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JimRoss
Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 31
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 Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 8:34 am Post subject: |
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I'm British and I married a non-Brit outside the UK.
My experience is 20 years old but some of it may still be valid. We got married outside the UK. 3 years later we decided to move back to the UK. We had to do the following (this is as accurate as I can remember):
- Go to the British Consulate and file for her citizenship.
- Once approved we went back to the UK.
- Upon arrival immigration checked her papers and gave her a medical.
- She was given some more paperwork that had to be filed with the Home Office.
- About 6 months later a letter arrived from the HO officially granting citizenship.
- My wife applied for and got a UK Passport.
She is now a passport holding British citizen and has the same living/working rights in the EU as every other Brit. Her residence/work status does not depend on where I am.
The process I went through has almost certainly changed since my wife and I went through it. As long as your marriage is recognised by the UK, you should be able to get UK citizenship for your wife. Once she's a British citizen she can live and work anywhere in the EU. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2009 10:40 am Post subject: |
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| I think actual citizenship is the key. 'Spouse of' isn't adequate in the countries I've checked, but I have not specifically looked at the laws in Spain, as I'm settled elsewhere. |
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Phil_b
Joined: 14 Oct 2003
Posts: 239
Location: Back in London
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| Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:08 pm Post subject: |
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| JimRoss wrote: |
I'm British and I married a non-Brit outside the UK.
My experience is 20 years old but some of it may still be valid. We got married outside the UK. 3 years later we decided to move back to the UK. We had to do the following (this is as accurate as I can remember):
- Go to the British Consulate and file for her citizenship.
- Once approved we went back to the UK.
- Upon arrival immigration checked her papers and gave her a medical.
- She was given some more paperwork that had to be filed with the Home Office.
- About 6 months later a letter arrived from the HO officially granting citizenship.
- My wife applied for and got a UK Passport.
She is now a passport holding British citizen and has the same living/working rights in the EU as every other Brit. Her residence/work status does not depend on where I am.
The process I went through has almost certainly changed since my wife and I went through it. As long as your marriage is recognised by the UK, you should be able to get UK citizenship for your wife. Once she's a British citizen she can live and work anywhere in the EU. |
I think quite a few things have changed since then... as far as I am aware, you can't naturalise as a British citizen without having lived in the UK - 3 years if you are married (or possibly if you are a civil partner of - not sure about that one) of a British Citizen - 5 years otherwise.
In Spain, unless you are from Latin America or the Phillipines I believe you have to live there for 10 years before being able to get citizenship
However spouses of EU nationals (or maybe EEA nationals) can live and work in Spain - see the above links. |
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Phil_b
Joined: 14 Oct 2003
Posts: 239
Location: Back in London
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