Family Reunion Visa (Ehegattennachzug)

Applicant Eligibility (Joining Family Member)

For spouses:

• Must be at least 18 years old
• Must be legally married to the sponsor; marriage must be recognized under German law
• Marriage must not have been entered into solely for immigration purposes
• Must provide proof of basic German language skills (A1 level) in most cases (see exemptions below)
• Must not have grounds for expulsion (criminal record, terrorism links, or security concerns)

Language requirement exemptions for spouses: Spouses are exempt from the A1 requirement if joining:

• A German citizen
• An EU Blue Card holder
• A highly skilled worker with a residence permit issued after March 1, 2024 (under the Skilled Immigration Act)
• Citizens of Australia, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Canada, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom, or United States may also qualify for exemption on a case-by-case basis

For children:

• Must be under 18 years of age
• Must be unmarried and not divorced or widowed
• Must be the biological or legally adopted child of the sponsor
• If only one parent is in Germany, the other parent's custody consent is required
• Children aged 16 and older require C1-level German language proficiency, unless they move to Germany within 6 months of their parent's arrival (in which case the language requirement may be waived)
• No German language requirement for children under 16

Sponsor Eligibility (Family Member in Germany)

The sponsor must hold one of the following statuses:

• German citizenship
• EU citizenship
• Valid temporary residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) for employment, humanitarian reasons, or other purposes
• Permanent settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis)
• EU Blue Card (highly skilled worker status)
• ICT Card or Mobile ICT Card (intra-corporate transferee)
• Skilled Worker Permit issued after March 1, 2024 (under the Skilled Immigration Act)

The sponsor must demonstrate:

• Sufficient financial means to support the family without relying on public assistance (typically €1,500–€2,000 net monthly for a couple, varying by family size and local costs)
• Adequate living space (minimum 12 m² per person; exemptions apply for skilled workers with permits issued after March 1, 2024)
• Valid health insurance coverage
• No reliance on social benefits (SGB II or SGB XII) for household support

Disqualifiers

Family reunification will be refused if:

• The marriage was entered into solely for immigration purposes
• The sponsor is relying on public assistance (with limited exceptions for child benefits)
• The applicant has a criminal record or grounds for expulsion
• The applicant is suspected of supporting terrorism or extremist organizations
• The applicant is a beneficiary of subsidiary protection status (as of July 31, 2025, with rare hardship exceptions only)