Marriage visa with subsequent residence
If you plan to marry your partner in Germany and subsequently live with them, this page contains all the information on the visa for marriage and subsequent long-term residence. With this visa you travel to Germany to conclude the marriage; after the wedding you convert the residence inland into a residence title for spouse reunification (§ 28 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 of the Residence Act if your fiancé is a German citizen, § 30 of the Residence Act if your fiancé is a foreigner holding a residence title).
Spouse reunification
If you plan to move to your spouse in Germany, this page contains all the information on the spouse-reunification visa. The information on this page applies both when your spouse in Germany is a German citizen and when they hold another nationality. This visa category also applies if you are in a registered same-sex partnership. Legal basis is § 28 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 of the Residence Act when your spouse is a German citizen; § 30 of the Residence Act when your spouse is a third-country national holding a residence title; or the EU Freedom-of-Movement Act (FreizügG/EU) when your spouse is a citizen of another EU/EEA state.
Child reunification
This page contains information on the visa for family reunification of children with their parent(s) living in Germany. Children may join both parents in Germany or just one parent who holds custody. Reunification is generally only possible while the child is a minor (under 18). Adolescents aged 16 and over must in principle show that they have a command of the German language. Legal basis is § 32 of the Residence Act, supplemented by § 28 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 when the parent is a German citizen, or the EU Freedom-of-Movement Act (FreizügG/EU) when the parents are EU/EEA nationals.
Parent reunification with German child
Custodial parents may obtain a visa for reunification with their German child. If you are the custodial parent of a child who holds German nationality, this page contains the information on the visa for family reunification with a German child. Parent reunification is generally only possible while the child is a minor. Parent reunification with a child who does NOT hold German nationality is possible only in exceptional cases. In contrast to spouse reunification, NO language proof is required for parent reunification with a German child. Legal basis is § 28 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 of the Residence Act.
Parent reunification with skilled worker
Skilled workers employed in Germany may bring their parents under certain conditions. Since 1 March 2024 Germany allows family reunification for parents of skilled workers who first received their Fachkraft residence title on or after 1 March 2024. If the skilled worker's spouse lives permanently with them in Germany, a visa under this category may also be applied for by the skilled worker's parents-in-law. Conditions: (1) the skilled worker has first received one of the following residence titles on or after 1 March 2024 — EU Blue Card (§ 18g of the Residence Act), ICT card (intra-corporate transferee), § 18a (skilled worker with vocational training), § 18b (skilled worker with academic education), § 18c Abs. 3 (settlement permit for skilled workers), § 18d (researcher), § 18f (mobile researcher), § 19c Abs. 1 as senior employee, executive (Führungskraft), company specialist, scientist, guest scientist, engineer or technician on a guest-scientist research team, or teacher, § 19c Abs. 2 (IT specialist with substantial experience) or Abs. 4 Satz 1 (specialty chef), or § 21 (self-employed entrepreneur); (2) the skilled worker can independently secure the livelihood (Lebensunterhalt) of the parents or parents-in-law and where applicable other family members. Legal basis is § 36 Abs. 3 of the Residence Act (privileged parent and parent-in-law reunification with skilled workers).