Social Updates/ If you even want to marry outside the US...ever...pending book deal

Hello again...it has been far too long since my last TOP TEN post and to which For the two of you who saw it I hope you enjoyed it. I am blogging on this September 11th to lay down some facts, rant, and explain a few things about marriage to a non-us national and touch on some of the issues that will without a doubt stand in your way. Now first it must be said that all the information about what one should do and keep an eye on when fileing paperwork and getting paperwork for that matter can be different depending on what Country your hoping to meet that special someone and spend the rest of your life together with. I am in Bulgaria a new member to the EU and really missunderstood place in eastern Europe. I am from Vermont another less talked about and mostly unknown area to the United States, I can't count how many people still can't recall where it is or claim "its that place near New York and Canada right?" as they then talk about whatever they know about The area around Vermont or just ski trips to it...lame. But I am in the heart of Bulgaria which is Sofia. It's got a lot going for it at the moment first being a new member to the EU gives it a much better understanding to local Eruopeans and has since then become a much traveled hot spot even for Americans, such as myself. So tomorrow is our long awaited Wedding and thank you I am excited but first some legal stuff about how things work around here as best I have been able to find and have gone through. Many would tell you if you are looking to stay long here a type D-visa shuld be given and that's not a bad idea in the slightest manly because to get around that you need to know people, which I do and it was just luck really so don't be upset. Your embassy with play a large role in obtaining the rights to marry here in Sofia. you must have your passport when making trips there inorder to even enter but I hope you already knew that. If you just hop on a plane and head over here minus the flight ticket cost be ready to file for an extention if you didn't apply for a D-visa at your local embassy back home, which honestly is such a pain in the ass to make people do. there are about only three Bulgarian embassies that can help you wih this and a list of which one takes care of the US state you live in (all can be found here Click )


Mine happend to be New York, Albany to be exact and I e-mailed months in advance to just see what it was all about. Here was my question and answer from the Official Rep at the embassy as for what I could do with getting married.
Question:
"Thank you Nikolay Milkov, for taking the time to to answer my letter this information helps. I have a few other questions if you don't?mind helpping me with,?Does this mean I can go to bulgaria and marry and then apply for the d-visa? Or would I have to return to the U.S. after being married and apply back in the U.S. and then return to bulgaira? I just want to be with my fiancee and I would like to contribute by holding a job and the only way to have either of those is a d-visa if im not mistaken. Again thank you for your time.

Richard J. Ackel"

Answer:
"I think that you can apply for a D-type visa after your wedding not necessarily in the US. It could be done in a Consular service near the country, such as Nis (Serbia), Skopje (Macedonia), Bucharest (Romania) which seems to me to be the most convinient because the Romanians travel visa free to Bulgaria and I do not think there will be a line in front of the consular service."

this was what I banked on when coming here to sofia because it is his job to address these questions and that was his answer so for me i saved it for proof (save everything any official sends you for proof do not rely on your word that someone will agree should a problem pop up..ever!!!)

Once here we as a couple were so excited to no longer be talking or seeing one another over the internets becuase thats a real drang and can make any relationship almost impossible or result in either party giving up and if your still going strong anything else in this life that happens while you are together wont stand in your way I promise you that! So we had to get blood tests and there are a few places here in the city that deal with the embassies just for this matter its not expensive nor will it take long the only thing is getting a needle in your arm...just dont' look. Your results can be processed in a few hours and now you have one of the steps to check off I say do this sooner then later. We waited longer then we should for it and it wasnt bad just had to do a lot for running around. The test looks for STDs and AIDs so yay to you to know if that toilet set was clean at the airport!! or to know if she didn't tell you something better to find out now but lets hope that never is the case.

Next file at the US embassy for marriage, it's 30 lev or just use your card/debit card and it is all set just some info will need to be relayed mainly that you are 18 and older, you are not married already or if you have divorced before and once thats all checked you have a document that will open the door for marriage to a Bulgarian/anyother nation citizen!!!! A++ but we are far from out of the woods yet. Once the document is given to you you must travel to the Ministry of Forgein Affairs and drop that new piece of paper off to be legalized here in Sofia/or where ever this should be done. It should be the same for any country because this blog is assuming one of you is from the US so that should make much of the process similar. It can take 7 days and you must get stamps before entering otherwise you cant file for it so 4 stamps and this can be done at any postoffice and then you take a number once inside kinda like the DMV and then you file for the Bulgarian or other nation to legalize it, they just check to see that its not a fake and approve it.

Next step is taking that new document over to a wedding hall where you can choose your setting, be it a chruch for religion or just a nice little wedding hall and set a date! It costs about 60 lev here to set this up but its just one more step closer to getting you hitched!! now once thats done you get a receipt as proof and i suggest getting a folder or binder to keep all these papers in so its nice and neat. Also make about 6 copies of your passport because even when your getting the first steps mainy places will just want that copy for their records and its not fun to get all the way there and have to leave and find a photocopier really fast down the street or even block...trust me not fun!

Ok we have the US marriage doc now and its legal and the medical test is all set and we are clean which is a plus and a date has been set yay! Still not even close to out of the woods, im sorry it will really try your reslove to be together so if your kina for this idea but not really this will be the test for you. Now you have to look good so if you planned ahead (i didn't) you need a suit and she needs a dress and all I can say is prey for sales and have money. Oh and again if you didnt preprep have rings, now there are a few places that sell cheap wedding rings and lets face it not everyone is rich this might be the way to go just for now its not the end of the world nice rings can come later when you have more money and we all know right now in the world money isn't flying at us as much as it once did. There is also a website that can send wedding bands (him and her) bands that match and cost not much at all and can be sent the next day if your in a bind (I was) it's get.bg and they have other cool stuff for al your needs and can send it right to where you live in Sofia.

Ok so for the wedding itself you need two witnesses im sorry i didnt touch on that above but yes two and parents of either of you don't count ( but if your parent are coming fro the us that's sweet!)so hope she has a girlfriend who can be the maid of honnor and maybe a guy friend for your bestman or if you have awesome friends back home get them over here cause I didn't have either but luckily i knew a guy from college who was bulgarian and lived here i mean what are the odds! but you must have that. And then there are some extra things you will need for the wedding as well (Two wine or dinning glasses) they can range in price so pick whats either what you want or just what you can afford and some Champane you must provide this they wont let you marry without it. As a note if you smoke i say don't quit just yet it might be your only vise to relax you from the stress and if you don't i say start because drinking makes it hard to get things done *Joke do whatever* So let see if im missing something...If you want in sofia its a tradtion to have a lunch or dinner with everyone after the wedding so look at places to host this event and try to get to know them well they can offer a discount sometimes...

As for after the wedding if you want to live here well I'm still in that process so I will let you know how that is possible or not and if you want your new bulgarian bride/husband to come back to the states be ready to do it alone and def def get a lawyer and since im not planing to do that yet i cant go into more detail but I have a lawyer and I know that process takes months of time and lots of money so its good to have someone whos job it is to know all the ins and outs cause you can't aford to file or not file something and have to pay more and start over god that would be a mistake. So I hope this helps anyone out there and comment if you like but tomorrow is my big day and I hope as goes well and i can post a positive blog again soon of how I am able to stay and work here...oh i worked my butt off to get a job here and interviewed long before the wedding was setup so that might be my ticket to stay I cant say it will work for everyone I was really lucky that my resume payed off and my work got them so interested that they would do the paperwork so I wouldn't have to return home and get that D-visa but again nothing is in stone and I will keep you posted! Let's think happy thoughts!

September 11, 2009