Meeting between Spanish MFA and FCO Feb 2016
Dear Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
FAO David Rowe, Consular Directorate in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with responsibility for the policy on marriage of British citizens overseas
Dear Sir
You have previously replied to a FoI request, stating that a meeting was held between Spanish MFA officials and those of the FCO on February 8th or 9th 2016 during which the Spanish requirement by the Spanish (in visa applications) for marriages involving a British citizen (but carried out abroad) to be registered in Britain was discussed.
In your reply, you state the following:
"At that meeting it was agreed that Spanish consular missions would no longer request confirmation of the validity of foreign marriages in the UK. The MFA confirmed that visa applications are assessed on their own merits without referral to UK marriage registration or recognition. The Spanish MFA told our consular staff that a locally issued marriage certificate should be sufficient for visa applications. The MFA indicated that where a visa has been refused it was for other reasons and not because a foreign marriage could not be registered in the UK."
I need more information about the results of the meeting including who was present, statements made regarding current policy, protocols and practices and the decisions taken. A copy of the minutes, the nota verbale (of 23rd March) that was issued or similar would suffice I believe.
Yours faithfully,
Chris Whewell
Dear Chris Whewell,
Thank you for your FOI request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. It has been assigned a unique reference number (above) and has been passed to the relevant section within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to deal with. They will be in touch with you should your request need clarification.
We received your request on 17 January 2017 and will aim to respond within 20 working days, following date of receipt.
Yours sincerely
FOI and DPA Team
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Dear Chris Whewell,
Please find attached our FCO response to your Freedom of Information
Request.
Kind regards,
FOI/DPA Team (Consular)
FCO London
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