Requirements for Family Reunification in Germany

Key Takeaways

• Family reunification in Germany requires a secured livelihood, meaning the family can live on its own income without public funds (§ 2(3) AufenthG).
• The living space requirement for family reunification is capped at what a social housing tenant needs (§ 2(4) AufenthG).
• As a rule, every joining family member needs adequate health insurance, which German law counts as part of a secured livelihood.
• Recognized refugee families are exempt from the income and living space requirements if they apply within three months of the sponsor’s final and unappealable recognition. The authorities decide at their discretion instead if the family could live together in a non-EU country it has special ties to.
• Family reunification for people with subsidiary protection is suspended until July 23, 2027 (§ 104(14) AufenthG).
• A joining spouse needs basic German at A1 level before entry, unless an exemption applies.

Table of contents

What are the requirements for family reunification in Germany?

The requirements for family reunification in Germany are a set of tests that the sponsor and the joining family member must pass. The sponsor is the family member who already lives in Germany.

Most families need to meet these family reunification requirements:

• Secured livelihood means enough income to support the whole family without public funds (Section 5 of the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz, AufenthG)).
• Adequate living space means a home that fits every family member who will live in it (§ 29(1) AufenthG).
• Health insurance means adequate cover for every family member. German law treats it as part of a secured livelihood.
• Basic German at A1 level means a joining spouse can communicate in simple German before entry.

Most family reunion visas need the Ausländerbehörde’s approval before the German embassy or consulate issues them (§ 31 AufenthV). The Ausländerbehörde responsible for the family’s planned place of residence checks these requirements before approving.

Our guide to family reunification in Germany covers which family members and which sponsor statuses qualify for family reunification.

How does the income requirement for family reunification in Germany work?

The income requirement for family reunification in Germany works as a comparison, not as a fixed salary threshold. The Ausländerbehörde calculates what the family would receive in state benefits, then checks whether the family’s income covers that amount.

The household needs test compares your income to benefit rates

Secured livelihood (gesicherter Lebensunterhalt) means the family covers its living costs, including adequate health insurance, without public funds (§ 2(3) AufenthG).

Section 2(3) AufenthG sets no fixed euro amount for these living costs, called the family’s monthly need. The 2026 standard rates of Germany’s basic income support for jobseekers (formerly Bürgergeld) show the scale of the family’s monthly need:

• Single adult: €563.
• Each adult partner in a couple: €506.
• Young person aged 14 to 17: €471.
• Child aged 6 to 13: €390.
• Child aged 0 to 5: €357.

A couple with a 4-year-old child has a standard rate total of €1,369 per month. Rent and health insurance costs are not part of that figure.

Deductions raise how much income you need to earn

The Ausländerbehörde compares the family’s need with the sponsor’s net income after certain deductions. The Federal Administrative Court (Bundesverwaltungsgericht) set these deduction rules in its November 16, 2010 decision, case 1 C 20.09.

The deduction rules differ by case:

• Cases under the EU Family Reunification Directive:
  • The Ausländerbehörde cannot deduct the Erwerbstätigenfreibetrag, an allowance that normally lets a benefit recipient keep part of their earnings. Skipping this deduction means more of the sponsor’s income counts.
  • The Ausländerbehörde still deducts a flat €100 for work expenses, unless the sponsor proves their actual expenses are lower.
• Cases outside the Directive, such as a settlement permit application:
  • The SGB II basic income rules still apply.
  • The Ausländerbehörde deducts both the Erwerbstätigenfreibetrag and the €100 lump sum (case 1 C 21.09).

A sponsor whose income sits close to the family’s need should have the calculation checked before applying for the family reunion visa.

What income and benefits affect your family’s application?

Receiving any of the following benefits does not count as using public funds under § 2(3) AufenthG:

• Child benefit (Kindergeld) and the child supplement (Kinderzuschlag)
• Parental allowance (Elterngeld)
• Education and training support, including BAföG
• Public funds based on your own contributions
• Public funds granted to make your stay in Germany possible
• Child maintenance advances (Unterhaltsvorschuss)

Contributions from family members to the household income count when the permit is issued or extended (§ 2(3) AufenthG).

Benefits for other relatives can lead to a refusal, on different grounds than the list above. The authorities may refuse the permit if the sponsor depends on basic income support or social assistance for other family or household members (§ 27(3) AufenthG).

How much living space do you need for family reunification in Germany?

You need enough living space for family reunification in Germany, but no more than a social housing tenant needs (§ 2(4) AufenthG).

The home must also meet the rules on condition and occupancy that apply to German residents. Children do not count in the living space calculation until their second birthday.

Which sponsors’ families do not need to prove living space?

