Hi there,

I'm French citizen on my way to live in Switzerland (getting a job there and trying to find an appartment). So my B-permit is being processed.

My girlfriend is Canadian and we want to marry. What is the process to follow? Should we start processing Visa for that goal before she come over (does Fiancée Visa exist here)? Is it possible I sponsor her for a long term Visa (I can support her) and then we can start the process once she's here? What's the best option ?
I also understood that once married, she could get a B permit as me (spouse permit)?

Any other ways? What would be the approximative time to get that done?

Thanks!

When do you plan to get married?
She can come over on a tourist visa for 3 months and then once you're married she should be able to get a B permit, just go to your local council/town hall with marriage certificate, passport, health insurance, evidence of address, photos, your passport and B permit and they will take copies of the paperwork and send it to immigration. You will then get a piece of paper to confirm that you're waiting for your B permit so she can look for work etc.

Maybe a Canadian could confirm this as I'm from the UK so it could be different. Hope this helps

Hi and many thanks for your usefull feedback.

So you confirm she can marry me under tourist visa, then apply once done for spouse permit - without going back home inbetween - ?
It would sound good and then avoid applying for long term visa, which is more difficult (and longer).

Actually, I just settled in Switzerland and I'm trying to figure out what to start first...:
1/start submitting paper to town hall and then make her come over once we get the green light for getting married
2/make her come over; start the process with authority for marriage once she's here.
Any advice about that? Is it possible to apply with only me here onsite and my fiancé in Canada? Do authorities need to see her in person during the application process ? Is option 2/ risky ?

By the way, what is the time between application for wedding and answer from authorities (Geneva canton)?

Thanks!
R

Hi R,

Will you be getting married at a registry office? My partner is Swiss and I'm English and we got married at a registry office. I came over on a tourist visa and submitted my birth certificate, Civil of Declaration Certificate and a copy of my passport. We sent all this by post to our local registry office so she doesn't need to be here in person for that (this can take 2 months for them to check all the details) and then 10days before the wedding we went in person to the local registry office with a translator and signed all the paperwork.
If you're getting married at a registry office it will be best to call them for information and then they'll send you all the paperwork to complete. If you're not getting married at a registry office then it's probably better to talk to your local council and see what the process is.
Hope this helps

Hi NewInSwiss,

Thanks for the detail answer. Maybe it is a stupid question but what's the difference between the local council and the registry office ?

Thks,
R

Hi,

It's not a stupid question

The local council is called a Gemeinde, Communauté in French (I think) it's where you get your visa and paper work sorted. You probably went there when you first arrived with your paperwork. They can usually help you with most questions or give you a phone number to find more information.

A registry office, Standesamt in German or Bureau du Registre is where you have a civil wedding with no religious aspects and can usually been done a couple of months after sending the paperwork. I supose it depends how quickly you want to get married and if you want a religious wedding or not.

Thanks for your answer.

I have another question: if I understood correctly, once married, she should get the same B permit as mine and she could work. Is that correct? And what's the waiting period for her to get this B-permit (as spouse of EU citizen holding B permit) after wedding ?

Thanks
Vincent

Really? What visa would that be? As a UK citizen no such visa is required or, indeed, available.

Unfortunately this is not the case. If the op intends to marry in Switzerland then the paperwork will be handled by the Swiss embassy in Canada and a visa issued for the purpose of marriage. Coming as a tourist and then getting married is a change of intention and almost certainly won't work.

Of course, as Canadians don't actually need a tourist visa there's nothing to stop someone coming over for a few months to help with wedding arrangements etc but the paperwork should be done from Canada.

[quote=swissbob;619093]If the op intends to marry in Switzerland then the paperwork will be handled by the Swiss embassy in Canada and a visa issued for the purpose of marriage. [quote]

Hi Swissbob and thanks. Do you mean paperwork for wedding have to be submitted in Canada at the embassy for her and in Switzerland for me ? Or do you mean this for the Wedding Visa only ? What is the way to do things: can we submit Visa and Wedding application at the same time ?

I'm really surprise we cannot marry under her tourist Visa. There a lot of confusion around this in the forum.

Any feedback about my last question on B-Permit ?

Thanks
Vincent

Maybe tourist 'visa' was the wrong expression to use, but I came over as a tourist and married as a tourist which we were told was allowed by the Registry office but i'm still waiting for my B permit, it's been a month and half so far.

I can't see why a Canadian couldn't get married on a tourist visa, how else would people marry abroad?

Will she stay in Switzerland after the marriage or go back to Canada while the B permit is being processed? It might work out easier if she found a job, got a work permit and then you got married but that all depends on your circumstances.

Hi NewInSwiss,

We'd like her to stay while waiting for the permit. Is there a way to achieve that (I could support her meanwhile)? No temporary permit or something like this while waiting ?

Getting a job right away would be the best option but it's not easy as I understood to get a permit when you're not a EU-citizen (employer to justify....). Actually, she might have an option but they told us it would be easier we get married before...

Thks,
Rontary

Clicky clicky

One phone call away - and you do speak french...

I have read a lot of info on the Civilamt site, and found out that you need 6 months to set up a marriage registration date.

How is it possible to do when coming with a tourist visa? Any thoughts?

Hi guys

This seems so very complicated... I'm going to the Etat Civil (of Geneva) tomorrow because as we're Hungarians (he a B-permit holder, me a tourist for the moment) that's where I was told to go. For the obvious reasons we're planning to get married in Switzerland and I really hope there won't be any huge obstacles. I'll keep you updated! Wish me luck!

Meanwhile, I don't know if these help:
how to get married in CH
joined by fiance(e) in CH
etat civil GE

UPDATE:
here: my account of the procedures at the Registry Office

And I've found these helpful: francais/deutch/italien
the whole procedure in pdf