Hello all, I'm planning to apply for a job in Germany. I have a UK passport, but my girlfriend is Taiwanese. Would it be possible for her to go with me, permanently. Would she be able to work? Would we need to be married, and if so, in which country?
Thanks!
As far as I know you have to be married. You need to be married according to the laws of the country where the ceremony is held, it does not have to be your country of origin or permanent residence.
I married in Denmark, although neither I nor my husband have any sort of connection to the country. It was simply the quickest, cheapest and easiest way at the time.
EDIT: There seems to be a possibility for unmarried partners as long as they can prove that they have been living together for a certain amount of time.
Where is your girlfriend at the moment? Does she have any sort of visa for the UK or Schengen?
In general, she could already accompany you if you are planning to go to Germany for your job search and this should be no problem if she is currently in the UK with you but I don´t know whether the situation is different if she is currently living in Taiwan. In that case, I´d ring the German Embassy where she lives to clarify things.
Once you are married and you landed a job in Germany, you need a place to live and register there. When she joins you in Germany, go to your local Ausländerbehörde to apply for her EEA family permit.
I recently found out that this is now a biometric card rather than a sticker in the passport and it takes about three to four weeks to get the card. The residence card for EEA family members is free and nowadays issued for five years (renewable).
Your wife has the right to work right away but I´d probably wait until she gets the card, to give her time to adjust and for clarity´s sake. A potential employer might be squeamish to give her a contract on a six-month EEA family permit.
Where in Germany are you thinking of moving to?
Best of luck for all your plans!