Intend to marry a Russian? This is guide on how you go about it.

The Russian brides may have a vague reputation in the West, but they have a reputation for being very romantic lovers and devoted spouses.  Despite changing attitudes in the West, many foreign men do not stop of dreaming about a Russian wife. However, being in love is being in love, but to get married with a Russian citizen, you have not only to make a proposal to you loved one and give her an engagement ring, but also to collect necessary documents allowing her to obtain a fiancée visa of file for her a relative petition. The procedure is not very complex, but is time-consuming and you must be pay attention to every detail and prepare every single document in accordance with International Law on documents exchanges and the internal regulations of the Russian Federation.

Where your marriage is going to take place?

First, you have to choose where you will officially register your relationships and marry a Russian. In Russia or in your homeland country? In the latter case, the marriage is concluded under the laws of this country, and each state has its own rules.

In Turkey, for example, the marriage registration is a very bureaucratic procedure which can take you up to few months to register you marriage, and sometimes, they suggest changing religion, pay additional fee, etc. In Finland, the entire process takes no longer than a month. Nevertheless, if you decide to get married in a church, you shall to go back to Russia, to the church where you were baptized, request for the Certificate of Baptism and present the certificate to the authorities in Finland.

But if you are to be married in Russia, what documents do you need for this purpose?

Collecting a set of documents for Russia

The basic document that required by most of the countries, including Russia, is obtaining so called Certificate of Marital Status, aka Affidavit of Single Status, aka Certificate of Non – Impediment.  It is because polygamy and polyandry are prohibited in Russia. Therefore, if foreigners who were previously married want to get married with a citizen of the Russian Federation, they will have to prove their single status with one more piece of paper – a Divorce Certificate (Judgement of Divorce) with apostille and certified translation into the Russian language or spouse’s death certificate properly legalized by the competent authorities in the issuing country and state.

Another important issue that you have to know about is that the Russian Family Code outlaws marriages between minors, siblings as well as people who are already married. If a married Russian woman flees to an Arab country to the harem of her new chosen one, the marriage will not be recognized by the Russian Federation. Same-sex couples are denied marriage registration in Russia either.

Mixed marriages must conform to the current laws on Civil Acts registration of both countries, and it is wise to find out the requirements of your home country before starting any paperwork. The United Kingdom, for example, established a different procedure of marriage registration: the British authorities require a certificate of no impediment issued by the consulate in Russia to be submitted with them for marriage registration.

We recommend that you also consult in advance with the Russian embassy and proper civil registry office. Russian officials may request additional papers in some cases. Here we present a typical situation. Citizens of the CIS, Baltic countries and some other states do not need to obtain an apostille (a certification for authenticating documents for use in foreign countries) for their documents. But if your state does not have such an agreement with Russia, the papers (except for the passport) must be legalized.

Now it’s time to go to Russia.

Once in Russia, you should first of all register your visa at her place of residence. The easiest way to do this is to stay at a hotel – hotels take care of registration of foreigners. But if you decide to live with the fiancé from the start, then both of you have to stand in line at the Federal Migration Service’s office.

Once registered, you can go looking for a Russian notary. You need to translate and notarize all the documents (including a copy of the passport, which should also be made by a lawyer). You can skip this step and save time in Russia if you’ll take care of translation of your documents in advance in the United States. Here we have a lot of reliable translation agencies offering professional certified translations into Russian and prepare your documents in accordance with legal requirements of the Russian Federation.

The documents are ready, what’s next?

If you get this far, you’ve passed the most the tedious part of the entire process, and you are at the finish line. You are ready to visit the Civil Registry Office (Бюро Записи Актов Гражданского Состояния). In different cities, different branches work with foreigners. In Moscow, for instance, it is Palace of Marriages Registration No. 4. There you will get a bank account number to pay a state marriage registration fee in the amount of 350 RUB (5.5 USD).

With all the documents and a duty payment receipt, the couple comes back to the Civil Registry Office and fills out an application for marriage registration. Once the application is filled and submitted you can choose the wedding day, however, the minimum waiting period is one month. Advice: If you intend to get married in the summer time, submit the marriage application in advance. In the middle of the year, registry offices are packed to capacity, so there is a risk of having to wait much longer than planned.

If the world does not suddenly end during this month, then congratulations! Now you are married! But before you forget the bureaucracy like a bad dream, it is worthwhile obtaining an apostille on the newly issued marriage certificate in Russia– if you’re going to return to your homeland with your spouse.

If you have any questions regarding preparation for your documents for marriage purposes in the Russian Federation, contact our specialists and find out more about how to get them prepared correctly and in timely manner.