Family reunification with German citizens
Residency route facts
Identity
| Official name (local) | Familiennachzug zu Deutschen (§ 28 AufenthG) as of 2026-08-08[2] |
|---|---|
| Official name (English) | Family reunification with German citizens as of 2026-08-08[2] Marked translation of the statutory heading 'Familiennachzug zu Deutschen'. |
| Legal basis | Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 28 as of 2026-08-08[2] |
| Instrument type | residence permit as of 2026-08-08[2] |
Who can apply
Permit terms
| Initial duration | Not established from a qualifying source |
|---|---|
| Renewable | Yes as of 2026-08-08[2] Extended while the family unit with the German persists (sec. 28(2) s.3). |
| Work rights | full as of 2026-08-08[4] |
Permanent residence and citizenship
| Counts toward permanent residence | Yes as of 2026-08-08[2] |
|---|---|
| Years to permanent residence on this route | 3 as of 2026-08-08[2] Sec. 28(2): settlement permit as a rule after three years holding the permit, continuing family unit with the German, no expulsion interest, and sufficient German (B1 via sec. 2(11)). |
Requirements
| Who can sponsor | citizen as of 2026-08-08[2] The German sponsor must have their habitual residence in Germany. |
|---|---|
| Eligible relations | spouse, minor child, parent as of 2026-08-08[2] Spouse of a German; minor unmarried child of a German; parent of a minor unmarried German for the exercise of care and custody (custodial parent: entitlement; non-custodial parent: discretionary if family life already exists in Germany). Other relatives via sec. 36 mutatis mutandis (sec. 28(4)). |
| Sponsor income requirement | Not applicable[2] Livelihood security is waived for the child and custodial-parent cases and is as a rule waived for spouses of Germans (sec. 28(1) s.2-3). |
| Pre-entry language test | Yes as of 2026-08-08[2][3] For spouses of Germans, sec. 30(1) no.1-2 apply mutatis mutandis (sec. 28(1) s.5): both 18+, A1 German before entry, with the sec. 30 exemption catalogue. |
| Sponsor and relation matrix |
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Process
| Where to apply from | either as of 2026-08-08[9][10] Family-reunification visa at a German mission; the listed visa-free nationalities may apply in-country. |
|---|---|
| Fees |
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Physical presence
| maximum consecutive absence | 6 months · to keep the permit as of 2026-08-08[5] Sec. 51(1) no. 7 AufenthG: the permit lapses if the holder leaves Germany and does not re-enter within six months (or a longer period set by the foreigners authority); it also lapses on departure for a reason that is not temporary by nature (no. 6). |
|---|
Family inclusion
| Family members may be included | Not applicable Principals on this route are themselves the joining family members. |
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Your next step
Read the requirements above considering your own situation: the income multiple, the absence limits, who you can bring. Check the country record for the reference figure those amounts are calculated from, and for anything that has changed recently.
The next step is your own case. That assessment is legal work. Create profile for our assistance in this.
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Verification
| Sources cited | 10 |
|---|---|
| of which official (tier 1) | 10 |
| Oldest as-of date | 2026-08-08 |
| Newest as-of date | 2026-08-08 |
| Reviewed on | 2026-08-11 |
| Schema version | 1.1 |
Sources
- [1] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 1 – Zweck des Gesetzes; Anwendungsbereich (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [2] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 28 – Familiennachzug zu Deutschen (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [3] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 30 – Ehegattennachzug (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [4] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 4a – Zugang zur Erwerbstätigkeit (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [5] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 51 – Beendigung der Rechtmäßigkeit des Aufenthalts (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [6] Aufenthaltsverordnung (AufenthV) § 45 – Gebühren Aufenthaltserlaubnis (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · fee schedule · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 · Archived copy - [7] Aufenthaltsverordnung (AufenthV) § 46 – Gebühren Visum (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · fee schedule · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [8] Freizügigkeitsgesetz/EU (FreizügG/EU) § 1 – Anwendungsbereich (consolidated)
Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [9] Family reunification for children
Make it in Germany (Federal Government portal for skilled workers) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 - [10] Spouses joining citizens of non-EU countries
Make it in Germany (Federal Government portal for skilled workers) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08