Can I Get Married In Germany With Tourist Visa?

Can I Get Married In Germany With Tourist Visa?

Marriage is always a pleasant and vital event anywhere in the world. It is currently the only form of legal union in Germany that is protected by the constitution. Getting married in Germany is usually a straightforward process of submitting the necessary paper works to the local registry “Standesamt”. The government regards marriage as a legally binding contract than an act of love.

In Germany, any valid marriage must be performed at the registry, regardless of your religious or cultural persuasion. If you intend to have a wedding or any other religious ceremony, it can come after the civil service at the registry office.

Everyone that fulfills specific requirements is eligible to get married under German laws. Your legal status does play a role in some cases, but it is not an insurmountable hurdle. The requirements to get married in Germany are determined by the laws of the bride and groom’s respective countries.

German authorities want to prevent a marriage that might be invalid in any of the spouse’s home countries. However, if requirements for a foreign law cannot be met, exceptions are then granted in most cases the applicable German law is reverted to.

The applicable German law requirement is a minimum age of 18 (a court can, however, grant an exception in rare cases with parental consent, if one of you is 16 or 17 years old). The law also requires that you are not related to preventing an incestuous partnership and that both of you are either single, widowed, or divorced at the time of your application.

If you are a foreigner, you must have been living in the locality for at least 21 days before visiting the local registry to present your intention to marry.

So, Can I Get Married In Germany With Tourist Visa?

To get married in Germany, even with your mothers ring, you still need the following documents all translated in the German language by a certified interpreter, and the papers must have been issued within the last six months:

1. Valid ID, such as an international passport or a government-issued identity card. The German authority, unlike Nigeria, does not recognize a driving license as a valid ID card.
2. Birth certificate with parents name well spelled out. Also, birth certificate of any children the intending couple might have had together.
3. A statement from Nigeria that you are eligible to marry. This certificate can be obtained from the Nigerian embassy in Berlin.
4. If you are widowed, you will be required to present the original or certified copy of your deceased spouse death certificate.
5. If you are divorced – a declaration of finality off divorce proceedings.
6. Proof of continuous residence in Germany for the last 21 days, which can be obtained from the local authority.
7. A valid visa or residence permit.
8. If either of you is a minor between the age of 16 and 17. A statement executed before a notary public by your parents or legal guardians giving consent.
9. Financial or income certificate which can be gotten from your employer or fill out yourself and have signed by an accountant.

The unanswered question to some Nigerians remains, can I get married on a tourist visa in Germany? A tourist visa is usually the most accessible type of visa to get if you intend to visit Germany or any of the other Schengen countries.

But the challenge with this type of visa is its validity which is 90 days within 180 days. Any Nigerian or foreigner can get married in Germany at any time as long as you meet the requirements listed earlier.

The challenge, however, with the tourist visa is that the 90 days it offers is likely not to be enough to get all the paperwork together, get it translated, recognized, filed, and then get an appointment for the wedding at the “Standesant” registry.

In other words, you can try, but you will likely not succeed as all the process might take more than six months to fulfill. You will be however advised to apply for a special visa which is usually valid 3 to 6 months.

Your future spouse, who is based in Germany, would need to prepare all the documents and submit them to the registry. Once everything gets approved, you can then apply for a visa to travel to your wedding. After that, you can then apply for a residence permit as a spouse of a German. You are eligible to also apply for citizenship after two years of marriage.