Questions about moving to Finland + getting married there

Amel · Post by **Amel** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 8:08 am

I'm an Indonesian citizen and I have a Finnish boyfriend. I came to Finland for a vacation in 2004 and my boyfriend and I are planning our engagement party in Indonesia next year and our marriage in Finland in 2007. Here are some questions:

a.) If for example I apply for a visa in the Finnish Embassy with the reason to get married in Finland a few days after I arrive there, will they give me the visa? On what grounds can they reject my visa application if I tell them that I am planning to get married in Finland as soon as I get there?

b.) What kind of things should I prepare before getting married there? We won't have a huge church wedding or anything. Where can I get info about the steps I need to do before we can get married there? We have to get a marriage license first, right? And in order to do that, I have to submit papers there. From where can I find info about what kind of papers/documents I need to submit or bring there prior to the wedding?

c.) Do I need the documents (birth certificate etc.) translated here and legalised by the Finnish Embassy and some other Indonesian documents? I have a friend who's going to get married in Holland and she has to have the documents legalised by those departments and Dutch Embassy.

d.) My boyfriend's currently unemployed and has an unemployment benefit. If for some reason he is unemployed by the time we are planning to get married, will there be any hindrance for me to get the residence permit? How much money do I have to bring there to prove that I have enough money to support myself or how much money does my boyfriend has to have to prove that he can support me? I know that in the residence permit application form that I downloaded from the internet, there is an option of 'unemployment benefit' as the means of support of the sponsor.

HELP ME please...thanks A LOT for any kind of info anyone can give me. The problem is, I did write an email to Indonesian Embassy in Finland, but they still haven't replied.

**Sponsor:**

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 8:59 am

b) ask the Finnish embassy about the paperwork. Basically you have to prove you are not currently married, you are not brother and sister etc. etc.
This is dome by the magistrate at where your boyfriend lives. I think the Indonesian Embassy in Finland may also be able to provide the affidavit; but then again they might have their own system and require some silly paper so better have everything asked from both places. The Finnish embassy should also be able to tell you about the procedure.

Amel · Post by **Amel** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 8:16 am

THANKS for the info. I'm just so full with questions that I don't know where to ask. In that case, I'll ask my boyfriend to ask around then and I'll also try to contact the Finnish embassy in Indonesia.

Any more advice? He he he...

doctorforsh · Post by **doctorforsh** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 9:18 am

they will ask you for 2 things mainly

1 certificate of none involvement! (110euros)
2 swear an affidavid<<<spelt wrong

i am trying to do the same,,,im english trying to marry my polish girlfriend in finland

but the geezer at the british embassy doesnt seem to want to help me!!

Xochiquetzal · Post by **Xochiquetzal** » Thu Jun 09, 2005 9:59 am

Residence permits info from City of Espoo webpage:

http://english.espoo.fi/xsl_perussivu_i ... 2551;22552

From a previous post here on getting married:

bb/viewtopic.php?p=23217

Amel · Post by **Amel** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 7:24 am

Thanks everybody!!! You guys ROCK...I mean I found this Finland Forum by chance and I can't help to think that my brain'd be such a mess without it he he he he...

OK then I'll go read the websites now.

)))

Amel · Post by **Amel** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 8:53 am

I wrote to UVI and got these answers he he he...

Dear Sir/Madam,

I'm an Indonesian citizen and I have a Finnish boyfriend. I came to Finland for a vacation in 2004 and my boyfriend and I are planning our engagement party in Indonesia in 2006 and our marriage in Finland in 2007. We have been corresponding with each other since 1999 (we have proof). Here are some questions:

a. If I apply for a tourist visa in the Finnish Embassy with the reason to get married in Finland a few days after I arrive there, will they give me the visa? On what grounds can they reject my visa application if I tell them that I am planning to get married in Finland and we have a wedding license already to get married in Finland at that time?

The Directorate of Immigration does not resolve applications conserning visa. This is a matter which belongs to the Finnish embassy and foreing ministry.

b. Or it better for us to get married here and then I come to Finland soon after with a tourist visa and apply residence permit there? The problem is, I don't want to be apart for months to wait for the residence permit application if possible because we've been apart a long time already. I heard that starting last year it is possible for the spouse of a Finnish to apply for residence permit there instead of in the home country.

Yes, the spouse (= f.ex. married couple) of a Finnish can apply for residence permit in Finland and wait the decission in the country. You yourself have to decide what you want to do.

c. What kind of documents would I need to bring there to apply for residence permit (other than birth certificate, affidavit that shows I have never married), and would I have to have those documents legalised with the stamp from Finnish Embassy, Department of Justice, and other Departments from Indonesia? Or do I only need them translated?

You need all the documents that show your common living, history, marriage etc. Documents have to be legalised by the local authority but also by the Finnish embassy. Documetns have to be translated into Finnish, Swedish or English.

d. Can my boyfriend sponsor me if he's only got unmployment benefit? How much income should he acquire in order to be able to sponsor me?

If you are married, then we do not ask your incomes. But if you are applying residence permit before marriage, then you have to show that have the money to live in the country. The limit is 900 € per month.

e. How much savings should I bring to prove that I have enough fund to live there? I heard that it's somewhere around 5000 Euros?

See previous answer.

f. What happens if my tourist visa expires before I get my residence permit? I was told in Finland Forum that it's okay as long as I file in the residence permit application before my tourist visa expires.

If you come into country by using visa, you have to apply residence permit before visa expires. When you apply for residence permit, you are allowed to wait the decission in the country.

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