Fiancee Visa Journey

Hello! I just want to share my visa journey as FIANCEE VISA applicant. It was quite stressful for me because I had no idea before how it goes. Luckily, I met some wonderful people along the way who generously provided me the information and things I had to do during my visa application.

My husband and and I had our plan of staying in the Philippines for one year or two before we permanently stay in Belgium. Unfortunately, his working commitments did not allow him so we decided to apply for fiancee visa. I had a doubt before because I thought it should be at least 2 years in relationship and more than 40 days together to be qualified for the mentioned visa. We were not yet one year together in relationship when we decided to apply for fiancee visa. We just both thought to give it a try. It was the best solution for us to be together for good at that time.

It was the last week of May 2014 when I went to Manila to start processing all my papers. I complied with all the general requirements stated in the official website of Belgium Embassy in Makati. In the mid of June I sent all the necessary papers to my husband in Belgium for him to be able to apply for our Marriage Declaration Act in the town hall. We both thought that it would not take long because some couples were able to get theirs in just a couple of days or one week. But then we realized that it depends in the town hall where the sponsor lives in. Unfortunately, the town hall in my husband's place did not release our Marriage Declaration Act in the time we expected. We waited for more than a month before we had it.

While we were waiting for our Marriage Declaration Act, I made myself busy preparing all the proofs of our relationship. It includes our pictures, e-mails, chat logs, letters, hotel reservations, money remittance, etc. I submitted more than 500 pages of proofs to the embassy when I lodged my visa. It is required to submit 1 set of original and 2 sets of photocopies. Can you imagine how thick of papers I brought all by myself to the embassy? I thought it would be better to have a lot of proofs because I was really hoping for the approval of the consul. Just my way of convincing the concerned people that my husband and I have a genuine relationship.

After more than a month of waiting, we finally got our Marriage Declaration Act. My husband mailed it to me together with his papers. The list of requirements for sponsor is also stated in the official website of the Belgium Embassy. It was August when I called the embassy to have an appointment and September was the earliest available date that they gave me.

It was September 10 when I went to the embassy to lodge my visa application. Luckily, I brought all my papers so when the visa officer asked for a certain document I was able to submit it on the same day. After one month, October 10, my reference number was already in the site where every visa applicant can check the status of their visa application. Every passing day was stressful for me and my husband because we were not 100% sure to get a visa approval.

One month had passed but still no update in the site about the status of my visa application. My husband did  follow-up every now and then to the town hall and Ministry of Foreign Affairs but they told us to just wait. It was the first week of December when my husband received a phone call from the Justice Department for his interview. After his 2-hour interview, he was instructed to call on the next day for the result. He called the town hall on the next day and he was informed that everything was fine and the Justice Department gave us approval. They were just waiting for the confirmation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. So my husband called again on the next day to confirm the news. I checked my visa status in the site and it already changed from my previous status. It stated there that they would grant the visa upon the submission of additional documents. It was September 10 when I got my visa approval. It took 3 months from the date I lodged my visa. I left the Philippines last December 2014.

Applying for visa can be really stressful if it is the only possible way for the couple to be together again for good. Many factors can affect the decision for visa application. I hope this helps! Good luck to all visa applicants!  :)

Hello MissKath

Thanks for sharing your experience. I have some questions:

1. Did you prepare 2 sets of evidence of the history of your  relationship. I mean when it comes to letters and postcards there is only one original. So did you put the single original or did you take photocopies of them?

What about the photographs of you? Did you print the same photograph twice and added?

2. Did your husband show an evidence that he has never got married or did they retrieve it automatically from the register?

3. Did you need to legalize the copy of your identity card?

4. Did you have something like "de coutume" and what is that exactly?

Thanks for your reply
and have a nice weekend

Blue Sunny wrote:

Hello MissKath

Thanks for sharing your experience. I have some questions:

1. Did you prepare 2 sets of evidence of the history of your  relationship. I mean when it comes to letters and postcards there is only one original. So did you put the single original or did you take photocopies of them?

What about the photographs of you? Did you print the same photograph twice and added?

2. Did your husband show an evidence that he has never got married or did they retrieve it automatically from the register?

