Family reunification in Germany for minor children

Key Takeaways

• Family reunification gives a minor unmarried child of a foreign national a legal claim to a German residence permit if the parents’ permits qualify.
• Family reunification at age 16 or 17 requires C1 German or assured integration if the child moves without the parents, unless an exemption applies.
• Family reunification with one of two custodial parents needs the other parent’s consent or a binding decision allowing the minor child’s stay in Germany.
• A German citizen’s minor unmarried child has a legal claim to family reunification without income proof if the citizen has habitual residence in Germany.
• Family reunification for children of people with subsidiary protection is suspended from July 24, 2025 until July 23, 2027.

Table of contents

Minor children are one of the core groups covered by family reunification in Germany. A minor unmarried child is a child under 18 who is not married.

Which rules apply to family reunification for minor children in Germany?

The family reunification rules for a minor child depend on the parent’s status under the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz, AufenthG). The table below shows which law covers the child’s parent.

As of Oct 2026

Parents who are refugees or protection holders follow separate rules. They also follow a three-month application deadline for recognized refugees.

Family reunification under § 32 and § 28 AufenthG covers only an unmarried child under 18. Adult children and married children fall outside both.

Which parent permits give a minor child a legal claim to family reunification in Germany?

Family reunification grants an unmarried minor child of a foreign national a legal claim to a residence permit. The claim exists if both parents, or the only custodial parent, hold one of these permits (§ 32(1) AufenthG):

• A permit for a purpose the Act does not provide for (§ 7(1) sentence 3 AufenthG), for education (Section 3), or for employment (Section 4)
• A permit for asylum entitlement (§ 25(1) AufenthG) or for refugee status (§ 25(2) sentence 1 AufenthG)
• A permit under § 28, § 30, § 31, § 36, or § 36a AufenthG
• A permit under any other provision of the Residence Act, except a permit for subsidiary protection (§ 25(2) sentence 2 AufenthG)
• An EU Blue Card, an ICT Card, or a Mobile ICT Card
• A settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis)
• An EU long-term residence permit (Erlaubnis zum Daueraufenthalt-EU)

When one parent has sole custody of the minor child, only that parent’s permit counts. A child whose parents hold none of these permits can still apply under the particular hardship rule.

What requirements apply to family reunification for a minor child joining a foreign parent in Germany?

Family reunification for a minor child in Germany has different requirements for a foreign parent and a German citizen.

What requirements apply to family reunification for a minor child joining a foreign parent in Germany?

Family reunification for a minor child joining a foreign parent in Germany requires all of these conditions:

• Secured livelihood. The family covers its living costs without public funds.
• Living space. The family needs enough living space for the child, never more than a social housing tenant needs (children under two do not count). The home must also meet the legal rules on condition and occupancy that apply to Germans.
• Health insurance. The child needs adequate health insurance for the family reunion visa. Free family insurance (Familienversicherung) requires that the child lives in Germany, so until then the child needs other adequate cover (§ 6(3) AufenthG).
• Visa consent. The Ausländerbehörde (local immigration office) must consent to a visa for a stay over 90 days, before the German mission that covers your child’s place of residence issues it (§ 31(1) AufenthV). Children of some foreign workers and researchers are an exception.
• C1 German or assured integration. A 16- or 17-year-old who does not move with both parents or the sole custodial parent must show C1 German or assured integration, unless an exemption applies. A child under 16 does not.

Two groups of foreign parents get exemptions from the income or living space requirement:

• Parents with skilled worker and related permits. However, the living space exemption stops applying on December 31, 2028.
• Recognized refugees and similar permit holders. The family should meet both conditions:
  • The family applies within three months after the parent’s final recognition or resettlement permit. The parent’s own application, if filed in time, also meets this condition.
  • The family cannot live together in a non-EU country with which the parent or a family member has a special connection.

Learn more about requirements for family reunification in Germany →

What requirements apply to family reunification for a minor child joining a German citizen in Germany?

Family reunification grants an unmarried minor child of a German citizen a legal claim to a residence permit. The claim exists if the German citizen has their habitual residence in Germany.

Three tests that apply to children of foreign parents do not apply to a child of a German citizen:

• Secured livelihood. The authorities must grant the permit even if the family cannot prove a secured livelihood. By law, secured livelihood includes adequate health insurance (§ 2(3) AufenthG), so check with the mission what it asks for.
• Living space proof. The living space test applies only to foreign parents.
• C1 German or assured integration for 16- and 17-year-olds. § 28 AufenthG contains no language test for children.

What documents does a minor child submit for family reunification in Germany?

The German Embassy Tallinn (December 2024) asks a child joining a parent for these documents:

• Birth certificate. The child’s birth certificate in the original.
• Proof of custody or the other parent’s consent. A court decision for sole custody, or the other parent’s consent, which Tallinn wants notarized.
• Other family documents. These depend on your family, such as the parents’ marriage certificate, a divorce decree, or a paternity or adoption certificate.

Every German mission publishes its own list, so check the one that handles your child’s application.

Read more about documents for family reunification →

Which 16- and 17-year-olds are exempted from family reunification’s language and integration test?

A 16- or 17-year-old joining a foreign parent does not face the language and integration test if any one of these four situations applies (§ 32(2) AufenthG):

• The foreign parent holds a resettlement permit (§ 23(4) AufenthG), or a permit for asylum entitlement, refugee status, or subsidiary protection (§ 25(1) or (2) AufenthG).
• The foreign parent holds a settlement permit under § 26(3) AufenthG, or under § 26(4) AufenthG after a subsidiary protection permit.
• The foreign parent, or that parent’s spouse living with them, holds a skilled worker or related permit.
• The foreign parent, or that parent’s spouse living with them, held an EU Blue Card or a skilled worker or related permit. That permit came immediately before a settlement permit or an EU long-term residence permit.

Can a minor child join only one parent through family reunification in Germany if the parents share custody?

Yes, a minor child can join only one parent through family reunification in Germany if the parents share custody. A permit to join only one parent should be granted if the other parent consents to the child’s stay or a competent body has made a binding decision allowing it (§ 32(3) AufenthG).

§ 32(3) AufenthG names no form for the other parent’s consent to family reunification.

FAQ