Getting Married In Russia

[firewithin6667]

Hi everyone

I have met a girl online 14 months ago who is from St Petersburg, Russia. We quickly bonded over mutual interests. I've met her twice since then, once in St Petersburg and once in Helsinki a few months later. We are similar age (25/23) and have similar education (bachelors for me, bachelors + certificate for her).

I plan on marrying her to bring her to Canada. My main problem is the following:

- The ZAGS and Russian Embassy are kind of unclear and wishy-washy about the documents they require. Can someone let me know what they are or how it worked for them if they got married in Russia? For me, the embassy says I need to go to Moscow and get the marriage certificate there and authorized (which is inconvenient, since we want to be married in St Petersburg). That would take a week, and then the ZAGS has a one month waiting period, which I cannot wait for since the tourist visa is 30 days. But her ZAGS says that a marriage document obtained in Canada would be good enough. What is the correct information?
- Based on what I told you, would immigration have any major red flags if we got married soon? Do I have to visit one more time, just to get engaged? I did meet her parents before, but it was before we were considering getting married and didn't take pictures to document the event.

Thank you sincerely for all the help you provide. Please let me know if you need any more information. Thank you so much if you do respond!

Kind regards,

Neil

 

[carolbb23]

no red flags but with cic they find it too soon I suggest take your time meet the parents than have her meet yours take loads of photos and enough proof of relationship where it's not fake keep like gifto recipit's plus stuff you do together

 

[Ahmelina23]

Hi everyone

I have met a girl online 14 months ago who is from St Petersburg, Russia. We quickly bonded over mutual interests. I've met her twice since then, once in St Petersburg and once in Helsinki a few months later. We are similar age (25/23) and have similar education (bachelors for me, bachelors + certificate for her).

I plan on marrying her to bring her to Canada. My main problem is the following:

- The ZAGS and Russian Embassy are kind of unclear and wishy-washy about the documents they require. Can someone let me know what they are or how it worked for them if they got married in Russia? For me, the embassy says I need to go to Moscow and get the marriage certificate there and authorized (which is inconvenient, since we want to be married in St Petersburg). That would take a week, and then the ZAGS has a one month waiting period, which I cannot wait for since the tourist visa is 30 days. But her ZAGS says that a marriage document obtained in Canada would be good enough. What is the correct information?
- Based on what I told you, would immigration have any major red flags if we got married soon? Do I have to visit one more time, just to get engaged? I did meet her parents before, but it was before we were considering getting married and didn't take pictures to document the event.

Thank you sincerely for all the help you provide. Please let me know if you need any more information. Thank you so much if you do respond!

Kind regards,

Neil

Just to clarify, did embassy in Moscow tell you that you must get your marriage certificate in Moscow only? Because we got our marriage certificate in a different city in Russia, translated it, notarized it and that's all I don't think it matters where you get your marriage certificate as long as you translate and notarize it.

Doesn't seem that you should have any red flags. As long as you don't have military service, extensive travel history, and so on.

Just make sure to include as much proof such as communication and photos as possible. We applied before December 7,2016, so we had different requirements for photos. I think now it's only 20 photos.

 

[firewithin6667]

Just to clarify, did embassy in Moscow tell you that you must get your marriage certificate in Moscow only? Because we got our marriage certificate in a different city in Russia, translated it, notarized it and that's all I don't think it matters where you get your marriage certificate as long as you translate and notarize it.

Doesn't seem that you should have any red flags. As long as you don't have military service, extensive travel history, and so on.

Just make sure to include as much proof such as communication and photos as possible. We applied before December 7,2016, so we had different requirements for photos. I think now it's only 20 photos.

Essentially, the Canadian embassy in Moscow detailed the process as:

1. Get marriage letter (This can only be done in front of the Canadian consular in Moscow) <-- That's what they said
2. Legalize in ministry of foreign affairs (Also only in Moscow)
3. Apply to ZAGS, wait 30 days <--- This part is a problem for me, because the tourist visa only lasts 30 days.
4. Go into ZAGS on wedding date, get married.

