UK tourist visa for Russians living in Germany married to Brit

neilo23 New member

4POSTS

7 years ago

I’m a British citizen and have lived for 20 years in Germany. My wife is a Russian citizen but is living legally in Germany, as is her daughter.

My mother is seriously ill and we want to go and visit her in the UK asap (myself, wife, her daughter). According to the UK gov.uk site the girls do and don’t need a visa. It basically says that non-EU citizens married to a Brit and registered and legally living in the EU don’t need a visa to visit the UK. But they do if they’re Russian. I’ve also read that a French resident’s permit would be sufficient but a German Aufenthaltserlaubnis wouldn’t be.

I’ve tried calling the consulate and visa service to no avail. Does anyone know for sure if my wife and her daughter need visas before we book flights?

1 member reacted to this post

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Cynic UK/Netherlands Expert

8115POSTS

7 years ago

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

The question they ask is "Will you be travelling with or visiting either your partner or a family member in the UK?". If the answer is yes and your wife and her daughter have German issued Article 10 residence cards (it's written on the card), then they don't need a visa to visit the UK with you. If they travel alone (i.e. to see the sites), then they need a visa.

So, in the circumstances you describe, they don't need a visa, you could all jump on a plane this morning.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

2 members reacted to this post

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15644POSTS

7 years ago

This is not a question pertaining Germany.
I recommend you either post this on the relevant country forums (UK and/or Russia) or, even better, ask the authorities in charge.

neilo23 New member

4POSTS

7 years ago

“Residence card of a family member of an EU citizen” is on my wife’s card (nothing about article 10) but only “Residence permit” on her daughter’s card so I assume that she will need one and my wife will need to provide proof that she is the mother. Our marriage certificate will probably also be required.

They can travel all over the EU but as usual it’s the UK causing the problems ;-)

Thank you very much for your answer!

neilo23 New member

4POSTS

7 years ago

Oh but it is, albeit indirectly. Technically all EU countries have the same rules but that isn’t actually the case. For example, my wife and I wouldn’t have been able to marry in Germany but could in Denmark. I’ve also read that there is a difference between the residence permits issued in France and Germany: France’s are standard EU issue, Germany’s are Germany-specific permits.

And as I wrote, the various authorities have sent me around in circles. The British consulate just has an a message sending you to their site and doesn’t answer visa inquiries either by email or telephone. The visa site says that we do and we don’t need visas. The official authorities were naturally the first people I asked.

TominStuttgart Germany Expert

2807POSTS

7 years ago

neilo23 wrote:
Oh but it is, albeit indirectly. Technically all EU countries have the same rules but that isn’t actually the case. For example, my wife and I wouldn’t have been able to marry in Germany but could in Denmark. I’ve also read that there is a difference between the residence permits issued in France and Germany: France’s are standard EU issue, Germany’s are Germany-specific permits.
.

Marrying in Denmark is said to be easier but on what basis can 2 people marry there but not in Germany?

Also, what do you mean by "standard EU issue" and "Germany specific". EU residents have the right to travel but not live and work in the other EU countries. France does not and cannot issue a residency permit valid for other countries. And Germany's residency permits have been standardized and give comparable rights as all other EU ones. French residency does not give additional rights in other EU countries than German ones. If the UK wants to make certain exceptions for Russians living in different countries then this has to do with UK law and not German.

neilo23 New member

4POSTS

7 years ago

The Standesamt in my town wouldn’t have allowed us to marry as I don’t earn enough for their rules. Or my wife wouldn’t have been able to live here with me for the same reason. I can’t remember now exactly. However if a couple married legally abroad the non-EU person can live here. A German friend of mine had to work 200 hours a month in order to earn nough to satisfy the Rathaus when he married a Russian but I didn’t have to do this because I married abroad and I’m not German. Crazy but true.

As for the French / German residence card that was something I read online and wanted to find out if it really is so as you can’t believe everything you read on the internet.

beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15644POSTS

7 years ago

I think you confuse several issues here.
Fist, there is no EU residence permit, only national ones.
Second, anyone can marry anywhere - in principle, but the buerocratic hurdles may differ (and are specifically high in Germany and lower in Denmark, that is well known!).
And, regarding your original question, since UK isn't part of Schengen (and soon the EU), whether and how your non-EU wife can visit the UK is off-topic on the Germany forum. If your country's authorities do not give appropriate answers (which is unfortunate and can equally well happen with German authorities), you could ask this on your country forum. That your wife has a German residence permit most probably has no influence on the matter anyway.
Good luck!

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beppi Germany/Singapore Expert

15644POSTS

7 years ago

My last post crossed with yours just above it
Marrying a foreigner here is a topic for the Germany forum, but what you wrote is patently wrong:
You again confused two separate issues, the right to marry, which you had, and the right for your wife to live with you here, which is tied to some financial and other requirements (specifially, about EUR9000/year per family member, sufficient living space and health insurance), in order to prevent her from becoming destitute here and depending on government handouts. This applies to all foreigners who want a family reunion visa for a non-EU partner (requirements for German citizens' non-EU spouses are different). If you managed to get around this, count yourself lucky that buerocratic errors also sometimes go in your favour, but correct it is not!

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TominStuttgart Germany Expert

2807POSTS

7 years ago

#10

To correct my above post I should have said Schengen countries rather than EU countries since of course the UK and Ireland opted out of Schengen. Otherwise, it all adds up to the same thing; no Schengen member country can issue a residency permit for other countries. Thus a residency permit from France has no advanatges over one from Germany.