Residence permit
for family reunification
Would you like your spouse, children or other family members to join you in Germany? We check whether you are entitled to family reunification and guide you through the visa and residence procedure.
Who can apply?
Family reunification is generally possible for the nuclear family:
- Spouses
- underage children
- Parents to minor children
For other family members (e.g. parents to adult children), reunification is only possible in a few exceptional cases.
Spousal reunification
In many cases, it is possible for a spouse to join you – in particular, German nationals are generally entitled to do so.
Typical requirements are
- Proof of basic German language skills (A1)
- Effective marriage
- Entering the country with the correct visa
When joining a foreign spouse, the livelihood must also be secured.
When joining a German spouse, a certain minimum income is generally not required.
Reunification of children
- Generally possible up to the age of 16
- Up to the age of 18 only under certain conditions (e.g. C1 language skills or reunification with skilled workers)
As a rule, reunification presupposes that a family partnership is to be established.
Reunification of parents
The reunification of parents is only possible in limited cases:
- to underage German children: generally possible
- to underage foreign children: only in exceptional cases (e.g. with protection status)
- Reunification with skilled workers who received their first residence permit as a skilled worker after March 2023
It is virtually impossible for parents to join their adult children. The only option is often reunification with another EU member state in accordance with EU law.
Important requirements
- Entering the country with the correct visa
The residence permit is generally only issued if you have entered the country with a visa for family reunification; it is not usually possible to convert a Schengen visa into a residence permit. - Secured means of subsistence (depending on the case)
Particularly necessary when joining foreign nationals. - No marriage of convenience
The authorities can check whether a genuine cohabitation is intended.
Typical problems in practice
- Rejection of the visa by the embassy
- Doubts about the validity of the marriage
- Doubts about the intended marital partnership (accusation of sham marriage)
- Missing language certificates
- Problems with proof of livelihood
- Long duration of proceedings
The procedures often take several months and require careful preparation.
Special feature: EU citizens
If you are joining an EU citizen, more favorable regulations often apply under EU law.
However, these regulations do not apply to reunification with German nationals.
Independent residence after separation
If you and your spouse have lived together for at least 3 years, you can obtain an independent residence permit. This is then no longer dependent on the continuation of the marriage, but in the case of an extension it is dependent on the actual provision of living expenses.
Typical case
Your spouse lives abroad and would like to move to Germany to live with you.
We check for you:
- whether there is an entitlement to family reunification
- which requirements must be met
- how to prepare the application optimally
This will help you avoid delays and unnecessary rejections.
What we can do for you:
- Examination of your individual situation
- Strategy for visa and residence
- Support with applications and documents
- Communication with embassies and authorities
- Representation in legal proceedings before the Berlin Administrative Court
Unfortunately, we cannot do this for you:
- achieve accelerated processing of the procedure
