Paperwork requirements once married

My girlfriend and I are planning on marrying in Denmark (i'm American, she's German) and I am wondering, once this is done, what paperwork is required to secure residency for me in Germany as well as securing a work permit. Also any idea of paperwork processing times? Right now i'm just on a temporary visa.

I read that once you are married, you receive an automatic 3 year visa, but i'm sure it's not as easy as automatic...

You should, if everything is in order, get a three-year visa. They might ask for proof your wife can support you (that she makes enough money) or that you have enough savings. Whether they will or not probably depends on which clerk you deal with. Best if you have marriage certificate apostilled in Denmark and your own birth certificate, but once again, that might not in reality be necessary. Also rental contract, proof Anmeldung, and proof of health insurance. That's just off the top of my head so do a search because this topic has been broached many a time. I see you decided to avoid the fiancee visa or getting married in the US altogether.

Thanks for the info.
Yes, it's just not an option right now to bring her to the States until after our baby is born and we can have time to do some more careful planning, and since the wait time to get married in Germany is 6 months, we need to act quickly so I am able to stay with her during the pregnancy.

Wait time in Germany to get married? Why do you have to wait? Or what do you have to wait for? I applied on a Monday and was given permission 10 days later...

Thanks for the info kitkat64, because if it's not true, perhaps it will save us some valuable time and money. The document we were given today at the marriage office here in Wiesbaden says "Die Anmeldung kann fruestens 6 Monate vor der gerplanten Eheschliessung erfolgen."

Am I misunderstanding something? Perhaps its a Hessen law or maybe because i'm not German?

Really??? I hope this proves true for me next month!!! I was expecting a little longer. I know two Germans who applied and married 2 weeks later. I am still waiting for my apostilled birth certificate and my fiance to get back from sea. I hope I am as lucky as you were with 10 days!

"Frühestens". As in, "apply at the earliest (no more than) 6 months before planned marriage date".

Ok, that makes more sense. Thanks for the clarification.

Can anyone give me an estimate of what I should expect to pay just for fees and paperwork for a marriage in Germany? I'm not talking about the limos and catering, etc, I just mean for the basic process.

That info is on another thread and it is different depending on what your circumstances are (are you divorced? is she divorced? kids from either etc).

Check out this thread: The cost of getting married in Germany...


It means that from the date of the OK from the high court, you have 6 months to get married or you will have to apply again (thereby wasting around 100€ to do so).

In the end, it cost us around 100€ to apply for the marriage "license" and then the high court charged us 240€ (which is based on how much money you make - it can cost between 10€ and 310€.

The Standesamt told us that the approval from the high courst can take from 3 - 6 weeks. Our came back in 10 days. I am American and my boyfriend is German. I don't know why it was so quickly approved.

No, I think the statement would mean you cannot apply earlier than 6 months before the planned wedding. so the wedding date should be 6 months away from the time you apply for the llicense.

Right. In other words, you can apply later than 6 months before.


Wrong, the wedding should be less than 6 months away.