3. Did you need to legalize the copy of your identity card?

4. Did you have something like "de coutume" and what is that exactly?

Thanks for your reply
and have a nice weekend


Hello! You are welcome,Blue Sunny! I would be glad to help other visa applicants as long as I can. With regards to your questions, here are my answers:

1. The Belgium Embassy in the Philippines requires 1 original copy and 2 photocopies. I photocopied all the originals. If the photocopy is not readable or clear, much better to provide another original copy, like what I did with all our pictures. I printed all our pictures thrice.

2. Yes. My husband just went to their town hall to get the proof that he was not married when we applied for Marriage Declaration Act.

3. Yes. I used my passport for my identification since I do not have an international identity card. I went to the lawyer's office to have an affidavit then I proceeded to Department of Foreign Affairs to have it authenticated. Lastly, I went to the embassy for the legalization.

4. Sorry but I do not understand this question. I have not encountered yet the words ''de coutume''.

I hope my answers help. Good luck and have a nice weekend too! :)

Thank you very much for your swift reply MissKaty. I found the following information concerning "certificat de coutume" which is translated to "affidavit of law".

The answer is from a French wedding site but very informative:

"Certificat de Coutume", "an affidavit of law" and "customs" is required by some mairies. This is a notarised statement by an attorney who is licensed to practice in both France and your home country. The Certificate de Coutume certifies that you are both free to marry and your marriage will be recognised also in your country of residence.

Some mairies will also accept a notarised affidavit (attestation tenant lieu de certificat de coutume) which can be obtained by appointment from Consular Services of local Embassy or Consulate. There is a fee for this service.

http://www.rivierareporter.com/doing-it … h-citizens

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hello MissKath

Did you give original postcards and the original letters and their photocopies to the embassy?

Thanks in advance

Hello MissKathy

I am taking too much of your time. Sorry for that but I still have so many questions in my head even if I am making a lot of search in google my self. Have you or your husband ever filled something called "Complete affidavit or affirmation (written statement of facts)" stating that you're free to marry, for use with a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) application.

It looks more or less like the text underneath:


AFFIDAVIT
I …………………………………………………………………
of …………………………………………………………………………
make oath and say as follows:—
(1) A marriage is proposed to be solemnised between me
and ………………………………………………………
of …………………………………………………………
(2) I believe that there is not any impediment by reason of kindred or
alliance, or other lawful hindrance to the above marriage.
(3) I have for three days immediately preceding this date had my
usual residence within the district of the British …………………
(Consul-General, Consul or Vice-Consul) at ……………………
(4) I am not under the age of 18 years [or I am under the age of 18 years,
but the consent of the persons whose consent to the marriage is required
by law has been obtained] or I am under the age of 18 years, but there
is no person whose consent to the marriage is required by law].
Sworn at ……………………………… )
this ………… day of ………… 20 … )
before me …………………………… ) ………………………………………
at………………………… ) (Signature of deponent)
…………………………………………
(Signature and official seal of consular officer)

Blue Sunny wrote:

Hello MissKath

Did you give original postcards and the original letters and their photocopies to the embassy?

Thanks in advance


Hello! I did not submit letters and postcards anymore. I was not sure then if the embassy would return the original copies so I did not do it. Besides I submitted more than 500 pages of proofs of relationship so I thought that would be enough. :)

Blue Sunny wrote:

Thank you very much for your swift reply MissKaty. I found the following information concerning "certificat de coutume" which is translated to "affidavit of law".

The answer is from a French wedding site but very informative:

"Certificat de Coutume", "an affidavit of law" and "customs" is required by some mairies. This is a notarised statement by an attorney who is licensed to practice in both France and your home country. The Certificate de Coutume certifies that you are both free to marry and your marriage will be recognised also in your country of residence.

Some mairies will also accept a notarised affidavit (attestation tenant lieu de certificat de coutume) which can be obtained by appointment from Consular Services of local Embassy or Consulate. There is a fee for this service.

http://www.rivierareporter.com/doing-it … h-citizens

Have a wonderful weekend!