Spouses and minor unmarried children of certain sponsors need no living space proof (§ 29(5) AufenthG). The sponsor must hold one of these permits:

• EU Blue Card
• ICT Card
• Mobile ICT Card
• A permit under one of these provisions:
  • §§ 18a, 18b, 18c(3), 18d, and 18f AufenthG
  • § 19c(1) AufenthG, for named roles only
  • § 19c(2) AufenthG, or § 19c(4) sentence 1 AufenthG
  • § 21 AufenthG

We call all of these permits “skilled worker and related permits”.

The living space exemption for these spouses and children expires on December 31, 2028. Article 12(7) of the Act on the Further Development of Skilled Immigration (Gesetz zur Weiterentwicklung der Fachkräfteeinwanderung) sets this end date.

Sponsors with skilled worker and related permits still need to prove income and health insurance for their family.

What health insurance do you need for family reunification in Germany?

You need adequate health insurance for every family member for family reunification in Germany. Adequate health insurance counts as part of a secured livelihood, so missing coverage also fails the income requirement (§ 2(3) AufenthG).

Statutory family insurance covers eligible spouses and children at no extra cost

A family member insured through statutory health insurance has adequate cover (§ 2(3) AufenthG). A sponsor with statutory health insurance can cover a spouse and children living in Germany at no extra cost, which is called family insurance (Familienversicherung).

Section 10 of the Fifth Book of the Social Code (Sozialgesetzbuch Fünftes Buch, SGB V) limits family insurance in several ways, including these:

• The family member must live in Germany, so coverage only starts after the move.
• The family member’s own income must stay under a fixed monthly limit.
• Parents are not covered, and a sponsor with private insurance cannot use family insurance.

You need your own health insurance before you move to Germany.

Family insurance only starts once you live in Germany. For the visa itself, you need separate health insurance that covers the visa’s full validity period. This is a general requirement at any German mission.

Do parents joining a skilled worker sponsor need health insurance?

Yes, parents joining a sponsor with one of the skilled worker and related permits must have their living costs, including health insurance, covered without public funds. § 36(3) AufenthG sets this rule, and the authorities grant these permits at their discretion.

This route also covers the parents of the sponsor’s spouse (parents-in-law), but only if the spouse lives permanently in Germany. It applies only if the sponsor was first issued the qualifying permit on or after March 1, 2024, and it expires December 31, 2028.

Who is exempt from the income and housing requirements for family reunification in Germany?

The broadest exemptions from the income and housing requirements for family reunification in Germany go to refugee families and families of German citizens.

Refugee, asylum, and resettlement families

The authorities may waive the income and housing tests for the spouse and minor unmarried child of sponsors with these permits (§ 29(2) AufenthG):

• Resettlement refugees are selected protection seekers to whom the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has given an admission commitment (§ 23(4) AufenthG).
• Asylum grantees are foreigners recognized as entitled to asylum (Asylberechtigte) (§ 25(1) AufenthG).
• Recognized refugees are foreigners to whom the BAMF has granted refugee status (§ 25(2) sentence 1 AufenthG).
• Holders of a settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) under § 26(3) AufenthG.
• Holders of a later settlement permit under § 26(4) AufenthG, granted after a residence permit under § 25(2) sentence 2 AufenthG.

The authorities must waive the income and housing tests if both of these conditions are met:

• The family applies within three months after the sponsor’s final and unappealable recognition, or after the resettlement permit is granted.
• The family cannot live together in a non-EU country that the sponsor or a family member has a special connection to.

If the family could live together in such a country, the authorities may still waive the tests at their discretion.

For families of people with subsidiary protection, see the section on people with subsidiary protection below.

How can you meet the three-month deadline for refugee family reunification?

The three-month deadline for refugee family reunification starts when the sponsor’s recognition becomes final and unappealable. Use any one of these ways to meet the deadline:

• The sponsor in Germany files the application for the family’s residence permit in time (§ 29(2) AufenthG).
• The family abroad submits the visa application in time.
• The family abroad completes the timely notification (fristwahrende Anzeige) on the family reunification web portal of the Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office).

Print the timely notification and bring it to the visa appointment. The portal does not store or forward the notification, and the embassy or consulate does not recognize a notification without a printout.

People with subsidiary protection

Family reunification under § 36a AufenthG for people with subsidiary protection is suspended until July 23, 2027 (§ 104(14) AufenthG).

During this suspension of family reunification for people with subsidiary protection, §§ 22 and 23 AufenthG remain unaffected. Individual cases can still be approved, mainly on grounds under international law or urgent humanitarian grounds under § 22 sentence 1 AufenthG.

Family members of German citizens

Family members of German citizens do not need to prove living space, because the living space test in § 29(1) AufenthG applies only to foreign sponsors.

