Family Reunion Visa in Germany [English Guide]

Key Takeaways

• A family reunion visa lets a spouse, registered partner, or minor child join a German citizen or a foreign resident living in Germany.
• Unmarried partners without a registered partnership cannot join through family reunification.
• Parents of adult children and other relatives can join a family member in Germany only to avoid an “exceptional hardship”.
• Parents of skilled workers can join them in Germany if the worker’s first skilled worker permit was issued on or after March 1, 2024.
• Family reunification for people with subsidiary protection is suspended until July 23, 2027.

This is how you do it

1. Confirm that the sponsor’s residence status allows them to bring a family member to Germany via a family reunion visa.
2. Gather the documents proving your relationship, income, housing, and health insurance.
3. Get foreign documents legalized and translated into German.
4. Apply for a family reunion visa at the German embassy or consulate.
5. Attend the in-person visa appointment for fingerprints, original documents, and the visa fee.
6. Wait while the local immigration office in Germany reviews the application, if its approval is needed.
7. Collect the visa and enter Germany.
8. Register your address and apply for the residence permit at the local immigration office.

Table of contents

What does family reunification mean under German law?

Family reunification (Familiennachzug) under German law lets a close family member move to Germany and live with a relative already living there. The relative living in Germany is called the sponsor.

The family member joining the sponsor receives a residence permit. The permit’s purpose is to protect the marriage and the family, as § 27 Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) sets out.

The family reunification rules are in sections 27 to 36a of the AufenthG. A different section applies to each type of sponsor:

• German citizens sponsor family members under § 28 AufenthG.
• Foreign residents with a German residence permit sponsor family members under §§ 29 to 36 AufenthG.
• People with subsidiary protection sponsor family members under § 36a AufenthG, which is currently suspended (as of Sept 2026).

The AufenthG rules above do not cover family members of EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens living in Germany. These family members follow a separate law, the EU free movement rules.

A family member who joins a sponsor with a family reunification permit can work in Germany without a separate work permit.

Which family members can you bring to Germany through a family reunification visa?

Spouses and registered partners

A spouse or registered partner can join a sponsor in Germany, including a same-sex partner. The spouse or partner must meet two basic conditions:

• Both partners must be at least 18 years old.
• The marriage or partnership must be legally valid and recognized in Germany.

The authorities can make an exception to the age-18 rule to avoid “exceptional hardship” (besondere Härte) (§ 30 AufenthG).

Unmarried partners who are not in a registered partnership cannot use family reunification, however long the relationship has lasted.

Minor children

An unmarried child under 18 can join a parent living in Germany. The requirements for your child to join you in Germany via a family reunion visa depend on your child’s age.

Age Group	Condition
Children under 16	No special conditions apply beyond the family reunion visa’s general requirements.
Children aged 16 or 17 who move together with their parents
Children aged 16 or 17 who move later	They must speak German at C1 level. Otherwise, they must show that their education and background enable them to integrate in Germany.

The C1 or integration test applies only when the parent in Germany is a foreign resident. Children of German citizens, recognized refugees, and skilled workers don’t need to meet it.

A child joining a foreign parent needs both parents living in Germany, or needs the parent in Germany to hold sole custody. If custody is shared and the other parent stays abroad, the child can join with that parent’s consent or a binding custody decision.

A child who doesn’t meet these conditions can still be allowed to join to avoid “exceptional hardship”. The authorities decide at their discretion.

Parents and other relatives

Parents of an adult child and other relatives can join a family member in Germany only to avoid “exceptional hardship”.

What is exceptional hardship under family reunion visa ->

What are the requirements for family reunification in Germany?

You must meet the following requirements to apply for a family reunion visa in Germany.

• A genuine family relationship, proven with a marriage certificate, a partnership certificate, or a birth certificate.
• Enough income to support the family without public benefits such as basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld, called Bürgergeld until July 2026).
• Enough living space for the family, up to the social housing standard.
• Health insurance covering every family member.
• May also need a German language A1 certificate for a joining spouse. The certificate must be from a recognized test provider such as the Goethe-Institut or Telc. In some cases, the joining family member doesn’t need a German language certificate. We explain this in the next section.

