Hi After a lot of research I have found that if my Fiance and I marry in the Phils then she will have along wait before being able to apply for her Schengen visa to join me in Malta, due to the long processing times for the NSO marriage certificate. I have thought about getting married in Malta, I assume this is possible, please correct me if not. But I came across the fact that if you marry in Gibraltar then you only need to give 24 hours notice for the wedding and they issue certificates on the day. See below Gibraltar Marriage Law Requirements What are the legal requirements to get married in Gibraltar? Legal age for marriage is 18 years for both men and women. If between 16 and 18 years old then parental consent is required. Two witnesses are required. How long do I have to be resident in Gibraltar before I can get married? There are no residency requirements to get married in Gibraltar. Getting a marriage licence You must go to the registry office 24 hours before the ceremony with the papers below. What legal papers do I need to take with me? Passports. Birth Certificates. If you have been divorced then the final divorce papers and your previous marriage certificate must be shown. If you are widowed then the death certificate of your previous spouse and your previous marriage certificate must be shown. Can anyone see any pitfalls in my reasoning? What Visa would be the best for her to apply for if we were to marry in either Malta or Gibraltar? Many thanks
Why not marry in Hong Kong? No need for a "Red Ribboned" NSO version of the Marriage Certificate as those issued by the HK Registry are accepted almost everywhere in the world - but not in the Philippines. There is a 3 day residency requirement but your Certificate is handed to you at the ceremony, assuming you marry in a Registry Office. You would need to apply for a Fiancée Settlement Gibraltar Visa which is issued by the British Embassy and will have the same requirements as for the UK. Though do bear in mind that Gibraltar is not a Schengen country. Your Fiancée would need to apply for a Schengen Type "D" Visa from the Malta Embassy in Beijing through the offices of VFS in Makati. It is very important that a Type "D" is applied for and not the much more common Type "C".
Thanks Markham but reading about it says the following: "Hong Kong law stipulates that notices of marriage should be exhibited for 15 “clear” days (i.e. 17 days including Sundays) at the marriage registry." So again, i dont want to end up spending time waiting around.
Please check the Hong Kong Registry's web site which is part of the Immigration Department .... I got married in Hong Kong in 2011 and did not have to be there until 4 days prior to the wedding You do have to send all the required application, supporting documents and payment (by Manager's Cheque) at least a month or so before you intend to marry.
I have to ask.... what is the rush ? I'm sure our NSO marriage cert only took 2 or 3 months to come through. A pretty small segment of what most intend to be a lifelong relationship... built on firm foundations.
Its not so much the rush, we just really dont want to be parted for any period of time again after getting married. Ok maybe it is just 2 or 3 months, but if there is another way that is not too difficult then id far rather that. Malta actually looks pretty good for getting married in...no residency requirements prior to the wedding date and can apply online...only really need to be there couple of days before to finalise the paperwork, plus it means we have already landed where we intend to stay.
You will NOT be able to marry in Malta as your Fiancée will not be granted a Visa but she will qualify for a free Visa once you are married. The basis on which you will have to apply for a Visa for Malta will be "Family Reunification". These Visas generally take between one and two weeks but the Head of the Visa Section in Beijing is a very affable fellow and if you ask nicely for rush processing as you are hoping to fly (to Malta) soon, I am sure he will oblige. Unless you are officially retired and can produce Pensions Service SI Forms for both yourself and your wife, or you will have full-time employment in Malta, you will not qualify for a Residents' Permit and that will adversely affect your ability to get a Family Permit for the UK. If you intend to be self-employed, then you will need to produce at least one year's worth of accounts, bank statements (from either HSBC Malta Plc or Bank of Valletta) and a permit to work (plus NI and TIN).. And as mentioned above, your wife must be in possession of a Type "D" Schengen Visa; if she has a Type "C" Visa, her stay is limited to 90 days and she can not apply for a Residents' Permit.
