Hi there,

This forum is amazing and I had to take my time to gorge all that information. But there are some specific information that I would like to get from you guys.

My wife applied for a German National Visa based on spouse reunion on the 13th of January 2014 at the Bangalore Consulate since we hail from Kerala.
I came to Germany in 2010 as a student and we got married in Kerala in 2012. I had to return soon as I had to complete my studies.
Now, I have a job and a blue card and would like to bring my wife to Germany.
My wife applied for a Visa with all the documents mentioned in the checklist provided by the German consulate in Bangalore on the 13th of January 2014. On the 10th of February 2014, I get a letter from the Landratsamt asking meto submit my job contract, payment slip along with appartment contract to the local Landratsamt. I submitted all the docs by the 19th of February 2014.
The man said that a background check has to be done on the marriage certificate and that he would ask the German Consulate in Bangalore to do so and the Bangalore consulate would contact my wife for the same and that my wife would have to pay and they would do it.
Three weeks go by and I met him today and he said that he had intimated then Bangalore consulate three weeks ago and that he shall do it again today and there is nothing more he can do.

My questions are:
1. The checklist did not contain any requirement for paying money on background check from South India (only for applicants from North India). I asked a few guys around and they are like that they are hearing it for the first time for someone from South India. Is it because I was not married when I first came to Germany? Anyone with past experiences?
2. Even if they have to do a check, why have not they contacted my wife yet ? Does my wife have to go anyways directly (even without a call or email from Bangalore Consulate) and pay the money for the checking since I have the information from here?
3. If they do the check, my in laws are available in Kerala but my parents are NRI and live in Dubai. How can I get around this issue?
4. How long does the background check take ?

Any help from your experience would be appreciated.
Thanks a lot for your assistance and advice.

Have a nice day.
Lijo
 

Hi Lijo,

1) Once ABH has initiated the verification process it doesn't matter if you are in North/South/Central/East or West India. The representative will visit your house as well as your inlaws house (mine even went to the court to check MC in records).
2) For most cases the verification fees is taken right at the time of application however in a few cases the consultate gives a call and then your wife needs to deposit the same. It takes approx. 4 weeks for ABH to clear your case upon receipt of all necessary documents and then it depends on the Indian counter part of making a report and endorsing the same.

3) Please share it will be a learning for us also. Hopefully you have an Indian address in your wife's application form (may be your home adress any representative there can explain the situation to the officer).

4) I think it depends on the complexity, distance from consulate etc. It will take approx. 8 (in total) weeks for your spouse visa approval (may be less  for proper orderly documents). But ya 8 weeks is kinda aprrox. time I will say.

Oh and yes if it's urgent I thought this info may be helpful. It's like you can submit a declaration and take visa subject to certain conditions but you need to consult your local consulate about this.

1. Sign a declaration which states that if the marriage verification fails, they will deport the spouse.

2. Submit authorization letter and ID details of a representative who will collect MC and other supporting docs once the marriage verification process is over.

Regards,

Hello Visaforspouse,

Even mywife has applid from the Bangalore consulate on 6th March. Did you contact the ABH after te application wasmde or waited for a communication from their end?

Also, please share your experience about the communication address because we have vacated the house thats mentioned on the application form. Is there any possibility that you can update your contact details at the Bangalore consulate?

Thanks and goodluck! 

Hi,

No new developments... but anyways I shall give you an update..


The person in the Landratsamt here in Germany said that he sent a mail to Bangalore German consulate (5 weeks ago and again 2 weeks ago ) asking them to do a background check on our marriage certificate.
The guys in Bangalore German consulate didnt contact my wife as of date.

However, my wife went to the Bangalore German consulate last week even without an invitation after days of failed attempts to reach them by phone.
They simply said that they have received no news regarding the background check and that 'THE PAPER IS STILL PROCESSING IN GERMANY' and showed her their computer screen.. to be precise !

I went back to the guy in  the Landratsamt here in Germany and told him what they said and he is equally surprised and said that he shall send a mail once again to them and there is nothing else he can do !

@crazydestiny: I contacted the local ABH after they asked me to by post.
Communication address in Germany? Simply do the 'Ummeldung' at the local Rathaus and your address will be updated elsewhere.

Communication address in India.. Maybe your wife has to do it herself in Bangalore !

Hope I could help.

Thanks Visaforspouse,

I notice that you were asked forthe documents like job contract, payslips, housecontract. Just out of curiosity, had you not submitted these along with your spouse' family reunion visa documents? I mean certificate of residence and residence permit are asked in checklist.

My wife had submitted even my job contract and house contract along the application. I feel as its more than 6 weeks you can visit the ABH and ask them to fax a letter to the Bangalore consulate or write an email to Berlin marking the Bangalore consulate. You can also request the Bangalore consulate that you give a declaration and your wife can travel with MC verification pending.
I personally know people who have emailed Berlin office and immediately got replies in a day.

Good luck!

Hi,

My wife had submitted all the necessary documents but then meanwhile, I had changed my residence again.
So, I submitted all of the docs once again.

I could ask the guy at ABH to send a mail to Berlin and Bangalore.

The problem here is, the Bangalore Consulate will only start the investigation once they have received the message from here requesting to conduct a MC verification. That means, once they get the message, they will intimate my wife and then my wife has to go to Bangalore and make the payments and as I understand, then the process of MC verification starts.

It has already been 5 weeks since the guys here at the ABH has sent it and he has already sent them 2 reminders 2 weeks and one week ago. Still... no response from the Bangalore consulate !
Nevertheless, thanks a lot for the advice and inputs.