The income requirement for family members of German citizens depends on the relationship (§ 28(1) AufenthG). These family members don’t need to prove income:

• A minor unmarried child of a German citizen.
• A parent exercising parental custody of a minor unmarried German citizen.
• A spouse of a German citizen, as a rule.

A non-custodial parent of a minor unmarried German citizen may still receive a permit without income proof, if the family already lives in Germany.

A permit under § 28(1) AufenthG also requires the German citizen to have their habitual residence in Germany.

Under a separate route, parents of an adult German citizen and other relatives can join only to avoid an exceptional hardship (außergewöhnliche Härte) (§ 36(2) AufenthG).

Which integration measures apply before and after family reunification in Germany?

Integration measures for family reunification in Germany apply at different points, depending on who’s joining and when:

Stage	Who	Requirement	Main exemptions
Before entry	Joining spouse	A1 German	– sponsor’s permit or nationality – spouse’s own situation (e.g., illness, low integration need, or other hardship)
Before entry	Child aged 16 or 17 moving separately from parents	C1 German, or proof of integration prospects	– moving together with parents – sponsor’s permit – sponsor is a German citizen
After arrival	Family member with a first family reunification permit	A right, and sometimes a duty, to attend an integration course	– low integration need – already at B1 German – still in school

Basic German before entry for joining spouses

A joining spouse must be able to communicate in German at least in a simple way before entry, which means A1 level (§ 30(1) AufenthG). A1 is the first level of the European language framework and covers simple everyday phrases.

The spouse proves A1 German with a certificate from a recognized test provider, such as the Goethe-Institut.

Under § 30(1) AufenthG, a joining spouse does not need to prove A1 German in these situations, among others:

Because of the sponsor’s permit or nationality:

• The sponsor holds one of the skilled worker and related permits (§ 30(1) sentence 3 number 5 AufenthG).
• The sponsor holds one of these permits, and the marriage existed before the sponsor moved their center of life to Germany:
  • A resettlement permit (§ 23(4) AufenthG), an asylum permit (§ 25(1) AufenthG), or a permit for refugee status or subsidiary protection (§ 25(2) AufenthG).
  • A settlement permit under § 26(3) AufenthG.
  • A settlement permit under § 26(4) AufenthG, granted after a residence permit under § 25(2) sentence 2 AufenthG.
• The sponsor is a citizen of one of these 14 countries, according to the BAMF leaflet on proving A1 German and § 41 AufenthV:
  • Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States, Andorra, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Monaco, or San Marino.
• The sponsor held an EU Blue Card, or a permit listed in § 30(1) sentence 3 number 7 AufenthG, immediately before receiving a settlement permit or EU long-term residence permit.

Because of the spouse’s own situation:

• The spouse cannot prove basic German because of an illness or disability.
• The spouse has a clearly low integration need, or would have no right to an integration course after entry.
• Special circumstances of the individual case make it impossible or unreasonable for the spouse to try to learn German before entry, for example:
  • If the spouse has tried unsuccessfully for a year and still lacks a basic command of German
  • If no German courses are available in the country of origin, are too expensive, or are otherwise inaccessible.

The nationality exemption depends on the sponsor’s citizenship, not the joining spouse’s. A US citizen joining a sponsor from a country not among the 14 named countries still needs A1 German.

Under § 4(2) of the Integration Course Ordinance (IntV), a spouse is assumed to have a clearly low integration need, and so doesn’t need to prove A1 German, when both of these conditions are true:

• The spouse holds a university or technical college degree or an equivalent qualification, or works in a job that regularly requires one.
• The spouse is expected to integrate into German economic, social, and cultural life without state help.

The degree doesn’t count if not speaking German is the reason the spouse can’t find matching work within a reasonable time.

German or integration prospects for children aged 16 and 17

A child aged 16 or 17 who moves to Germany separately from the parents needs one of two things (§ 32(2) AufenthG):

• The child speaks German at C1 level.
• The child can show that their education and background let them integrate in Germany.

Five groups of children joining a parent do not face this C1 German or integration test:

• Children under 16.
• Children aged 16 or 17 who move together with their parents.
• Children of a sponsor who holds one of these permits:
  • A resettlement permit (§ 23(4) AufenthG), an asylum permit (§ 25(1) AufenthG), or a permit for refugee status or subsidiary protection (§ 25(2) AufenthG).
  • A settlement permit under § 26(3) AufenthG.
  • A settlement permit under § 26(4) AufenthG, granted after a residence permit under § 25(2) sentence 2 AufenthG.
• Children of a sponsor, or of a sponsor’s spouse who lives with the sponsor, in one of two situations (§ 32(2) sentence 2 AufenthG):
  • The sponsor or spouse holds one of the skilled worker and related permits.
  • The sponsor, or the sponsor’s spouse, held an EU Blue Card or a permit from a shorter version of the skilled worker and related permits list immediately before getting a settlement permit or EU long-term residence permit.t
• Children of German citizens, because the test applies only to children joining a foreign parent.

