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assisting in the realization of civil and social rights
How to Marry a German Citizen
Is your soulmate from Germany? Is the moment when you will tie the knot with them approaching? It's better to prepare for this important and responsible event in advance. The staff of the hotline for safe travel, stay abroad, and combating human trafficking at the Club of Business Women will help you understand the nuances of marriage with a German citizen. Calls to the hotline 8-801-201-5555 regarding marriage in Germany rank third, уступая only to the number of inquiries about Poland and Russia.
You can marry a citizen/citizeness of Germany in any country: the Republic of Belarus or Germany.
Applications for marriage registration in Belarus must be submitted to the registry office, having first clarified the list of documents. From the day of submitting the application to the day of issuing the marriage certificate, you will have to wait from three days to three months. German apostille must be affixed to the documents. It is also necessary to notarize the translation into Russian/Belarusian. It is better to do this in Belarus, as translations and notarization done in Germany may not be accepted. Special visa for marriage is not required. If a citizen (-ess) of Germany arrives in Belarus through the National Airport Minsk checkpoint, they can use the visa-free entry and exit procedure for Belarus. To get married, registration is required. For this, you must register at the place of actual temporary stay, 5 days are allotted for this, excluding holidays and weekends. The procedure can be carried out in the departments of citizenship and migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or independently on the Single portal of electronic services
Actions after the wedding
The Belarusian marriage certificate must be certified with an apostille, translated into German with notarization, and provided to the registry office at the place of residence of the German spouse. At the Embassy, you can submit a petition to enter information about the marriage into the German civil status register.
A Belarusian newlywed needs to apply for a visa for the purpose of family reunification and further residence in Germany. Family reunification in Germany is possible provided that there is sufficient living space for the spouse (i.e., the inviting party has sufficient living space, at least 12 sq m per family member) and the necessary financial means to support them. German embassy staff in Belarus accept the applicant's documents and forward them to the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF, the aliens authority in Germany). BAMF checks the documents, examines the circumstances described in them, and then sends its conclusion to the embassy abroad.
Based on the conclusion received, the diplomatic mission makes a decision on issuing a national visa. As a rule, the first visa is issued for a year. The visa procedure takes 2–3 months. As soon as a decision is made on the visa application, the visa department will inform you that the visa can be picked up. An application for residence permit is submitted to the Aliens Authority in Germany. In this case, the applicant must enter the country with a national visa issued for the same purpose of stay as the requested residence permit. Residence permits for "family" reasons are issued for 2 years, with the possibility of extension. The residence permit also gives the right to travel to other Schengen countries and stay in these countries, but not more than 90 days in six months. After three years of living together, a Belarusian can obtain permanent residence. To do this, you need to confirm your knowledge of the German language at level B1.
Pay attention to the visa!
German laws prohibit marriage with a foreigner who has entered the country on a tourist or visitor visa. If you get married from Belarus, the future spouse travels as a tourist or visitor — they violate migration legislation because the purpose of the trip differs from the one stated. Therefore, marriage is possible only with a special national visa for marriage, the so-called "fiancé(e) visa". At this stage, it is important to keep in mind the date of the wedding and set the day so as to have time to submit a request to the embassy and obtain a visa.
Requirements for a couple in Germany
Marriage in Germany can be concluded when there are no obstacles to it. Germans must be of legal age, single, and not related to their partner. A foreigner, in addition to these conditions, must present a document called "Ehefähigkeitszeugnisse". It states that there are no obstacles to marriage on the part of their home country. The certificate must be obtained no earlier than six months before submitting the marriage application. Once all documents are collected and submitted to the Standesamt – the German registry office, the foreigner can send a request for a visa to conclude a marriage in this country, attaching a written confirmation from the German registry office that the marriage application has been submitted.
List of documents for submission to the German registry office:
- birth certificate with apostille and translation into German with notarial certification;
- certificate of marital status with apostille and translation (validity period of this document is 6 months);
- if there were previous marriages – divorce certificate, if widowed – death certificate;
- international residence certificate (not older than 3 months);
- questionnaires in German;
- copies of the passport certified by a notary, in some states the original passport may be required.
The above list of documents may vary depending on the state of residence of the German. More complete information on the list of documents can be found on the website of the German Embassy in Minsk.
Calls and written inquiries are temporarily not accepted.
Calls and written inquiries are temporarily not accepted. Use the information posted on our website! 
