Family-Reunion Germany

Guide: How to bring your Family to Germany

Migration & Employment Germany (2024)

Here you will find all the relevant information on applying for a work visa, an EU Blue Card, a settlement permit (including a European settlement permit), expat law (employment law for foreigners) and the

job-searching visa.

The information includes in particular:

Requirements for work visas, EU Blue Card, settlement permits (skilled workers), job-searching visas
Necessary documents for work visa, EU Blue Card, settlement permit (skilled workers), job-searching visa
Application process, processing time and deadline for work visas, EU Blue Card, settlement permits (skilled workers), job-searching visas

Family Reunion Visa for Germany

For most foreigners, family reunification is (understandably) an important prerequisite for integration. Especially for skilled workers who want to migrate to Germany, it is often out of the question to stay in Germany without their family. Below is an explaination of the conditions under which family reunification can be applied for in Germany.

What does "family reunification" mean?
Family reunification ("dependent visa") is any derivation of a family-related right of residence. Family reunification is therefore not only "reunification" in the sense of a visa procedure, but also the application for residence rights in Germany. Even the birth of a child in Germany is legally considered family "reunification".

What types of family reunification are there?
The Residence Act distinguishes between the following constellations of family reunification:

Reunification with Germans
Reunification with third-country nationals (i.e. non-EU citizens)
Reunification with European citizens

There are various simplifications for family reunification with Germans. This applies not only to the legal requirements, but also in particular to the actual administrative practice. In this respect, family reunification with Germans is generally much faster than family reunification with foreigners.

To whom can family reunification take place?

Within these categories, a distinction can be made between

Spouse reunification (§§ 28, 30, 31 AufenthG)
Reunification of children (§§ 32 - 35 AufenthG)
Reunification of parents (§ 36 AufenthG)
Reunification with other family members (e.g. siblings and grandparents)

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Requirements family reunion

The requirements that must be met for family reunification depend on the nationality of the family member living in Germany (reference person/authorised family member) and the family relationship between the family member and the reference person.

In principle, the following requirements must be met for family reunification:

1. Requirement for family reunification: proven family relationship

Firstly, the embassy or immigration authority must be notified of the existence of appropriate family relationships for family reunification. These family relationships must be proven by means of suitable documents (e.g. marriage certificate or birth certificate).

A distinction must be made between the following family relationships:

... Family reunification with the spouse

... Family reunification of children with their parents

... Family reunification of parents

2. Requirement for family reunification: secure livelihood

For family reunification, it is also necessary that the family's livelihood is secured (without claiming social benefits). Specifically, the family must be able to pay daily expenses, rent and health insurance (Section 2 (3) AufenthG). This is usually proven by an employment contract between the spouses.

3. Requirement for family reunification: correct visa

According to the Residence Act, it is also necessary for family reunification to take place with an appropriate visa. This means that anyone applying for a residence permit for family reunification must have previously held a visa for family reunification (Section 5 (2) Residence Act). It is therefore not possible, for example, to apply for a residence permit for family reunification if you entered the country on a tourist visa. However, there are numerous exceptions to this rule. If in doubt, a lawyer specialising in migration law can advise you on this.

4. Requirement for family reunification: language skills

In some cases, it is also necessary for family members to be able to communicate in German (A1 language skills). However, this does not apply to the immigration of skilled workers. German language skills are therefore not relevant for skilled workers in the area of family reunification.

5. Requirement for family reunification: consent of the immigration authority

If family reunification is not applied for as a residence permit but as a visa, the approval of the immigration authority is required for the visa to be issued. The embassy will therefore involve the foreigners authority at the place where the foreigner wishes to take up residence. However, this is a purely formal act of migration control, as the foreigners authority merely checks the visa requirements once again.