Hello again! I do not remember that I submitted that kind of document to the embassy. But thank you so much for the information.  I remember that we submitted a copy of "Marriage Law in the Philippines" because I am from that country. My husband is from Flanders. In the Philippines, we call that kind of document as "Certificate of No Marriage" which certifies the individual of not being married with anyone else. :)

Blue Sunny wrote:

Hello MissKathy

I am taking too much of your time. Sorry for that but I still have so many questions in my head even if I am making a lot of search in google my self. Have you or your husband ever filled something called "Complete affidavit or affirmation (written statement of facts)" stating that you're free to marry, for use with a Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) application.

It looks more or less like the text underneath:


AFFIDAVIT
I …………………………………………………………………
of …………………………………………………………………………
make oath and say as follows:—
(1) A marriage is proposed to be solemnised between me
and ………………………………………………………
of …………………………………………………………
(2) I believe that there is not any impediment by reason of kindred or
alliance, or other lawful hindrance to the above marriage.
(3) I have for three days immediately preceding this date had my
usual residence within the district of the British …………………
(Consul-General, Consul or Vice-Consul) at ……………………
(4) I am not under the age of 18 years [or I am under the age of 18 years,
but the consent of the persons whose consent to the marriage is required
by law has been obtained] or I am under the age of 18 years, but there
is no person whose consent to the marriage is required by law].
Sworn at ……………………………… )
this ………… day of ………… 20 … )
before me …………………………… ) ………………………………………
at………………………… ) (Signature of deponent)
…………………………………………
(Signature and official seal of consular officer)


Blue Sunny, with regards to this affidavit, I do not remember that we had this one when we applied for visa. But we submitted a certificate stating that we were both singles before we got married. My husband took his certificate from their town hall and I took mine from National Statistics Office in my country. In that government sector, we have all the files for marriage (Marriage Certificate and Certificate of No Marriage), birth and death. I think some of the requirements depend in the country you are living and applying for visa.

Hello MissKath

Thanks again for all the information you provided. It is valuable!

I am just curious (and it might help other people from your own country:))

Did you get

Birth certificate
Residence certificate
Ceritificate of nationality

also from National Statistics Office in your home country?

Thanks in advance!

Hi miss kath...
My fiancee and i we're planning to apply fiancee visa this coming december or january 20016 my question is what month do i need to start to process my papers like nso etc.?
My fiancee told me that our papers need not older three months,i confuse what i month i need to start to process my papers.

Thanks

Hi miss kath...its me again,i have question again its that possible that my fiancee will go with me on my intreview?

Thank you in advance...

Hallo there, Mae! From what I know, BC has no expiration date while CENOMAR is only valid for 6 months. I cannot advise you to get your NSO papers less than a month before your interview because you need to submit first those to your fiance for the application of your MD in their town hall.

Your NSO papers will be translated either in Nederlands or French. If he lives in Flanders then it should be Nederlands while in Wallonia it is French. Then once you have your MD you can call the embassy for the schedule of your interview. You need to submit again another set of your NSO papers. Your papers should be authenticated and legalized. In my case, I took 2 copies each of my BC and CENOMAR.

I started preparing all my papers around May. I had my interview in the embassy on September because it took more than a month before we got our MD from the town hall. All my NSO papers were still valid though by the time I lodged my visa application.

Thank you miss kath for your responce....

its posible that fiance will go with me in my interview?because he planning to go with me in my interview...

itsme_mae wrote:

Hi miss kath...its me again,i have question again its that possible that my fiancee will go with me on my intreview?

Thank you in advance...


Yes! He can go with you to the embassy on the date of your interview. But I am not sure if he can answer or interrupt with the questions of the visa officer to you. Maybe he can speak up if the visa officer asks him. If only huh? It is a good thing anyway that your hubby is with you during  your interview for support. ;)

Another question miss kath,did you make or submit a invitation letter?may  i know the example of invitation letter?

Thank you again miss kath

Hallo again, Mae! Invitation letter is not necessary. Since you and your fiance plan to get married here in Belgium, no need for him to invite you to go here. Invitation letter is for tourist or visit visa only. What you need to prepare is all your proofs of relationship like chat logs, e-mails, pictures, etc. The consul must be convinced that you and your fiance have a genuine relationship.

Aah ok...thank you soo much miss kath and Godbless...