Is this information wrong? I also tried contacting the Russian Embassy in Ottawa, but someone answered in Russian and put me on hold for 10 seconds, then the call disconnected. Please help me, I just want to do the marriage correctly. Thank you for your input for our situation.

 

[Jeffuk88]

Could she not come to canada as a tourist and get married here or do her parents want it to be in russia?

 

[jeffporfirio2]

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[firewithin6667]

Could she not come to canada as a tourist and get married here or do her parents want it to be in russia?

It is apparently very hard for her to get a tourist visa as a single girl without owning property in Russia. She has been told she'd likely be denied (I've seen this information repeated around these forums as well). It doesn't matter to us where we get married so long as we can and it ensures we can be together eventually

 

[firewithin6667]

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Thank you very much! Now if only I can figure this out...

 

[ZhabaHulk]

Just to clarify, did embassy in Moscow tell you that you must get your marriage certificate in Moscow only?

Yeah, unfortunately not all ZAGS in Russia (or simply The Office of Registrar) register marriages between foreigners and russian citizens.

In this case, @firewithin6667 go to another ZAGS in St. Petersburg. I don't know how about now but before it was Wedding palace #2 - tell that to you fiance, she knows what I am talking about. It was only one in St.Peter that does international marriage registration.

Essentially, the Canadian embassy in Moscow detailed the process as:
1. Get marriage letter (This can only be done in front of the Canadian consular in Moscow) <-- That's what they said
2. Legalize in ministry of foreign affairs (Also only in Moscow)
3. Apply to ZAGS, wait 30 days <--- This part is a problem for me, because the tourist visa only lasts 30 days.
4. Go into ZAGS on wedding date, get married.

The process is correct but SHE CAN apply for the marriage ceremony/certificate WITHOUT you being present (so you can stay in Canada for 30 days while application is being processed). What do you need to do to make it is:
1. Make a copy of your Passport;
2. Get the Certificate of Marital Status to prove freedom to marry at your local Vital Statistics Agency (some provinces can be done via mail) - it may take 3 to 4 weeks;
3. She has to take a copy of marriage application at the ZAGS, scan and send it to you to fill out. (If you don't understand Russian, ask her to help but YOU have to sign it).
Take all THREE of those I described above and certify them in Notary Public and then confirm this certification in the Ministry of Foreign affairs of Canada. After this part is done send this bulk of papers to nearest Embassy of Russia for legalization - it would take about 2 weeks max.
Once you get this paperload back, send it to her via mail (NOT email).
What SHE has to do is:
1. Translate it to Russian (if necessary )and Certify at the Notary Public;
2. Bring it to ZAGS and set the date of the ceremony.
After 30 days, you can get to St. Petersburg and conduct marriage.

Note: Make sure that you name in Passport and in Certificate of Marital Status is the same.
To make sure that this process still works, make her to go to ZAGS and ask if this would work with them.
If she doesn't understand what you are talking about, I can translate these steps to Russian special for her.

But
If you ask me, consider all this butthurt with translation, obtaining marriage letter from Consular, legalization of your passport and so on, I'd strongly recommend to do this process in Canada. Once you're married to each other on territory of Canada, you can fly back together and make unofficial bridal ceremony in Russia if her family insist so badly on that or whatever reason is.

 

[Ahmelina23]

Essentially, the Canadian embassy in Moscow detailed the process as:

1. Get marriage letter (This can only be done in front of the Canadian consular in Moscow) <-- That's what they said
2. Legalize in ministry of foreign affairs (Also only in Moscow)
3. Apply to ZAGS, wait 30 days <--- This part is a problem for me, because the tourist visa only lasts 30 days.
4. Go into ZAGS on wedding date, get married.

Is this information wrong? I also tried contacting the Russian Embassy in Ottawa, but someone answered in Russian and put me on hold for 10 seconds, then the call disconnected. Please help me, I just want to do the marriage correctly. Thank you for your input for our situation.

