EU marriage Visa

[JessD]

Im sorry if this has been answered but i am LOST
I have fallen in love with a man from ireland and plan to marry him once i return to europe in March or April . He lives in Spain . what type of process is it to get a marriage visa for the EU marrying an Irish citizen and locating in spain or do we have to go to ireland( which he does NOT want)
Also do i have to wait til we are married to apply for the visa?? at which point how long does it usually take to recieve the visa so i can work in europe . Thank you so much for helping!

[Mr Rusty]

Which country are you from? Could your fiance marry you there?

It's difficult to be specific about exactly what you need to do, because you have to apply to the Spanish authorities, and their application of the 2004 European Directive may differ from the UK. You may get a better idea by searching the Spanish Embassy website of whichever country you are in.

As a general principle, the European rules allow for a person in a "durable relationship" to be treated as a family member, but unless you know what the Spanish criteria are for a "durable relationship", you should probably establish your right as a family member by marrying, either in Ireland, or your country, or if practical in Spain. This assumes that your fiance has properly registered himself with the Spanish authorities.

Your "Treaty Rights", including the right to work in Spain, commence from the date of your marriage, but until you have applied for a residence card and can produce same when required, many employers may be reluctant to sign you on.

I don't know how long such applications take in Spain.