Marrying an Indian in india/ pio's and pittfalls

Gheegirl

I am an Australian Citizen presently visiting India on a tourist visa.

I plan to Marry an Indian in late Feb (he lives here in India isnt an NRI etc)
We have been in a relationship for 2 years, we have decided to get married so that we can live here in India as man and wife. (my visa expires 2 weeks before the wedding : I think it will be less headache to fly out to Bangkok and get a new visa than try to extend right ??????

From what I have read and info I recieved from the Indian Consul General's office once I am the spouse of an Indian Citizen I can apply for a pio card. is this correct ?

What is the time frame for Processing PIO ? it seems wildly varied from what I read on other posts ?

Should I apply for a pio in India or in Australia ? The sydney Indian Consul general says processing takes 2 weeks, but mentions nothing about being married for more than 1 year ? But to apply we will need a marrige certificate:

How do I get a marrige cerificate in India

I would love to hear any genuine advise for avoiding the pitfalls of Getting married in India


its all very fruity !

Bye Gheegirl

Nick-H

Welcome to the site

You are certainly not alone in being, or being about to become, the spouse of an Indian citizen living in India. The list includes me .

You'll find most of your questions already answered, but it might take a bit of searching to discover. The Search button at the top right is your friend. Some of my posts on this site from around Sept to Dec 2005 might be of use to you (I hope).

However...

Almost certainly. If "I'm about to get married" was accepted as a reason to extend a tourist visa, I'm sure the Immigration Bureau would be plagued with bogus wedding invitations . I was specifically told by London High Commission of India that I could only get a tourist visa until after I was married.
A spouse of an Indian citizen is entitled to a PIO card, yes. It seems to be policy not to issue them until one full year of marriage is complete. I have heard of exceptions, but I was told this by London HCI staff, and by Immigration staff in Chennai
That depends on how you get married! If you have a register office wedding, you apply to the registrar to issue you with certificates, which they will do.

If you have a religious wedding, you can register that the wedding has taken place, and get certificates.

Advice? Marry under The Special Marriage Act, in a register office. It is very unromantic, but easily done. Do your own religious or secular thing, with or without priests, afterwards, according to whatever suits you. Just my suggestion, only.

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Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

Nattusbs

Gheegirl

Sounds wonderful. I agree with everything that Nick wrote, including the "unromantic" registered marriage for the certificate followed by the formal process in whatever religious denomination. If both can happen on the same day, that would be the icing on the cake followed by the honeymoon (where is that going to be).

Cheers

Nattusbs

edwardseco

Don't like the office so the registrar was persuaded to come to the wedding. People liked seeing the nerr do well foren being stuck with a legally binding marriage..

Gheegirl

Thanks Nick,
I have just spent 2 hours studying all the threads regarding Marring an Indian, Pio etc.

You’re right about the register office! That’s what we had planned and been recommended to do by a friend ......!
So: Plan of action
We will marry at the Nainital Court House and then a Palace wedding afterwards which will be more of a Colorful Gathering in Rajasthan!
(I am a bit confused about lodging notice of intent to wed a month before? and pretty much everything in the special marriages act!)

I will pop out to Bangkok to check out the new visa outsourcing the Indian embassy has opened there, Return on a tourist visa

Once I have a marriage certificate (not sure if they will give that at the register office? or send it out or do we apply for one...)

I will be heading to Aus where Mr. Husband I & will visit the Consul general or Embassy in Canberra, upgrade my tourist visa to X / or try my luck for a Pio, So far in my discussions with the Indian consul in Aus they haven’t mention 1 year married as a pre requisite for poi application but at least now were prepared if they wish for us to wait a year.

Good thats sorted that out !
Pukkah its past my bed time

thanks

Nick-H

The register office has to be local to where at least one of you has been resident (for 30 days I think).

You have to give 30 days notice of the wedding, which will be put up on their board, so if anyone wants to object they can --- just like UK, probably your country too

You may be required to give evidence that you are not already married. If in India, an affidavit may probably do.

Was supposed to be getting an early night myself... ask more tomorrow if you wish. Or stay up all night and talk to a member in a different time zone!

Gheegirl

Thanks Nick !
We Will head to the hills Next week and lodge notice of the wedding, my fiancee knows half the to town and this is his perminant residence ! phew at least thats in order !
I have an Australian divorce certificate hope that will suffice as proof that I am single, will find out when we go there next week.

Thanks Again

Nick-H

Divorce papers will do fine.

The actual cost of a register office wedding is a few rupees! You may well be set upon by touts who want to organise it for you for several thousand rupees extra. Getting the registrar (if willing) to come to a religious ceremony and do the registration on the spot also, obviously, incurs a substantial extra charge.

We were lucky enough to have a totally honest registrar who was not interested in any form of bribery --- but the normal business, property registrations, arguments, stuff amd more stuff, continued while she listened with half an ear to our wedding statements. Like I said, very unromantic! The clerk took a hundred Rs off us on two occasions.