I see, so you're thinking of applying through Moscow correct? Because you can also apply through Warsaw which should be better actually)
We wanted to apply through Warsaw, but since Azerbaijan was involved, our file was sent to Ankara.

Like I said, we did it in a different city in Russia and we had no problems I have a lawyer in Toronto, so I just gave her our marriage certificate from Russia and she legalized it.

We didn't apply through Russia, maybe that's why it doesn't matter where we got our marriage certificate.

 

[ZhabaHulk]

It is apparently very hard for her to get a tourist visa as a single girl without owning property in Russia. She has been told she'd likely be denied (I've seen this information repeated around these forums as well). It doesn't matter to us where we get married so long as we can and it ensures we can be together eventually

Does she has a car or rent/lease agreement? Stable company where she's employed at, maybe?
As long as she can prove she has a bond with Russia and has reason to get back eventually, she may have a chance to get a TVR. Even having a sick relative (sorry for gruesomeness) may help her case.

Besides, I'd have tried anyway than do nothing about. If she's refused, no worries, she can apply over again later, there is no restrictions about that.

 

[Ahmelina23]

The process is correct but SHE CAN apply for the marriage ceremony/certificate WITHOUT you being present (so you can stay in Canada for 30 days while application is being processed). What do you need to do to make it is:
1. Make a copy of your Passport;
2. Get the Certificate of Marital Status to prove freedom to marry at your local Vital Statistics Agency (some provinces can be done via mail) - it may take 3 to 4 weeks;
3. She has to take a copy of marriage application at the ZAGS, scan and send it to you to fill out. (If you don't understand Russian, ask her to help but YOU have to sign it).
Take all THREE of those I described above and certify them in Notary Public and then confirm this certification in the Ministry of Foreign affairs of Canada. After this part is done send this bulk of papers to nearest Embassy of Russia for legalization - it would take about 2 weeks max.
Once you get this paperload back, send it to her via mail (NOT email).
What SHE has to do is:
1. Translate it to Russian (if necessary )and Certify at the Notary Public;
2. Bring it to ZAGS and set the date of the ceremony.
After 30 days, you can get to St. Petersburg and conduct marriage.

Note: Make sure that you name in Passport and in Certificate of Marital Status is the same.
To make sure that this process still works, make her to go to ZAGS and ask if this would work with them.
If she doesn't understand what are you talking about, I translate these steps to Russian special for her.

Correct, we did the same thing.

 

[firewithin6667]

I see, so you're thinking of applying through Moscow correct? Because you can also apply through Warsaw which should be better actually)
We wanted to apply through Warsaw, but since Azerbaijan was involved, our file was sent to Ankara.

Like I said, we did it in a different city in Russia and we had no problems I have a lawyer in Toronto, so I just gave her our marriage certificate from Russia and she legalized it.

We didn't apply through Russia, maybe that's why it doesn't matter where we got our marriage certificate.

Yeah, unfortunately not all ZAGS in Russia (or simply The Office of Registrar) register marriages between foreigners and russian citizens.

In this case, @firewithin6667 go to another ZAGS in St. Petersburg. I don't know how about now but before it was Wedding palace #2 - tell that to you fiance, she knows what I am talking about. It was only one in St.Peter that does international marriage registration.



The process is correct but SHE CAN apply for the marriage ceremony/certificate WITHOUT you being present (so you can stay in Canada for 30 days while application is being processed). What do you need to do to make it is:
1. Make a copy of your Passport;
2. Get the Certificate of Marital Status to prove freedom to marry at your local Vital Statistics Agency (some provinces can be done via mail) - it may take 3 to 4 weeks;
3. She has to take a copy of marriage application at the ZAGS, scan and send it to you to fill out. (If you don't understand Russian, ask her to help but YOU have to sign it).
Take all THREE of those I described above and certify them in Notary Public and then confirm this certification in the Ministry of Foreign affairs of Canada. After this part is done send this bulk of papers to nearest Embassy of Russia for legalization - it would take about 2 weeks max.
Once you get this paperload back, send it to her via mail (NOT email).
What SHE has to do is:
1. Translate it to Russian (if necessary )and Certify at the Notary Public;
2. Bring it to ZAGS and set the date of the ceremony.
After 30 days, you can get to St. Petersburg and conduct marriage.