Thanks Lijo,

I hope it happens soon that they initiate MC verification for your application.

Do you have a marriage certificate stamped by any state or central govt. authority in India or just the Registrar?

Thanks!

Hi Lijo,

I cannot exactly comment regarding the verification but if you are sure that you have provided all the relevant documenta and your local ABH has given the approval then you may try the following :

1) If you have any kind of written reply from your local ABH please forward it to the consulate officer in your home country and may ask for the latest status.

2) or if you don't have any written confirmation from ur local ABH then please write an e-mail to your consulate in home country marking a cc to your local ABH or visa officer and requesting them the status. This may help your case.

I have been through this phase and I understand the frustration of waiting for the final approval even after already being endorsed by ABH . However please keep in mind that any follow up before the designated time limits may make your case complex. Ideal follow up times may be for ABH- after 4-5 weeks , for local consulate- After 8-9 weeks.

@ Destiny - MEA endorsement is not necessary but helps. If you have good amount of time you may please do it. However the visa could be approved without any of MEA or state home dept. endorsement.
Well it will be better if you could somehow translate the certificate if not already done.

Regds,

Thank you hope2shine!

I am waiting for a communication from ABH on receiving application from Bangalore consulate. My wife has not received any email on verification from the Bangalore consulate yet (its been 2 weeks since she appeared for the interview).

Yes, I am getting the MC translated to German.

Thanks.

MEA endorsement will be verified.. dont do unnecessary work. English MC is good enough.

Thanks Cebit!
I have the MC with the seal and signature of the local marriage registrar where I got married. Should that be fine?

Thanks

yes

Thanks! I spoke to the consulate in Bangalore today. News is that the documents have been dispatched to Germany authorities. I guess this is through a diplomatic post. Awaiting the call from ABH now.

will keep posted.

Hello
An update that might prove helpful!

From my personal experience with my spouse' visa. Follow up after 2 weeks of interview at an Indian German Consulate. The application might go to a location headquarter as it went in my case. As an example if you mention A location located in Stuttgart, the application might be sent to the ABH of Stuttgart and not your local ABH. Also they don't intimate you even if they know the application belongs to another region. I was following up with the Beamter every week and she was very helpful and suggested me to contact the main ABH of Stuttgart. To my luck, the application was at the main ABH office. Quite Strange!!!

So following up is the mantra! however, MC verification depends on the Beamter handling your application.

If everything is in place, a spouse visa must not take more than 4 weeks.

Thanks!

Hello all,

I wanted to know how long itwould take for German consulate in India to send an email or post after the ABH has approved the application (Granted the Germn National Visa to spouse)?
Th beamter informed me that they have sent an email of acceptance to the Bangalore consulate.

 
Thanks!

Ideally, you should get an email or call within 3 to 4 working days (min, max being a week). If holidays are there in between, you may expect some delay.

Thanks hprj!

Will it be of any use calling up the Consulate in Bangalore to expedite the VISA stamping as they have an approval from the German Authorities?


Thanks!

Not required. When did you come to know that your spouse's application has been approved from here? In case if it is more than 10 days or so it make sense to follow up.

Hi,

Congrats destinyz..
I am happy for you.
Thanks a lot everyone here for your updates and hints !

On my side, nothing tangible so far.
I called the Bangalore consulate and they say that they have no information from DE even after the ABH from here in Lindau sent a mail 6 weeks ago and followed up with 2 reminders.

Last week, I called the Bangalore consulate and explained the situation and they gave me an alternative email id rk-info@bangla.diplo.de and asked me to give it to the local person in charge of the papers in Lindau, Germany.
I gave it to him yesterday and he said that he shall mail it.
I called Bangalore Consulate again today and they gave me the same old news ("Processing in Germany"). So Frustrating !

Does anyone anything about this email id? I mean, how is it possible that the Bangalore Consulate gives me an email that the local ABH does not know about ? I do not understand this.

Does anyone know of any other alternative? Seems like they still needs MC verification because I came to Germany first as a Bachelor and my wife and I married in between my master studies.

Any help is appreciated.
Lijo

Has it been 3 months since you applied for the visa? Then you can write a formal letter asking them about the status and they are obliged to reply formally. You dont have to provide emails to ABH. They will only send email to the ids for which they are supposed to. You have to be patient. Calling the consulate frequently will not help.

Hi Cebit,
Thanks for your input.

It would be 3 months in a weeks time.
When you say a formal letter, do you mean by post? or Email would still work?
If email, do you know the ID address?

To whom should it be addressed to? Bangalore Consulate?
Or is it that I should mail it to the local ABH?

Hi Hprj,

I received an email from the Bangalore German consulate today and the VISA is aproved. I did contact them through their helpline number and only then they sent the confirmation.

Thanks!

Send an email with a scanned signed copy of the letter. email is on their website. you applied at the consulate and hence contact consulate.

Hi,

Thanks a lot for your advice guys.
A small update if anyone is still following the thread.

I called the Bangalore Embassy and they said that they started the process of verifiying our marriage certification and it would take minimum of 2 weeks.
When I asked if we should pay anything, they said they will intimate my wife if needed.
Well, they have not contacted my wife in India so far (already 2 weeks since they started the process).

Does anyone know if the German Embassy does verification without money ?
Sorry, if this question is a repetition. Can someone confirm how long would it take for the background check to be completed?

Thanks.
Have a nice day.
Lijo

Can you tell me how after much time you got approval cal?my husband went to the abh and they told him it has been approved by my local consulate has not contacted me yet..its been 1week