How can refugees in two different countries get married?

Question

Hello,

I am a refugee in Belgium and my fiancee is a refugee in Norway. We would like to get married and live in Belgium.

What kind of procedure do we need to follow through this process? Can he obtain residence in Belgium without losing his Norway residence permit?

Is it called Family Reuninon?

I would be very much appreciate if you could help,

Thank you in advance

Answer 1

Dear @unr44, 

Welcome to the Wefugees Community and thank you for reaching out to us. 

First of all, it would be important to know if you both (or one of you) has a valid residence permit or if you are still in the asylum procedure. In case of a pending asylum procedure, I would not recommend you to leave the respective country or travel as you would most likely get in trouble and the asylum application is in danger. 

As soon as you are under international protection and you hold a travel document, you may travel within the EU freely for up to 90 days. This would also give you the opportunity to marry (if you fulfill the requirements for a marriage in that country). 

Once you are married, you can apply for a family unification visa at the destination country’s embassy. The requirements for this kind of visa may also vary from country to country (i.e. being able to secure livelihood and accommodation). 

I am not too familiar with the Norwegian residence regulations and laws, but in Germany, for instance, you would lose your residence permit after being absent and actually live in another country for a certain time. For being sure, you can also contact a local expert in Norway who is more knowledgeable on this. 

I hope this helps and please don’t hesitate to get back to us with any further questions. 

All the best, 

Meike