Marrying in Finland on 90 day Schengen stay without valid US passport

[jameskimber]

I am a dual citizen of the US and Japan, residing in the US. I entered Finland on my Japanese passport because my US passport was expired. Both my Japanese and US passports qualify for the 90-day visa-free Schengen stay. I came to Finland to visit my Finnish girlfriend, and we are trying to get married so that I can apply for a Finnish residence permit based on family ties.

My goal is to complete the marriage process within the 90-day period, as applying for the residence permit usually allows me to stay past the 90 days while my application is being processed. However, I am unsure which passport to use for the marriage process. If I use my Japanese passport, I may need to obtain an "examination of impediments" certificate from Japan, but I am not sure how to do this since I don’t currently reside there. If I renew my US passport and use it instead, I am concerned that the US embassy may question how I entered Finland without a valid US passport.

I also worry that renewing my US passport in Finland could raise legal issues, as US law requires dual citizens to exit the US on their US passport, and most countries require at least six months of passport validity for entry. Additionally, Japan does not officially recognize dual citizenship, which could further complicate things.

I have 75 days left in my Schengen stay and need to find a solution as soon as possible. What would be the best course of action?

[betelgeuse]

I am a dual citizen of the US and Japan, residing in the US. I entered Finland on my Japanese passport because my US passport was expired. Both my Japanese and US passports qualify for the 90-day visa-free Schengen stay. I came to Finland to visit my Finnish girlfriend, and we are trying to get married so that I can apply for a Finnish residence permit based on family ties.

My goal is to complete the marriage process within the 90-day period, as applying for the residence permit usually allows me to stay past the 90 days while my application is being processed. However, I am unsure which passport to use for the marriage process. If I use my Japanese passport, I may need to obtain an "examination of impediments" certificate from Japan, but I am not sure how to do this since I don’t currently reside there. If I renew my US passport and use it instead, I am concerned that the US embassy may question how I entered Finland without a valid US passport.

I also worry that renewing my US passport in Finland could raise legal issues, as US law requires dual citizens to exit the US on their US passport, and most countries require at least six months of passport validity for entry. Additionally, Japan does not officially recognize dual citizenship, which could further complicate things.

I have 75 days left in my Schengen stay and need to find a solution as soon as possible. What would be the best course of action?

As the question is not really specific to Finland, you are probably better served by also asking elsewhere where US or Japanese law experts might be found.

[amorapotter]

I am a dual citizen of the US and Japan, residing in the US. I entered Finland on my Japanese passport because my US passport was expired. Both my Japanese and US passports qualify for the 90-day visa-free Schengen stay. I came to Finland to visit my Finnish girlfriend, and we are trying to get married so that I can apply for a Finnish residence permit based on family ties.

My goal is to complete the marriage process within the 90-day period, as applying for the residence permit usually allows me to stay past the 90 days while my application is being processed. However, I am unsure which passport to use for the marriage process. If I use my Japanese passport, I may need to obtain an "examination of impediments" certificate from Japan, but I am not sure how to do this since I don’t currently reside there. If I renew my US passport and use it instead, I am concerned that the US embassy may question how I entered Finland without a valid US passport.

I also worry that renewing my US passport in Finland could raise legal issues, as US law requires dual citizens to exit the US on their US passport, and most countries require at least six months of passport validity for entry. Additionally, Japan does not officially recognize dual citizenship, which could further complicate things.

I have 75 days left in my Schengen stay and need to find a solution as soon as possible. What would be the best course of action?sprunki retake

It’s quicker to renew your US passport in Finland than to get Japanese documents from abroad. The US Embassy won’t penalize you for entering Finland on your Japanese passport—it’s a Schengen issue, not a US one. Plus, aligning your marriage with your US residency simplifies future steps (e.g., notifying US authorities or applying for your spouse’s US visa later).

[browndude]

Did you not use your US passport the last time you left the US?-if so, this will be a problem the next time your try to enter the US, especially these days. However, if you left the US using a valid passport and the passport expired while you were abroad then it should not be a problem. Entering the Schengen zone on your Japanese passport should not be an issue however in terms of getting your US passport renewed. If you do not know how to get it, then you should contact the Japanese authorities about the "examination of impediments" certificate from Japan. You are unlikely to get aswers about Japanese documentation on this forum. Also, how did you manage to get dual citizenship as a Japanese citizen? Aren't you required to forefit your other citizenships if you are a Japanese citizen?

[crisach]

I am a dual citizen of the US and Japan, residing in the US. I entered Finland on my Japanese passport because my US passport was expired. Both my Japanese and US passports qualify for the 90-day visa-free Schengen stay. I came to Finland to visit my Finnish girlfriend, and we are trying to get married so that I can apply for a Finnish residence permit based on family ties.

My goal is to complete the marriage process within the 90-day period, as applying for the residence permit usually allows me to stay past the 90 days while my application is being processed. However, I am unsure which passport to use for the marriage process. If I use my Japanese passport, I may need to obtain an "examination of impediments" certificate from Japan, but I am not sure how to do this since I don’t currently reside there. If I renew my US passport and use it instead, I am concerned that the US embassy may question how I entered Finland without a valid US passport.

I also worry that renewing my US passport in Finland could raise legal issues, as US law requires dual citizens to exit the US on their US passport, and most countries require at least six months of passport validity for entry. Additionally, Japan does not officially recognize dual citizenship, which could further complicate things.

I have 75 days left in my Schengen stay and need to find a solution as soon as possible. What would be the best course of action?

In order to get married here you need a legal document from the country of your citizenship stating you are not married. In Europe this is a standard form from the home country. In my case I could get one also from my embassy.
I guess you need to get a statement from the country whose passport you will use when you submit the documents to obtain permission to get married.

Keep in mind that the documents depend on the country so what worked for me might not work for you.