Hello all!
I suppose I'll just cut to the chase:
Background:
I'm Kenyan and my lovely fiance is German and Swedish. We've been together for nearly three years now. I already have a B2 level of German (learning C1 now) and this is not my first time applying for a visa to a European country (I lived in Spain for a couple of years (National Visa) and had travelled to Europe for school trips/leisure before this (Schengen Visas). My last trip to Europe was about 4 years ago. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, I haven't been able to visit my fiance's home country).
The Sitch:
I recently applied for a visa for intended marriage in Germany. We ran into a bit of a hiccup because the Standesamt (registry office) hadn't verified my documents (instead issuing us with the "Bescheinigung"/permission to get married after only a few weeks). This, according to the German Embassy, is a big, big problem for a Kenyan "Intended Marriage" visa applicant.
I was informed that the embassy would review my documents and let me know whether a verification is, indeed, necessary. I was also informed that the verification could take 4 months. At which point a dull, pounding sort of haziness overwhelmed me: my Bescheinigung was only valid for exactly 4 months and the thought of starting from scratch felt something like a cement truck being emptied on my lungs *cue uncontrollable tears in the middle of the visa office*
Drama aside, my questions are as follows:
1. Has anyone ever gotten this type of visa without the verification process (this question is intended for individuals from a developing country since their experience is likely to be more akin to my own. Though, since every experience is valuable and I'm definitely not trying to exclude anyone, please, please do share regardless of your country of origin!)?
2. Assuming no verification is required (or your verification was already completed), how long did it take to process your visa application once it was with the Embassy? Did they contact you at any point prior to the final decision or was it just randomly sprung on you in an E-Mail after weeks of radio silence?
3. Did you have to attend an interview on top of the brief questioning that takes place on the day of submission of documents?
4. Does anyone have experience with my aforementioned situation (See: "The Sitch")? Specifically having to get their documents verified after having already received permission from the registry office to get married. What became of your deadline? Did you have to start the whole process from scratch?
5. If you have been through something similar, how long did it take for the Embassy to let you know that you would need to do the verification? It's been a couple of weeks and the Embassy still hasn't given me an update. I now have less than four months until my Bescheinigung expires. *cue suspenseful: dun dun duuuun*
Otherwise, my good people, thank you for your time!
I have scoured the depths of the internet in search of a forum/article/video/anything which addressed these questions, but to no avail. I would really appreciate any help. As you all might well imagine, I've been anxious as heck trying to plan for whatever comes next.
Additionally, even if you can only provide insight for one of the questions, any input whatsoever for any of the questions would be dearly appreciated.
Cheers,
Nora!
P.S. Believe it or not, but this is the shortened version of my post. I apologise for the lengthy read. Being concise is definitely not my forte.
Work visas for Germany
The Working Holiday Visa for Germany
Student Visa
Summer jobs in Germany
Elderly care in Germany
Popular neighbourhoods in Frankfurt
Buying property in Frankfurt
Connecting to the internet in Germany