Who is exempt from the A1 German requirement for the family reunion visa?

A spouse is exempt from the A1 German requirement if the sponsor

• holds an EU Blue Card or another skilled worker permit, OR
• he/she is a recognized refugee whose marriage existed before the move to Germany

The other main exemptions from the A1 German requirement are:

• The sponsor is a citizen of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, or the United States.
• The spouse cannot prove basic German because of an illness or disability.
• Special circumstances make it impossible or unreasonable for the spouse to try to learn German before entry.
• The spouse of a German citizen has tried to learn German for a year without reaching A1 level (BAMF).

The nationality exemption depends on the sponsor’s citizenship, not the joining spouse’s. A US citizen joining a sponsor from a country outside this list still needs A1 German.

How to apply for a German family reunion visa

The family member applies from abroad, at the German embassy or consulate responsible for the country where they live.

Follow these steps to apply for a family reunion visa:

1. Confirm which family reunification rules apply to your family. First, check the sponsor’s residence status. That status decides whether income, housing, and A1 German requirements apply.
2. Gather the documents for the family reunion visa. The main documents are:
   • The family member’s valid passport.
   • The marriage certificate or birth certificate.
   • A copy of the sponsor’s passport and German residence permit, or the sponsor’s German ID card.
   • The sponsor’s employment contract and recent payslips.
   • The sponsor’s rental contract.
   • The sponsor’s registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung).
   • The A1 German certificate, if needed.
3. Get foreign documents legalized and translated. They usually need an apostille or legalization plus a certified German translation. The rules depend on the issuing country, so check the German mission’s checklist.
4. Apply for the family reunion visa at the German mission. You can apply online through the Auswärtiges Amt’s Consular Services Portal. It is open to family reunion visas worldwide since January 1, 2025.
5. Attend the in-person visa appointment. You still visit the German mission or its external service provider to give fingerprints, show original documents, and pay the visa fee. The Auswärtiges Amt’s Consular Services Portal page sets out this appointment.
6. Wait for the local immigration office’s approval, if your case requires it. The German mission forwards your application to the local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) in the sponsor’s town. The Ausländerbehörde checks income, housing, and health insurance.
7. Collect the visa and enter Germany. 
8. Register your address and apply for the residence permit. Register your new address at the citizens’ office (Bürgeramt) within two weeks of moving in. Then apply for your residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde before your family reunion visa expires.

Citizens of 14 countries can enter Germany visa-free under § 41 AufenthV. They can apply for the residence permit directly at the Ausländerbehörde within 90 days of entry.

These countries include the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Japan. The A1 German requirement for a joining spouse still applies.

How much does a German family reunion visa cost?

The table below shows how much the family reunion visa costs: 

• a visa fee paid at the visa appointment abroad
• residence permit fee paid at the Ausländerbehörde after arrival

Fee	Amount
Family reunion visa, adult	75 € 37.50 €, for a child under 18
Family reunion visa, spouse, registered partner, or minor child of a German citizen, or parent of a minor German child	Free (the residence permit fee still applies after arrival)
Residence permit, first issue	100 € 50 €, for a child under 18
Residence permit extension	96 €, for up to 3 months 93 €, for more than 3 months

Family reunification in Germany also involves extra costs on top of the official fees:

• A1 German course and exam, priced by the test provider.
• Certified translations of every foreign document.
• Apostille, legalization, or document verification, which some German missions charge separately.
• Health insurance for any family member not covered by family insurance.

How long does it take to process a family reunion visa in Germany?

The complete process to get the family reunion visa can take about 1 to 3 months. The processing time depends on the individual case and where the sponsor lives in Germany. Major cities like Munich, Stuttgart, and Frankfurt take longer than smaller cities.

