Marriage & Visa questions

[MDP Life]

Hola!
I've spent literally days reading and absorbing so much of the good info on these forums. Thanks to all the posters!
A little background: I'm currently living in Mar Del Plata. I'm a UK divorcee planning on marrying my Argentine fiancee. I've got the paper work sorted out now (apostilled marriage/divorce certificate, letter to ask permission(!) from the government to marry, etc) to take to the civil registry to get sent off to BsAs. Once married I intend to apply for permament residency.
My tourist visa, which was extended here at migraciones, has a hasta date of 17/12/2011.
A couple of questions:
Firstly, I'm thinking of doing a day trip to Colonia on the 17th to get a new 90 day tourist stamp.
If I leave and return on the 17th, can I expect for this to go smoothly? By leaving on the 17th does that qualify as overstaying? (ie 300AR fine). By returning on the 17th (the same day) am I going to get difficulties because of the hasta written date of 17th? Would I have to return on the 18th or later instead?
Is this even a good idea? (I've noted the numerous times that the advice of not doing a visa run to Colonia has been posted - just want to find out if that advice is still current?)
Ok, secondly, do I need a valid tourist visa to get married, as this would be the main reason for my Colonia trip?

Thanks for any advice and help you might be able to share. I know these topics have been written about before, but to be honest I feel quite confused and in a quandary after reading all the posts and just want a bit of guidance!

 

[Patrick Newton]

Yes, I have done the trip to Colonia a few times, just go for the day & return, it's very easy. I last went in October this year. I have lived here since December 2010. You must take the trip within 90 days otherwise you get the fine. I am also a UK divorcee and will be getting married to my Argentinian fiancee in about a year's time. I would imagine that you should have a valid tourist visa when you get married. Good luck! Patrick

 

[jago25_98]

When you say "letter to ask permission" is there anything else needed? I'll be at the civil registry tomorrow and I'd like to know

 

[citygirl]

I actually think you would have to stay overnight and return on the 18th. Border crossing agents can't overrule the date that Migraciones issues you at the office. So since it says "hasta 17/12" technically, you can't get a new stamp on the 17th because the once issued by migraciones is still valid. Better to come back on the 18th. And despite many a warning of impending crackdown, it has not happened. If you are questioned for whatever reason, just let them know you are getting married in a few weeks time

I believe you need a current/valid stamp in your passport in order to get married although someone can confirm that.

Felicitaciones on the upcoming wedding

 

[MDP Life]

Thanks ever so much for the replies.
I've just returned from the civil registry here in MDP - its now my third visit!

Jago, I took with me:
Photocopied and translated Passport.
Apostilled Marriage & Divorce Certificates, translated and legalised.
Note from UK Consular in BsAs to make clear that the UK doesn't deal in "notas marginales" and issues divorce certificates instead - also officially translated
Signed letter in Spanish asking for permission from the state to marry
Photocopy of girlfriend's DNI

This is basically all the paperwork that they have previously asked for.
Now they have just told me that I need my previous dissolved marriage to be legally recognised in La Plata for the proceedings to continue?
And they've informed me that this process could take **TWO YEARS**!!!!!!!! They also laughed and said it would be easier and quicker to just get married in the UK.
I've never heard of such a thing - has anybody else? Am I just being penalised by ultra-Catholicism for being divorced?
After all the hassle and expense I've gone through to get all the paperwork that they asked for I'm feeling a bit despondent. Getting married here was a serious step for me that I've thought long and hard about. Why are they making it so hard for me?

 

[va2ba]

You will need a valid visa to get married. They made that point very clear to me before I got married and I have heard of some people not being allowed to marry because they show up without a valid visa.

You can basically do whatever you want going to Colonia, once they find out that you are getting married shortly after the trip, they will not have any issues. I renewed mine the month before we got married and they did ask me what I was doing in Argentina. Once I told them that I was getting married, they were all smiles and stamped my passport with no problems.

It will help to have the paper with the date for your wedding when you travel in case they want proof.

 

[MDP Life]

A little update - went to the civil registry again today to get another opinion. A really helpful lady told me that basically I'd been told a load of rubbish - its just a matter of sending my documents off to BsAs and then waiting 5 or 6 months, as I'd been led to believe before. Phew!

 

[Bajo_cero2]

I suggest you apply for citizenship because you are going to be better protected in this country being British.
Being married you can apply as soon as you have the marriage certificates.
I suggest you go to the Federal Court in Mar del Plata and find out what are they asking (there is a lot of confusion among the judges about what should they ask). If they respect the valid law, the procedure is for free and you can apply with your passport and it should take 7 months in Mar del Plata.
You can read more about that at my website.
Regards

 

[VEM]

Hi MDP Life,

I got married in Mardel earlier this year, although I am now living in BA. It has taken me a while to get myself organised with requesting residency but I am currently finalising all the papers in order to go to immigration before my visa expires again. With regards to the visa expiry, I have reentered the country many times in the last (almost) two years. Mostly via Colonia, but I also did some travelling and reentered through Chile, Bolivia and Brazil. Not once, so far, have I been asked anything, nor had any problems. I have all but once left about a week before the expiry of my visa and reentered on the same day (only in Bolivia did I stay out of the country for a couple of weeks). Once I miscalculated the days and was fined $300 pesos (the same as it is to renew in immigration but I felt a bit stupid!).

With regards to the papers for requesting residency, make sure you have everything ready as per their requirements, anything in English translated by a public translator and stamped by the Colegio de Traductores, photo´s with the correct specifications etc. In immigrations in MDP, they have an information sheet that has everything required on it.

Once you´ve made the application for residency your visa expiry is suspended, however, I believe that means you can´t leave the country until you have residency. I also believe that the process in BsAs is much quicker, if you visit here perhaps it might be easier to do that.

 

[MDP Life]

Thanks again for the replies.
I've decided to just overstay the extended tourist visa and pay the 300AR fine (as I understand it there's no more serious consequences?) as it looks like I'll have to return to the UK for a few months work in February. If anyone thinks I'm making a stupid mistake please tell me!