Family Reunification in Germany: Requirements, Application and Process

Planning to marry in Germany instead of abroad? Then you need a different visa — the marriage-visa guide.

Family reunification — in official German bureaucratic language usually called Familiennachzug — refers to the same process: a person living in Germany brings their closest relatives from abroad so that they can live together here. The legal basis is § 27 AufenthG1§ 27 AufenthG — Grundsatz des FamiliennachzugsBundesministerium der Justiz. This provision ties directly to Art. 6 GG, which places marriage and family under the special protection of the state. That is not a symbolic statement: from this constitutional anchor, courts derive that authorities must give weight to family life when exercising their discretion.

Who may join you and under what conditions, however, depends on the residence status of the person already living in Germany — in official parlance called the Stammberechtigter (the reference person). A German citizen bringing in her foreign husband faces different requirements than an EU Blue Card holder sponsoring her daughter. This guide walks through the questions in the order you need to answer them in practice: Who? What requirements? What process? How long? What does it cost?

What family reunification actually means

In German law, family reunification is not an act of grace but in many constellations a legal entitlement. Once you as the reference person hold one of the residence titles listed in §§ 28–36a AufenthG and meet the general requirements, the authority cannot say "no" unless grounds for exclusion apply. This structure is backed by EU law (Family Reunification Directive 2003/86/EC) and breaks down into four core groups:

• Spouses and registered civil partners (§ 28 AufenthG for reunification with German nationals, § 30 for reunification with foreign nationals)
• Minor children (§§ 28, 32 AufenthG)
• Parents and other family members (§ 36 AufenthG — and since 1 March 2024 extended for skilled workers under § 36 para. 3)
• Special constellations such as temporary protection or humanitarian residence titles (§ 36a — currently partially suspended)

Important: § 27 AufenthG also defines when reunification is refused. A sham marriage (§ 27 para. 1a), a forced marriage, insufficient income, threats to the free democratic order, or support for terrorism all lead to refusal. The legislature did not design the entitlement as a blank cheque, but as a conditional right.

Who may join — and whom?

Before checking requirements, look at which family members can actually join which reference person. The matrix below summarises the most common constellations — it does not replace a case-by-case assessment, but it sorts the pathways.

A special group are EU Blue Card holders: they benefit from eased conditions. The pre-entry language requirement is waived for spouse reunification, and the housing requirement is relaxed for the skilled worker themselves. If you hold this status, it is worth reading the EU Blue Card guide for the full details on family privileges.

Requirements at a glance

Three conditions appear in almost every constellation: secured livelihood, adequate housing, and health insurance. These are set out in § 29 AufenthG2§ 29 AufenthG — Familiennachzug zu AusländernBundesministerium der Justiz in conjunction with § 5 para. 1 AufenthG. For spouse reunification, minimum age (both partners at least 18) and the A1 language proof are added requirements — governed by § 30 AufenthG3§ 30 AufenthG — EhegattennachzugBundesministerium der Justiz.

How much "secured livelihood" means in concrete figures is not a mystery — the authority calculates using Bürgergeld standard rates. Is your income enough for family reunification? Enter your numbers and see immediately where you stand.

The underlying rates (2025/26 Bürgergeld standard rates10Bürgergeld benefit rates 2025Bundesregierung):

Worked example: a family of four with one child under 6 and one school-age child in a flat with €1,000 warm rent needs roughly €2,987 net per month (2 × €563 + €390 + €471 + €1,000). Anyone cutting it close risks a refusal on grounds of "risk of reliance on social assistance" — build in a buffer.

For housing, the authority uses the locally customary standard for social housing. In Berlin the rule of thumb is approximately 12 m² per person aged 6 and over, and 10 m² for younger children. A couple with two children therefore needs around 44 m² — which in cities is often the bigger hurdle than income. For skilled workers holding an EU Blue Card, ICT card, or § 18b title, the housing requirement is waived. If you narrowly meet the requirements and have a stable job, it is worth seriously considering the Blue Card route.4Familiennachzug zu DrittstaatsangehörigenBundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF)

Spouse reunification in detail

Spouse reunification is the most common case — and the one with the most pitfalls. The provision in § 30 AufenthG requires three hard conditions: both spouses are at least 18 years old, the joining partner can communicate in German at a basic level (A1 CEFR), and the partner living in Germany holds one of the listed residence titles. These include the settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis), the EU Blue Card, the EU long-term residence permit, and most residence permits under §§ 18–21 AufenthG. A mere tolerated stay (Aufenthaltsgestattung) in an ongoing asylum procedure is not sufficient.

For reunification with a German spouse, § 28 AufenthG applies. The requirements are similar but somewhat more flexible: the income requirement may be waived if special circumstances apply, and the language proof is dispensable in significantly more cases. Mandatory documents include the marriage certificate (translated and usually apostilled) and the German passport of the German spouse — original passport, a certified copy is generally not sufficient.5Familiennachzug zu DeutschenBundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF)

One distinctive feature: the marriage must be genuinely lived. In practice, the immigration authority verifies this through separate interviews with each partner about shared daily life, social circle, and the wedding itself. Getting the answer to "what is your partner's favourite food?" wrong is not fatal, but contradictions between the two interviews raise the suspicion of a sham marriage under § 27 para. 1a AufenthG and will often lead to refusal.

