feeling that we'll figure out a way to marry here but we want to have all of our options together. There is a lot to think about.
as per my previous post, my wife and I got married in Morocco, specefically on the 5th of August but I entered Switzerland on the 21st of November due to some personal circomstances!
my status as resident is CH started from the date of entry which was the 21st of November but all other documents retalted to our marriage in general including the family booklet states our exact date of marriage! therefore you do not have to worry about the swiss folks not considering your marriage date! all mentioned at the marriage certificate and that's what they count on!
On the other hand, I have also read in one of the posts that coming to CH on a tourist visa, then getting married in Switzerland will require you to leave the country and re-enter again with a visa as a spouse of swiss citizen who is enrting for a family reunion. as far as I remember the post mentioned that the concerned person had to go to the closest consulate for his/her counry to apply for a visa. which means It would be possible for you to go to France and get your visa from there! however, you should get the right information about the last point!
No one is going to look at the date, say anything nor question your decision! It's not their business. You won't be the first (nor last) to get married before moving to another country.
Personally, if it were me, I would get married in the US (it's sooooo much easier) then have a party wherever your respective families are.
I got married as a "tourist". As long as your community approves it's not a problem. You might need a couple of trips to deal with all of the red tape though. They'll probably also want you to leave the country and re-enter, which I did as I was going to anyways.
Compulsory Registry Office Friday morning in Basel, Church Ceremony in Basel in the afternoon (husband had haircut between the two!!!), drove to England on the Sunday and the following Saturday we had arranged a Service of Blessing in the Church I used to attend before coming to Switzerland. Gave us the best of both worlds.
It seems to have worked anyway - if our luck holds we're up for our Ruby Wedding next year.
To add to the responses, I am also American and my then boyfriend-now husband is also Swiss! We did get married in the US, and I have a word of caution for you: despite the fact that it will be considerably easier to get married in the US, you will still have to prove to the Swiss authorities that your marriage is valid.
What we had to do: get certified copies of the marriage certificate and my birth certificate (each less than 6 months old) to send to the Swiss consulate in Chicago (this varies by state) for them to verify the documents and send to the Swiss town where my husband was born. Only then can the marriage be validated in Switzerland! If you've been previously married, then your divorce decree must also be sent in (certified, less than 6 months old).
We both live in Switzerland (and did when we were married) but regardless, the Swiss authorities apparently don't just take your word for being married if one of you is Swiss!
If you've been married previously you'll have to have notarized and translated copies of any previous divorce . If you intend to have a marriage recognized here. (probably applies even if you marry).
We got married at the starlite chapel in reno . it was ratified here no probs. Only hassle was digging up the old divorce papers getting them translated and notarized.
I got married in Germany while my wife and I were already living here (with permits based on different reasons). The Gemeinde had a short look on our documents, I do not remember if they made some copies themselves and that was it... very easy.
Yes, but it does seem to matter if one of you is Swiss, as in my case. A "quick look" was not enough, everything has to be notarized, recent and must go through the Swiss embassy in the US (for translation and verification) prior to being dealt with again in my husband's town of birth. Also, we had two Swiss friends who married in Las Vegas, and it was several months before the Swiss authorities recognized their union.
Let me repeat, it makes a big difference if one or both of the marrying parties are Swiss.