My husband is German & I am American we have been married for almost 5 years and our expecting a baby next year.

My husband has job oppurtunities that he would like to pursue in Switzerland. Since he is German its really no big deal for him to live and work in Switzerland, but the concern is will I be able to move there with him.

He is concerned that because I am American they may not allow me. I assume that because I am his wife they should allow me to live there no problem.

I understand things do not always work this way, however .

Will they allow me to live there just as easily as him?

We would like to move after our child is born. Any additional concerns that may need to be handled for our child as well?

You should be able to move here, whether you can work or not (assuming at some point in the future maybe) is another question entirely.

You will be allowed to move here, and you will receive
the same work permit that he will.

This is good to know

Has anyone a link to a website (government reference) where I am able to verify this as well as see the details for enrolling my child in school there when that time arises?

I just want to have all the answers before my husband pursues. He is very hard working so I am trying to be helpful and get as much information as I can so its easier for him on his off days or before work to make telephone calls, etc if neccessary.

You should be fine.

I would argue that you might want to have baby here.

Swiss health insurance laws means that while insurance companies have to cover your child's basic insurance, they can exclude certain items if they are known about before the insurance cover is requested. The loophole in favour of prospective parents is that you can register your child before the birth, which means any complications at birth will be fully covered.

Anyway, I don't want to scare you, but it is a thought you might wish to consider.

Best of luck and enjoy your first!

For school, don't worry, you will be automatically enrolled in your local State school as and when the time arises.

__________________
Never let right or wrong get in the way of a good opinion

The BfM website can help, it's
here. You basically have
the same status as your
EU
husband.

AMAZING!!!!

Thank you all so very much!

So helpful! *hugs*

I think I have all my questions answered now

Plus a nice hangout forum to browse around in as well.

What Carlos mentioned is important to note about the insurance (i.e. having the baby in Germany).

If you are married to an EU national (as I am as well), you will need to make sure to have a copy of your marriage certificate notarized as well as making sure that you registered the marriage with the right bureau in Germany if you were married outside of Germany as it will be checked before the visa will be issued. Also, if you didn't take your husband's last name, be prepared for the furry eye and questions at the border...I usually got questions every time I went through the airport. But, in the end, you'll get a B visa you can work on (well, if you're having a child and you're a Yank, that will be a long shot but...it's a B) and the application he needs to file is for a family reunion visa where he as an EU national applies to have his family join him in Switzerland.

We got married in Germany. I believe my marriage certificate is notarized as well. It has this circle stamp on it. If it is not its no problem to get it notarized. Thank you for informing me about that. Its the small details that are just as important

I also carry my husbands last name in both my American passport and all other documents (insurance, visa).

I do not have my permanent visa for Germany however. I have a temp one.

I assume I will get a permanent one after this temp yearly one expires next summer. Who knows? Its both our first marriage. My temp visa expires in the summer of 2013. Wondering if this is a big deal/hurdle.

(After we were married I returned back to the USA for a few years. This is why I dont have a permanent residency/visa. )

Here is a link in English:

http://www.bfm.admin.ch/content/bfm/en/home.html

I am just the opposite of you. My wife is German,
and I am American. We have already been through
this.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: Marriage certificate with an "APOSTILLE"

An apostille is like having something notarized in America except
that the apostille is internationally recognized.

What's a Yank?

Okay. I understand about the Apostille very much as I needed to have all my documents apostilled before we married in Germany.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yank

lol@ Yank --- Got it!

......American

English slang for a "American"...

You're American and you don't know what a Yank is? Wow, how times change.

Another site which has useful info, much of it in English, is the official federal site www.ch.ch. A couple of useful books are "Living & Working in Switzerland" and "Buying and Renting in Switzerland", you should be able to order them via your local bookshop or Amazon.

Actually, an Apostille is a notarization of a notarization, i.e. you get a document notarized, then you go to get the notarization apostilled (here it gets done in Bellinzona).

I have done this many times, mainly for authorization for relatives to use my car outside of Switzerland.

Tom

Same thing as a septic.

Tom

I'm American married to an EU citizen, and I had no problems moving here or finding work. I also have a B-EG permit renewable every five years. But we're hoping to take the plunge and apply for C permits next year. We're just trying to improve our German so we can pass the language test that's required.

FWIW, I don't have the same last name as my husband and have never been hassled or had a problem here with any of the authorities about it. But, I know everybody has different experiences.

You should be fine All the best to you!

__________________
"Sell crazy someplace else, we're all stocked up here." ~ Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets

Did he join you over that time? If not, expect some serious questioning over that. The lack of a perm residence visa won't be a problem, but getting married in DE and then scooting back to the US for a few years will definitely raise some red flags. You should have documentation to back up visits to each other, etc.

And Yank....wow, I feel old. Although it's not entirely English slang, do you remember the war between the North (Yankees) and the South (Rebels)?