Note: Make sure that you name in Passport and in Certificate of Marital Status is the same.
To make sure that this process still works, make her to go to ZAGS and ask if this would work with them.
If she doesn't understand what are you talking about, I translate these steps to Russian special for her.

But
If you ask me, consider all this butthert with translation, obtaining marriage letter from Consular, legalization of your passport and so on, I'd strongly recommend to do this process in Canada. Once you're married to each other on territory of Canada, you can fly back together and make unofficial bridal ceremony in Russia if her family insist so badly on that or whatever reason is.

First of all let me say, thank you so much for the informative response and for taking your time to help me.

The main problem I am experiencing is that she did go to ZAGS # 2 in St Petersburg (The one in charge of foreign marriages). They told her all I needed was:
1. The marriage letter (Certificate of Non Impediment) that I get from my government. As far as I know, I can get a Statement In Lieu Of Non Impediment To Marriage from my own government: http://international.gc.ca/world-monde/study_work_travel-etude_travail_voyage/authentication-authentification/marriage-mariage.aspx?lang=eng . I can get this letter from my province, but this information directly contradicts with what I've read on Canadian-Russian consulate and embassy websites, as well as what the Canadian Embassy in Moscow has emailed to me. I am thinking that there was a misunderstanding from the ZAGS as to where to get the marriage letter.
2. Visa
3. Copy of Passport
4. ZAGS application (Which my girlfriend said she'd send me)

Since it is the ZAGS who told her one thing, and I am reading another, I am heavily confused. I tried calling the Russian Embassy in Canada, but they answered in Russian (Unfortunately I don't speak it) and promptly hung up. I will try again during the week, perhaps there was a long lunch break.

If what the ZAGS described was wrong, does this mean going to Moscow an inevitability? If so, I would have to fly back to Canada from Moscow, get another visa quickly, and then fly back to St Petersburg to get married once the application is filed and the date set by ZAGS?

As for my fiancee, she is quite fluent in English (I daresay she may be better than I am!). She would have no problem understanding anything I ask of her in English.

Let me detail why we don't consider coming to Canada to get married an option. Her parents aren't pressuring me at all. I've read that to do in-country sponsorship, she has to live here for at least a year or two without leaving. Considering she can't get a tourist visa, and has no steady job at the moment, it is quite difficult for her to get a tourist visa to Canada (She had looked into it and was told she had a sure chance of being declined). Is this how this process works? Is there something I may be missing?

I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself or I've made myself appear ignorant in anyway, I am just heavily confused and new at this. Once again, thank you so much for information. You're giving me at least some peace of mind in this.

Kind regards,

Neil

 

[firewithin6667]

no red flags but with cic they find it too soon I suggest take your time meet the parents than have her meet yours take loads of photos and enough proof of relationship where it's not fake keep like gifto recipit's plus stuff you do together

Thank you for your input, it's nice to know that my case isn't too bad. I did keep miscellaneous tickets and receipts of things we did together (Aquarium/Zoo in St Petersburg, Dog sledding in Helsinki, pictures in front of monuments in Helsinki), as well as hotel confirmations and the like. We also took many pictures to document both those travels. We also have most of our chat log (12+ months worth) of knowing each other and speaking every single day.

 

[firewithin6667]

Correct, we did the same thing.

Thank you for responding. So, you got your marriage letters from Russia, correct? The problem seems to be that I am supposed to get it from a Canadian source, but I'm not sure which Canadian source is correct (Here in Ottawa I can get a Statement in Lieu of Non Impediment to marriage, or the Canadian Embassy in Moscow). The Canadian sources I've read say the embassy in Moscow, but the ZAGS in St Petersburg told my girlfriend the one from Ottawa should be fine. Any idea which one is correct? Thanks so much!