The right and duty to attend an integration course after arrival

A family member with a first, permanent family reunification permit has a right to attend one integration course (Integrationskurs) (§ 44(1) AufenthG).

This integration course combines German lessons with an orientation course on German law, history, and society.

The stay counts as permanent, and so triggers the right to attend the course, if the permit is valid for at least one year, or if the family member has held one for over 18 months. A temporary stay doesn’t count as permanent under either condition.

Once the right to attend exists, it expires one year after the permit is issued (§ 44(2) AufenthG). The right survives only if the family member couldn’t enroll for reasons outside their control.

The right to attend does not cover these people (§ 44(3) AufenthG):

• Children and young people who start or continue school in Germany.
• People with a clearly low integration need.
• People who already speak German at B1 level.

There are two ways to lose the right to attend (§ 4(1) IntV):

• The participant does not start the course within one year after registering with a course provider.
• The participant interrupts the course for more than one year.

A participant with a plausible reason for missing that window can apply to the Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF) to reactivate the right (BAMF leaflet).

Even a family member who never has a right to attend can still be admitted, but only within available course places (§ 44(4) AufenthG).

A family member with a right to attend must take the course in these two cases, among others (§ 44a(1) AufenthG):

• The family member cannot communicate in German even in a simple way.
• The family member holds a permit as a spouse and does not speak German at B1 level when the permit is issued.

In these two cases, the Ausländerbehörde states whether attendance is required in the permit decision.

Two other authorities can separately require attendance, even outside these two cases:

• The Jobcenter (basic income support office), for a family member who receives basic income support.
• The Ausländerbehörde, for a family member who is in particular need of integration.

Even so, a family member is exempt from the duty in three cases (§ 44a(2) AufenthG):

• The family member is in vocational or other training in Germany.
• The family member proves attendance at comparable courses in Germany.
• Attending is permanently impossible or unreasonable for the family member.

For a family member who isn’t exempt, skipping an obligatory integration course counts against their permit extension. This consequence is codified in § 8(3) AufenthG, the Ausländerbehörde must consider the missed course when deciding the extension.

In practice, this means a family member who was or is obligated to attend normally receives extensions of no more than one year at a time, until they complete the course or show another way to integrate into German society.

Do family reunification requirements still apply after your family arrives in Germany?

Some requirements still apply after your family arrives, but the income and living space tests loosen at the permit extension.

Extending a permit generally follows the rules for the first permit (§ 8(1) AufenthG), with two exceptions:

• A spouse’s permit may be extended without income or living space proof, at the authorities’ discretion, if the couple still lives together (§ 30(3) AufenthG).
• A child’s permit must be extended without income or living space proof, if the child lives with a custodial parent who holds a residence, settlement, or EU long-term residence permit (§ 34(1) AufenthG).

For the spouse’s exception, authorities verify the marriage is ongoing (AVwV AufenthG Nr. 30.3.1). Temporary separations don’t count against the three years under § 31 (AVwV AufenthG Nr. 31.1.2).

A spouse can gain an independent right to stay if the couple separates or the sponsor dies, extending the permit for one year, independent of family reunification (§ 31(1) AufenthG):

• The couple lived together lawfully in Germany for at least three years.
• The sponsor died while the couple lived together in Germany.
• A particular hardship (besondere Härte) would otherwise arise, for example if the spouse is a victim of domestic violence.

In a hardship case, the three-year condition is waived (§ 31(2) AufenthG), unless the sponsor’s own permit can’t be extended.

Three further rules govern this independent right to stay (§ 31(1) and (1a) AufenthG):

• Sponsor’s permit: The sponsor must have held a residence, settlement, or EU long-term residence permit until the couple separated or the sponsor died, unless the sponsor missed the extension deadline for reasons outside their control.
• Excluded permits: The right doesn’t apply if a rule on the stay’s purpose, or a § 8(2) AufenthG condition, rules out extending the sponsor’s permit, including if it rules out both a settlement and an EU long-term residence permit.
• EU Blue Card holders: A spouse only needs two years of lawful life together in Germany, plus one earlier year in another EU state, instead of the usual three years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Reference

• https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/
• https://www.bamf.de/EN/Themen/MigrationAufenthalt/ZuwandererDrittstaaten/Familie/NachzugZuDeutschen/nachzug-zu-deutschen-node.html
• https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthv/
• https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_5/__10.html
• https://www.bverwg.de/de/161110U1C20.09.0