Germany · Family Visas
If one of you is already settled in Germany, the family reunion visa brings the rest over. Here is who qualifies, the language catch, and what you must prove.
Moving to Germany alone and leaving your family behind is nobody's plan. The family reunion visa (Familiennachzug) is the route that closes that gap, letting a spouse, registered partner, or minor children join someone who already holds the right to live in Germany. It sounds simple, and in many cases it is, but two things trip people up: the German-language requirement for spouses, and the proof that the person in Germany can actually house and support the family. Get those two right and the rest is mostly paperwork.
The person already in Germany, the sponsor, needs to hold a qualifying residence status. That typically means a settlement permit, an EU Blue Card, a skilled worker residence permit, or recognised refugee status, among others. A short-term or purely temporary status usually is not enough on its own. The core idea is that the sponsor has a stable, forward-looking right to stay, because the whole point of the visa is to let the family build a life together in Germany, not to visit briefly. If the sponsor arrived on a work route, it is worth understanding how that permit was granted in the first place, which our guide to skilled worker jobs in Germany walks through.
This is the requirement people least expect. A spouse joining their partner in Germany generally has to show basic German before the visa is issued, proven with a recognised beginner-level certificate. The logic is integration: the government wants arriving partners to have at least a foothold in the language from day one. There are exceptions, for example where the sponsor holds certain high-skill statuses, where the couple are nationals of countries that are exempt, or where a disability makes learning impractical, but you should assume the rule applies to you until you have confirmed otherwise. Start the language course early, because booking a test slot and passing it can easily add months if you leave it late.
Minor children generally have the clearest path. Unmarried children under the age of majority can usually join their parents, and younger children in particular face fewer hurdles. Older teenagers sometimes face an additional look at their ability to integrate, which can include language, so the younger the child, the more straightforward the application tends to be. Both parents' consent and proof of the family relationship, usually birth certificates, sit at the heart of the file. If only one parent is moving, expect questions about custody and the other parent's agreement.
Two practical tests sit behind most family reunion decisions:
These are the levers that decide borderline cases, so sort the job and the flat before you file, not after.
Families apply at the German embassy or consulate in the home country. The document set is predictable: valid passports, the marriage or birth certificates that prove the relationship, the spouse's language certificate, the sponsor's proof of residence status, proof of income and housing, and health insurance. Almost everything foreign will need a certified German translation, and some documents may need legalisation or an apostille depending on the country. Build in time for that, because translations and appointment waits are the slowest part. For the official document checklists by country and status, the German government portal Make it in Germany keeps the current requirements.
Processing times swing a lot by consulate and workload, so plan for months rather than weeks. The sequence that saves the most grief is: confirm the sponsor's status qualifies, start the spouse's German course immediately, gather and translate documents in parallel, then book the consulate appointment as soon as the file is ready. Rushing the language step is the classic mistake, because you cannot submit a complete spouse application without it.
In most cases, yes, a basic certificate is required up front. Check the exemptions for your situation, but plan on needing it and start learning early.
Parent reunification is much harder than spouse or child reunification and is usually only granted in cases of exceptional hardship. It is the exception, not the norm.
There is no fixed number. The test is whether the family can be supported without state help, judged against family size and local cost of living, so a steady job with payslips is the goal.
Spouses who join on this visa generally gain the right to work in Germany, which is a major advantage over many other countries' dependant visas.
Family reunion to Germany is very doable, but it rewards early preparation over last-minute scrambling. Confirm the sponsor's status, get the spouse into a German class now, and line up the income and housing proof before you book the appointment. If the sponsor has not yet made their own move, it is worth looking at the routes in first, from the Germany Opportunity Card to how Germany compares in our roundup of the best countries to immigrate to.
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This is general information, not immigration, financial or legal advice. Programs, fees, taxes and processing times change often. Always confirm current rules with the relevant official government source before you apply or pay anyone.