WIZ
We were given your name by MEL who said you might be able to help us with our problem.

I am a UK citizen and bought a property in France in April 2014. I left the UK and have been living there since, during this time I met a lady from Russia and we have been together for 18 months, she has been able to get 3 tourist visas to visit me in France and in between times we have been travelling to other countries so we can be together. We are currently in Indonesia until March travelling between Malaysia and Indonesia We have subsequently got engaged and plan to marry when we get back in March.

She has 3 months left on her tourist visa and then it will be impossible for her to get another as now she has lost her job in Russia and no where to live. This is not a problem if she can stay with me as I have a sufficient income from property rental in the UK.

The question is how we can get a permit for her to stay without us having to travel constantly to other countries.

I have not applied for residency yet as I didn't realise this Was important.

Regards
David & Nastya

Ps I must say well done regarding all your achievements I admire your determination .

David and Nastya

Hello and to the board and thank you for your kind comments.

Sorry I split your post from the other thread but it is better to deal with your case separately and let free the other thread to post any new developments.

On the other thread, I have already posted the official guide by the EU Commission, FREEDOM to Move and Live in Europe, which is A Guide to your rights as an EU citizen.

You can always download the PDF document here: FREEDOM to Move and Live in Europe

Also you can download the latest advice from the EU Commission, which advise for the specific steps an EU Citizen must take when moving and living in another EU State.

Communication from the EU Commission (com_2013_837)

According to the Directive:” The Directive only applies if you actually move to or reside in an EU country other than that of which you are a national, and to your family members who accompany or join you.

I understand that you have been living together in France and you are planning to get married soon.

You David, as a UK citizen you have automatically exercised your right to move and live in France, after acquiring the house and I am sure is registered under your own name and as far as I am aware France, has been implementing the Directive correctly, after the correction they had to make in the website of their Embassy in London, when I made my complaint.

I guess that you must have a Bank account in France and also all services (electricity, water etc) are under your own Name at the house address there.

Regarding Nastya: I also understand that Nastya has a Schengen Visa and another 3 months remaining before it expires. That Schengen “Tourist” Visa obviously has been issued under the French law and I don't think you can get married with that Visa. I guess she has to apply for a fiancé Visa before allowed to enter France and then get married. I maybe I am wrong....

I suggest you visit the French Consulate in the country you are right now and clarify this point, it is very important not the break the rules of her Schengen Visa.

Of course the easiest way is to get married in Russia and then apply for an “Entrance Spouse Visa” to come and Join you in France and as you are the “Sponsor and have to provide your financial information in support of her Visa”, then there will be no problems. That is what I did with my wife!

Well you have made plenty of reading so far…… and must continue reading the EU documents to make sure you achieve your goal successfully.

Once she is legally in France… then you must apply, ASAP, for a RESIDENT CARD, which takes around 6 months to be issued and then you can travel freely around the EU.

Where do you live in France?

Tell us a bit more about you and future wife… we like to hear nice stories ...
and if you wish to know about us…. Read: My Russian Love Affair


PS: Can you please add an avatar so to know easily who is the poster?
You don’t have to post your photo…..if you don’t want to. Personally I never had such a problem. Thank you.

Hello
Thank you for all the information.
I have spent the last day reading your blog and find it interesting.congratulation on your achievement and it seems you have finally found happiness we are happy for you.
I also read the PDFs on the eu regulations which gave us great hope.
As far as it seems we can get married anywhere as long as it is a valid marriage and we have it translated into French. My then wife will go back to France with me she has a visitors visa but even if she hasn't got this there seems no problem,we apply for a residency card after the 3 months and as long as she has the application all is ok until we receive the card within a few weeks.
She does want to change her name and passport but again this does not seem to difficult we just go to Moscow for a few days.
It all sounds relatively easy I wonder if I'm missing something.
Regards
David

Hello David and Nastya

I am glad you have found the information on our board useful and hope it will help you in your adventure, marrying a Russian woman. Most of the people we met through these boards agree with me that it’s an adventure, and treat it like that, so to become successful in our quest!

Any how back

Of course you can get married anywhere, according to the local laws and norms, but once you get the “Marriage Certificate” you must apply to “Apostile” it, so to be accepted as an official document anywhere in the world. Then you have to "officially translated" in the French language, so she can apply for her “Entrance Visa” to France.

I would suggest to you, once back in France your wife must apply for the “Resident Card”, because these people take their time……for us was 6 months, according to the Directive, as it was FREE!.

After that the EU world is your oyster and no more Visa’s to visit any EU country as long as you accompany her.

My wife and I choose for her, to take my surname for matter of convenient
And make our life easier when in the UK and applying for various services, like Bank account, Doctor registration etc. Other people also followed this road.

Your future wife will still have her Russian Passports, International and Internal, that can always renew at the nearest Russian Consulate when they expire.

Not much more to say, for now, plan it carefully and wish you all the best.

Thanks for all your good comments about the board. As you can see, the board appears NOT to be very busy BUT on weekly basis more than 500 people visit and read (I have the STATS to prove it), so I have decided to keep it live so people can find and read the useful information accumulated over the years. Periodically I still make posts to keep the SEO up to scratch and always be on the 1st page of Google search……