If your family reunion visa application is delayed for more than three months without a good reason, you can file a failure-to-act lawsuit (Untätigkeitsklage).

NOTE: Filing a lawsuit forces the German immigration authority to make a decision on the visa. The decision could be a visa approval or a rejection.

If the delay has a legitimate cause, such as a pending document check, the court gives the German immigration authority a deadline to decide.

Who is excluded from family reunification in Germany?

German authorities refuse a family reunion visa in the following cases. It doesn’t matter if other family reunion visa requirements are met (§ 27, § 30(4) AufenthG):

• The marriage or family relationship exists only to obtain a residence permit, known as a sham marriage
• There are concrete signs that the marriage was forced.
• The sponsor already lives in Germany with another spouse, since German law does not permit a second spouse to join.
• The sponsor endangers Germany’s security, for example by supporting a terrorist organization.

What counts as “exceptional hardship” under a family reunion visa in Germany?

“Exceptional hardship” is described as urgent dependence on a family member’s support that can reasonably be given only in Germany. Illness, disability, a need for care, and psychological distress are typical grounds.

Poor economic, educational, or social conditions in the home country do not count as “exceptional hardship”. 

The authorities judge each case individually. Even when a relative’s situation counts as exceptional hardship, they decide at their discretion.

Can skilled workers bring their parents to Germany?

Yes, parents of skilled workers can join a family member in Germany without proving “exceptional hardship”.

A skilled worker whose first skilled worker permit was issued on or after March 1, 2024, can apply to bring their parents. The authorities decide at their discretion, and the parents’ living costs, including health insurance, must be covered without public funds.

NOTE: The option for skilled workers to bring their parents is temporary and ends on December 31, 2028.

If you need help bringing your parents to Germany, feel free to contact us.

Which residence permits let you bring your family to Germany?

The table below shows which family members can join the sponsor (family member living in Germany).

Your sponsor (family member living in Germany) has	Who can join
German citizenship	• Spouse or registered partner • Minor unmarried children • Foreign parent of a minor German child, if the parent holds custody and wants to exercise it
EU Blue Card or skilled worker permit	Spouse and minor children
Settlement permit	Spouse and minor children
Temporary residence permit (most types)	• Spouse, if a timing condition is met • Minor children
Refugee status or asylum	• Spouse and minor children • Parents of a minor refugee, if no parent with custody already lives in Germany
Subsidiary protection	No one until July 23, 2027, except individual hardship cases
Temporary protection	Spouse and minor children, including the spouse’s minor children, if the flight separated the family
Some humanitarian permits	• Spouse or minor child, only for international law or humanitarian reasons, or German political interests • Other humanitarian permits rule out family reunification entirely

A tolerated stay (Duldung) does not let you bring family, because it is not a residence permit.

When can a spouse join a temporary residence permit holder?

A spouse can join a temporary residence permit holder when the sponsor meets one of these conditions:

• The sponsor has held the residence permit for at least 2 years.
• The marriage existed when the sponsor received the permit, and the sponsor is expected to stay in Germany for more than one year.

A marriage that began after the permit was issued is decided at the authorities’ discretion (§ 30 AufenthG).

FAQ

References

• Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG)
• Aufenthaltsverordnung (AufenthV)
• § 75 Verwaltungsgerichtsordnung (VwGO)
• § 17 Bundesmeldegesetz (BMG)
• Gesetz zur Weiterentwicklung der Fachkräfteeinwanderung, BGBl. 2023 I Nr. 217
• Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF): Subsequent immigration to join German nationals
• Bundesregierung: Bürgergeld wird zur neuen Grundsicherung
• Auswärtiges Amt: Aussetzung des Familiennachzugs zu subsidiär Schutzberechtigten
• Auswärtiges Amt: Digitalisation of the national visa procedure from 1 January 2025
• Deutsche Botschaft Belgrad: Nachzug sonstiger Familienangehöriger bei außergewöhnlicher Härte
• German Missions in the United States: Family reunion
• German Embassy Islamabad: Family reunion leaflet