After three years of married life together in Germany, an independent right of residence arises (§ 31 AufenthG): the residence permit remains valid even if the marriage breaks down. Before the three years are up, exceptions exist only in cases of special hardship (for example, domestic violence).

Child reunification

With child reunification, the most important question is age. § 32 AufenthG distinguishes three constellations: minor children under 16, adolescents aged 16 to 17, and adult children. Under 16, reunification with custodial parents is generally a legal entitlement — provided both parents live in Germany (or one parent holds sole custody).

From age 16 the bar is higher: the child must either have command of the German language or be able to demonstrate, based on their prior life history, that they can integrate into the conditions of life in Germany. Adult children can only join in atypical hardship cases.

For children of German nationals (§ 28 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 2 AufenthG), reunification is an unconditional entitlement: no language proof, no minimum age under 18, and in many cases no proof of livelihood either. The reason is the direct constitutional anchoring — the family of German children stands under special protection.

Mandatory documents are the birth certificate, proof of custody (often the biggest hurdle — many countries have no authority that explicitly certifies "custody"), and where applicable the consent declaration of the other parent if they are not joining.

Parent and other family reunification

Parents and other relatives face the hardest path. § 36 AufenthG generally requires an exceptional hardship — a situation that goes beyond the normal level of separation between parents and their adult child. In practice, authorities recognise this hardship for parents in need of care who have no one else in Germany, or for parents who face acute threats in their home country.

One important expansion: since 1 March 2024, § 36 para. 3 AufenthG provides an eased route for parents to join skilled workers — parents and parents-in-law of holders of certain residence titles (EU Blue Card, ICT card, qualified skilled worker) may join, provided the child's residence title was first granted on or after 1 March 2024. This rule is new and often overlooked — if you are a skilled worker and your parents are ageing, take a close look at this provision.

Parents of minor German children (§ 28 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 3 AufenthG) are a separate case with an almost universal entitlement — the German citizenship of the child gives the parents a strong right of residence.

Special case: subsidiary protection — suspended 2025–2027

Family reunification for subsidiary protection holders has been suspended since 24 July 2025 — for a fixed period until 23 July 2027. This is politically the most severe intervention in the AufenthG in recent years and affects a numerically large group.

An important distinction: recognised refugees (§ 25 para. 1–2 AufenthG) and asylum-entitled persons are not affected by the suspension. For them, the eased reunification route continues — no income or housing proof if the application is filed within three months of recognition. Temporary protection (§ 24 AufenthG, e.g. for Ukrainian refugees) also remains unchanged.

The process step by step

The process always runs through the German consulate in the home country of the joining family member — even if that person is currently in Germany. Anyone hoping to "enter on a tourist visa and then apply here" will almost certainly face a refusal: the immigration authority requires the visa procedure to be initiated from outside Germany.

The process runs in five steps:

1. Visa application at the German consulate in the home country. Book an appointment online (often months of waiting time), submit the application with mandatory documents in person. For spouse reunification with a German national, the Federal Foreign Office requires among other things the marriage certificate, German passport, proof of health insurance, A1 certificate, and biometric passport photos.6Visa procedure — spouses of German nationalsAuswärtiges Amt
2. Involvement of the immigration authority (ABH) in Germany — the consulate forwards the file to the ABH at the future place of residence. The ABH reviews income, housing, and the identity of the reference person. This review typically takes several weeks and is often the real bottleneck.
3. Advance approval (optional) — the reference person can apply for advance approval from their ABH before the visa application is submitted abroad. If the ABH approves in advance, the consulate stage is significantly leaner. This often saves months in constellations with long waiting times.
4. Visa issuance by the consulate — usually as a national visa (Category D), valid for 90 days of entry and three months of stay.
5. Entry and application for a residence permit — after entry, book an appointment at the ABH within 90 days and apply for a residence permit under §§ 28, 30, 32, or 36 AufenthG. You will typically receive it for one to three years, renewable. Find the right office near you via the authority finder.

Timeline, costs, and your nerves

Processing time is the question we are asked most often, and the honest answer is: three to nine months, in exceptional cases longer. Three factors determine the duration: waiting time for a consulate appointment, how long the ABH review takes in Germany, and any requests for additional documents if the file is incomplete. In high-volume countries (Turkey, India, Nigeria, Iran), appointment waiting times alone run to six months or more. In the USA, Canada, or Australia, the process is noticeably faster.

The fees are manageable: €75 for the national visa (Category D, § 46 AufenthV), €100 for the subsequent residence permit after entry (§ 45 AufenthV); children under 18 pay half. With translations, apostilles, the language course, and travel costs, you will realistically spend €500–€1,500 per joining family member.

Once the residence permit is issued, the clock starts ticking towards permanent residency. The spouse of a German national can apply for the settlement permit after three years (§ 28 para. 2 AufenthG); in other constellations it is generally five years. Successfully completing family reunification puts you on a clear path to an open-ended title.

Common mistakes and practical tips

If your renewal appointment at the ABH is coming up and your new title is taking its time, read up on the Fiktionsbescheinigung beforehand — it bridges the gap and lets you continue working legally. If the reference person loses their job, that also changes the picture for family reunification — the key consequences are set out in the guide on residence permits when you lose your job.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)