Updated on April 27, 2026
Issue Residence Card for Family Members of EU and EEA Citizens
Are you a family member of an EU/EEA citizen? This is how you get your residence card and may live and work in Germany.
At a glance
How do you obtain a residence card as a family member of an EU/EEA citizen?
Are you a family member of a citizen from the European Union or the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway), and you yourself are not an EU/EEA citizen? Then you have a right to a residence card. Requirement: your family member has the right to free movement and you live together as a family.
The authority will issue your residence card as a rule for 5 years. It confirms your right to entry and residence. With the card, you are allowed to take up any economic activity. This applies to employment as well as self-employment.
Important: Family members of Germans usually do not receive a residence card under the Freedom of Movement Act (Freizügigkeitsgesetz). However, they can obtain a residence permit under the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz) if they themselves are not EU/EEA citizens.
There is one exception: if the German has acquired a right to free movement through a joint stay with the family member in another Member State. A short stay is not sufficient for this.
Requirements
Who qualifies?
- You can obtain the residence card if you are not an EU/EEA citizen yourself and live together as a family with an EU/EEA citizen who has the right to free movement. Family members include in particular spouses, registered same-sex partners, minor unmarried children, or parents.
- Family members of Germans usually do not receive a residence card under the Freedom of Movement Act. There is only one exception: if the German has acquired a right to free movement through a joint stay in another Member State.
Additional requirements
- Your EU/EEA family member must hold the right to free movement, for example as an employee, self-employed person, or non-employed person.
- You must live together as a family in Berlin and you must have your main residence registered in Berlin.
- You must appear in person at the immigration office and schedule an appointment in advance via the contact form with departments F 1 and F 2.
How to apply
Schedule an appointment via the contact form with departments F 1 and F 2 at the immigration office
Gather all required documents: completed application form, valid passport, biometric passport photo, proof of the family relationship, registration confirmation of your EU/EEA family member, and your own registration confirmation
Have foreign documents translated by a certified translator and clarify whether you need an apostille or legalisation
Attend the appointment in person and bring all documents. If needed, also bring additional proof of your family member's right to free movement
Submit your application for the residence card
Done! If you meet the requirements, the authority will issue your residence card as a rule for 5 years
Since 01.05.2025 only digital photos are accepted. Learn more
Applicants aged 24 and over
- Applicants up to age 2427,60 EUR
- Digital passport photo at the self-service terminal on site (additional)6,00 EUR
Good to know
If the authority cannot yet order your electronic residence title, you will immediately receive an informal application certificate. It is valid for 6 months and is free of charge. You can use it to provisionally prove your right of residence.
wird unverzüglich eine formlose Antragsbescheinigung gem. § 5 Abs. 1 nach vorgegebenem Muster ausgestellt. Die Bescheinigung gilt für 6 Monate ab Ausstellung. Die Ausstellung erfolgt gebührenfrei.
VAB C.5, S. 766-769
Have you lived in Germany continuously for five years with a right of free movement? Then you have a permanent right of residence. The authority can no longer revoke your right of free movement.
Ist aufgrund eines fünfjährigen, durchgehend freizügigkeitsberechtigten Aufenthalts ein Daueraufenthaltsrecht nach § 4a erworben worden, scheidet die Verlustfeststellung nach § 5 Abs. 4 aus.
VAB C.5, S. 766-769
If your right of free movement has been determined as lost, you may still re-enter at any time. There is no entry or residence ban. This applies regardless of whether you departed voluntarily.
Unionsbürger und ihre Familienangehörigen, deren Verlust des Rechts auf Einreise und Aufenthalt unanfechtbar festgestellt wurde, unterliegen nach ihrer Ausreise, unabhängig von Freiwilligkeit oder Abschiebung, keinen Einreise- oder Aufenthaltsbeschränkungen.
VAB C.5, S. 766-769
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Issue Residence Card for Family Members of EU and EEA Citizens
After the appointment, it takes approximately 4 weeks until the residence card is issued as an electronic residence title and can be collected.
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