I will update you when my visa ok...

itsme_mae wrote:

Aah ok...thank you soo much miss kath and Godbless...

I will update you when my visa ok...


You are much welcome, Mae! Good luck and God bless your visa application!  ;)

Hi Miss Kath

             How long would it take for you to have a medical?

Hello there, Miss Jessica! You can have your medical exam a week before your scheduled interview.  But I advise you to do it 2 weeks before so that if there is a problem with the result you still have some time. It is better to have complete requirements on your scheduled interview. Goodluck! :)

were you married before coming to Belgium?

Did you sponsored yourself or your husband did because in visa type C we can sponsor ourself.

Hi Prashant05! No. I was not married yet when I came here in Belgium. I applied for Fiancee Visa in my country.

ok..you were lucky to get fiancée visa because in 100 files 99 files are rejected if you show your husband or wife or fiancée living there. You got your visa because you already have booked commune for marriage in Belgium.

Its really hard to get visa c...

Prashant05, I considered myself lucky indeed. Not all who apply for Marriage Declaration Act in the commune are lucky enough to get an approval. As long as there is no marriage approval from the commune, it is not possible to get a visa approval. But I think it varies from commune to commune.

hi miss kathy,

          Your right indeed it was stressing to be in the embassy.. I just lodge my application now with my fiancee.. Im just curious about if you did you do another interview after your lodging?

Hi. Your post gave me a general idea on how to apply for a visa. I am from the Philippines and I have a Belgian boyfriend for a year and 6 months now. He's supposed to come last July 2020 but was cancelled due to Covid and now we're just waiting for the boundaries to open again so he can come over and finally meet. We are already talking about getting married soon even if we haven't met each other yet and we have struggles whether which will be easier, getting married here or their in Belgium. Can you give me more ideas regarding this? I would be glad to hear more from you. Thank you and stay safe 😊

Hi Chelle! I am glad that you found my post helpful. With regards to your concern, I am not familiar with getting married with a foreign national in the Phillipines, but it goes the same with how they get married there, such as gathering the necessary documents and attending a seminar. But as what as I heard from other Pinays, you have to apply first for a Legal Capacity Certificate in the embassy.

And with regards to getting married here in Belgium, you have read my detailed visa journey. One of the things I really like in getting married here in Belgium is that after getting married there is no more LDR for me and my husband. Unlike when you get married in the Philippines, it still takes time to process a visa application and just like others, the husband had to leave again and go back to Belgium.

But it is all up to you and your partner, whatever is more convenient for you and him. If you would like, I can add you in our group on Facebook wherein you can ask questions anything about visa application, either Fiancee Visa or Family Reunification Visa. Just let me know. Hope my reply helps!

Nais ko lang po magtanong, me and fiancée are planning to spply FV po, we are in 1.5 years in a relationship and just met 20days. Is it possible to have high approval for us when we apply FV? And can you please guide where to start  and whats the req needed it us our first time applying FV po.

Hi Rhea, I think 20days is more than enough kasi case to case basis naman. As long as you prove them that your relationship with your foreign boyfriend is genuine ay nothing to worry. All you have to do is complete all the requirements they're asking. Your bf has to go to his local city hall to ask for the list if requirements. Every city hall here has different list of requirements but the rest are mostly the same. You can contact me on FB po if you have questions. Here is my FB name Jenny De Haes. Hope this somehow helps. Best of luck and stay safe!

Thank you po. Can i send u pm on messenger po? Thank u

Tjank you po, can i send u a pm on messenger po? Thank u po

Yes po, no problem.

Sent you PM po😊

Wala po ako natanggap, sis.

RheyVk po yung name ng FV ko sis, kindly check your message request nag sent po ako message sa inyo.

Check your Spam, Dear. Baka doon pumasok message niya.

Sorry typo po sis, RheyVK po yung name ng FB ko po. I sent you message yesterday sa messenger po.

Hello po ma'am Kath, tanong lang po kailangan ba  magpasa ng invatation/sponsoship letter pag mag aapply ng FV po? First time ko po kasi mag FV  po. Thank you po.

Hello Sis Rhea! Sa case ko po wala ako pinasa na invitation letter. I think invitation letter is required only kapag Visit Visa ang in-applyan mo.