From Auswärtiges Amt
“We cannot guarantee a specific processing time, as the foreigners-authority at your future residence in Germany must be involved during the procedure, and the consular post has no influence on their processing times. Only after receiving the response from Germany can the consular post conduct the final review and decision. As a rule, the foreigners-authority's processing time is at least three months. In individual cases it can be significantly longer. After entry: Everyone who lives in Germany must be registered. Within two weeks of moving in at the latest, you should do this at the Einwohnermeldeamt or Bürgeramt. After entry, contact the foreigners-authority at your place of residence in Germany. There you apply for your residence title (Aufenthaltstitel).”
What you need
- You must submit a VIDEX application form, biometric photos, and a valid passport, as well as a certificate from the German registry office on the marriage application, with the note that the marriage prerequisites are met. Your fiancé in Germany provides a residence registration certificate (no older than 6 months) and a passport copy with a residence title where applicable. You must submit an A1 language certificate from a recognised examiner (Goethe-Institut, telc, ÖSD, TestDaF, or ECL) — exception for applicants who clearly speak German fluently (verified by short interview at the counter). Private medical insurance with cover from the day of entry for at least three months is submitted only AFTER visa approval — the visa section will notify you by phone. You do NOT need to submit a sponsor's declaration (Verpflichtungserklärung) at application time; if needed, the foreigners-authority will request it directly from your fiancé during processing. All documents not issued in German or English must be submitted together with a translation.
Checklist
8 01
Application and identity
- Application form (VIDEX). On your application form you state all information about your entry into and stay in Germany. Please fill in this form completely, print it, and sign it yourself *
- Two recent biometric passport photos (45 mm x 35 mm). Information on biometric passport photos is in the photo specifications template. Glue only one photo onto the application form and bring the second loose *
- Valid passport (or recognised substitute travel document). The document must still have at least two blank pages (your visa will be glued in here later if the decision is positive) *
02
Marriage preparation
- Anmeldung der Eheschließung. You obtain the marriage-application certificate from the Standesamt (registry office) in Germany. It must contain a note that the prerequisites for the marriage are met *
03
Documents from your sponsor in Germany
- Meldebescheinigung of the fiancé in Germany. The certificate may not be older than 6 months at the time of application *
- Passport copy and where applicable residence title. If your fiancé does not have German nationality, please attach a copy of their residence title (Aufenthaltstitel) *
04
Language skills
- German-language certificate. You must show that you have basic German skills. Submit an A1-level language certificate from a recognised examiner. Currently these are: • Goethe-Institut e.V. certificates; • telc GmbH certificates; • Austrian Language Diploma (ÖSD) certificates; • „TestDaF" from the TestDaF-Institut e.V. (institute of FernUniversität Hagen and Ruhr-Universität Bochum; exam level starts at B2 CEFR); • ECL Prüfungszentrum certificates. Exception: if you clearly speak German fluently, you do not need to submit a certificate. In that case your German skills are verified by a short interview at the consular post's counter *
05
Medical insurance
- Medical insurance. Insurance cover from the day of entry for at least three months is to be submitted only when the visa can be issued. The visa section will notify you by phone *
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