German Family Reunion Visa to Join a Relative or Partner in Germany
- Applicant’s passport – valid for at least three more months beyond the period of stay applied for, and no older than 10 years
- Two application forms – duly completed with honest and correct information
- Two completed and signed notification / explanation forms
- Two recent biometric photos – according to the standards set by the ICAO
- Travel booking – which is a booked ticket from your home country to Germany
- Travel Health Insurance for Germany – which covers applicant’s stay in the whole territory of Germany
- Proof of financial means- that usually should be submitted by the person residing in Germany, showing he or she can financially support the immigrating family member. However, if the third-country resident has enough funds to support himself/herself then she or he can submit documents, which show that.
- Invitation letter – from the family member who is residing in Germany, confirming they have room for the person wishing to join them
- Proof of accommodation – that shows the resident in Germany has enough space at their home in Germany for the applicant
- Proof of German language skills at least level A1 of the applicant
- Spouse / registered partner:
- a registration or marriage certificate attested by a foreign officer, translated into German and legalized by the Germany embassy
- if the spouse is of German nationality, then a copy of the German spouse’s passport and identity card must be submitted
- if the spouse is a non-German residing in Germany, proof of legal residence and their passport must be submitted
- Children:
- birth certificate
- proof of child’s nationality
- proof of the right of care and custody of the parent residing in Germany
Remember that all documents must be submitted in either German or English. If the documents are issued in your language, then you will have to provide each of them attached with an attested and legalized translation.
The application process of a Germany visa to join your family members there is similar to the application process for every other German visa.
Firstly, check with the German embassy in your home country (if you are the one wishing to join a family member in Germany), if they have in their website a checklist of the required documents one has to submit for the German family reunification visa.
If not, require the checklist through email. Upon having it in your hand, start gathering the required documents.
Be careful to obtain all documents as described in the checklist.
They must be in either English or German. If the original documents are issued in your own language, then you will have to submit them alongside with a translation by a certified translator.
Once you have all documents in your hands, appoint a meeting at the German embassy or consulate (or application center if you find one closer to your home).
On the day of the interview, show up on time at German embassy or consulate, with all the documents with you. Pay the visa fee, and then meet the consular officer with whom you will have a short conversation about you, your background, and the real purpose behind your planned travel to Germany.
You will have to pay a visa fee when you attend the interview in order for your application to be processed. Normally, family reunion long-term visa (category D) costs 75,00 Euro for adults and for children up to 18 years 37,50 Euro.
Keep in mind that if you decide to withdraw your application after you pay the fee, you will not be able to get your money back. Also, if your visa application is rejected, you will not be reimbursed. If you decide to reapply for a Germany family reunification visa you will have to pay the fee again.
Depending on your case, the processing can take just a few weeks, to months. Therefore, take care to schedule an appointment on time. If at the time the embassy is receiving a lot of applications, your appointment will be scheduled for later, whereas if the applications received at the time are few, then you will get an appointment within several days.
