Profile

Family reunification with foreign nationals resident in Germany

Route status

Active as of 2026-08-08[3][14]

Open to new applications under the rules recorded below.

Residency route facts

Identity

Identity
Official name (local)Familiennachzug zu Ausländern (§§ 27-36 AufenthG) as of 2026-08-08[3]
Official name (English)Family reunification with foreign nationals resident in Germany as of 2026-08-08[14]
Marked translation of the statutory heading 'Familiennachzug zu Auslaendern'.
Legal basisAufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) §§ 27, 29-32, 36 as of 2026-08-08[3][4][5][6]
Instrument typeresidence permit as of 2026-08-08[3]

Who can apply

Who can apply
Nationals not served by this routeEU, EEA as of 2026-08-08[1][12]

Permit terms

Permit terms
Initial durationNot established from a qualifying source
RenewableYes as of 2026-08-08[2]
Work rightsfull as of 2026-08-08[7]

Permanent residence and citizenship

Permanent residence and citizenship
Counts toward permanent residenceYes as of 2026-08-08[9]
Standard sec. 9 settlement rules (five years) apply.

Requirements

Requirements
Who can sponsorpermanent resident, temporary permit holder, specific permits as of 2026-08-08[3][4]
Sec. 29(1) no.1: settlement permit, EU long-term residence permit, residence permit, Blue Card, ICT or Mobile-ICT Card, or a sec. 18e right. The spouse entitlement differentiates by sponsor title (sec. 30(1) no.3) – see sponsor_matrix.
Eligible relationsspouse, registered partner, minor child, parent, other dependent as of 2026-08-08[4][5][6][14]
Sponsor income requirementRecorded at the source, but not reducible to a single value[3]
Livelihood must be secured (sec. 5(1) no.1, sec. 27(3)) with no fixed published amount; waived in defined cases (e.g. intra-EU Blue Card mobility, sec. 29(1) s.2; certain humanitarian sponsors, sec. 29(2)).
Sponsor accommodation requirementYes as of 2026-08-08[3]
Sufficient living space (sec. 29(1) no.2); waived in the sec. 29(1) s.2 Blue Card mobility and sec. 29(2) humanitarian cases.
Sponsor waiting periodRecorded at the source, but not reducible to a single value[4]
No general waiting period. For spouses of ordinary residence-permit holders, one entitlement alternative requires the sponsor to have held the permit for two years (sec. 30(1) no.3d); holders of Blue Cards, ICT Cards and secs. 18d/18f titles sponsor immediately (no.3c/g). Carried in sponsor_matrix – a single duration field cannot express the differentiation.
Pre-entry language testYes as of 2026-08-08[4][14]
Spouses must communicate in German at a basic level (A1, sec. 30(1) no.2) before entry – with a broad exemption catalogue (sec. 30(1) s.3): sponsors holding Blue Card, ICT Card or secs. 18a/18b/18c(3)/18d/18f/19c/21 titles (no.5 – the portal states no proof required when joining a skilled worker), visa-free nationalities (no.4), illness/disability (no.2), low integration need (no.3), unreasonableness (no.6). Children: over-16s relocating alone must master German or show an integration prognosis (sec. 32(2)).
Sponsor and relation matrix
    • Sponsor status: permanent resident
    • Relation: spouse
    • Resulting condition: Entitlement (sec. 30(1) no.3a/b): sponsor holds a settlement permit or EU long-term residence permit; both spouses at least 18; A1 German before entry unless exempt.
    • Sponsor status: specific permits
    • Relation: spouse
    • Resulting condition: Entitlement (sec. 30(1) no.3c/g): sponsor holds a Blue Card, ICT/Mobile-ICT Card or a sec. 18d/18f title – no waiting period, and the A1 requirement does not apply (s.3 no.5, extended to secs. 18a/18b/18c(3)/19c/21 sponsors).
    • Sponsor status: temporary permit holder
    • Relation: spouse
    • Resulting condition: Entitlement where the sponsor has held a residence permit for two years (sec. 30(1) no.3d) or the marriage pre-existed and the stay is expected to exceed one year (no.3e); otherwise discretionary (sec. 30(2)).
    • Sponsor status: temporary permit holder
    • Relation: minor child
    • Resulting condition: Entitlement (sec. 32(1)): both parents (or the sole custodial parent) hold a residence title; child unmarried and under 18. Over-16s relocating alone: German mastery or integration prognosis unless the sec. 32(2) s.2 exemptions apply.
    • Relation: parent
    • Resulting condition: Parents of minor sponsors holding specified humanitarian titles: entitlement, without livelihood or housing test, if no custodial parent is in Germany (sec. 36(1)). Parents and parents-in-law of skilled workers first issued a qualifying title (secs. 18a/18b/18c(3)/18d/18f/19c/21, Blue Card, ICT) on or after 2024-03-01: discretionary, livelihood required (sec. 36(3)).
    • Relation: other dependent
    • Resulting condition: Other family members only to avoid extraordinary hardship (sec. 36(2), discretionary).

Process

Process
Where to apply fromeither as of 2026-08-08[13][14]
Family-reunification visa at a German mission (online via the Consular Services Portal); nationals of AD, AU, BR, SV, HN, IL, JP, CA, MC, NZ, SM, KR, GB, US may enter visa-free and apply at the foreigners authority.
Fees
    • Kind: application
    • Amount: EUR 75 as of 2026-08-08[11]
    • Charged per: applicant
    • Paid by: applicant
    • Condition: national visa (category D) applied for at a German mission abroad; does not arise where visa-free entry under sec. 41 AufenthV applies
    • Kind: issuance
    • Amount: EUR 100 as of 2026-08-08[10]
    • Charged per: applicant
    • Paid by: applicant
    • Condition: issuance of the residence permit (electronic residence title)
    • Kind: renewal
    • Amount: EUR 96 as of 2026-08-08[10]
    • Charged per: applicant
    • Paid by: applicant
    • Condition: extension for a further stay of up to three months
    • Kind: renewal
    • Amount: EUR 93 as of 2026-08-08[10]
    • Charged per: applicant
    • Paid by: applicant
    • Condition: extension for a further stay of more than three months

Physical presence

Physical presence
maximum consecutive absence6 months · to keep the permit as of 2026-08-08[8]
Sec. 51(1) no. 7 AufenthG six-month lapse rule; twelve months for family members of an EU Blue Card holder (sec. 51(10)).

Family inclusion

Family inclusion
Family members may be includedNot applicable
Principals on this route are themselves the joining family members.

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.

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Verification

Verification
Sources cited14
of which official (tier 1)14
Oldest as-of date2026-08-08
Newest as-of date2026-08-08
Reviewed on2026-08-11
Schema version1.1

Sources

  1. [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. [2] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 28 – Familiennachzug zu Deutschen (consolidated)
    Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08
  3. [3] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 29 – Familiennachzug zu Ausländern (consolidated)
    Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08
  4. [4] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 30 – Ehegattennachzug (consolidated)
    Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08
  5. [5] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 32 – Kindernachzug (consolidated)
    Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08
  6. [6] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 36 – Nachzug der Eltern und sonstiger Familienangehöriger (consolidated)
    Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08
  7. [7] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 4a – Zugang zur Erwerbstätigkeit (consolidated)
    Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08
  8. [8] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 51 – Beendigung der Rechtmäßigkeit des Aufenthalts (consolidated)
    Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08
  9. [9] Aufenthaltsgesetz (AufenthG) § 9 – Niederlassungserlaubnis (consolidated)
    Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 · Archived copy
  10. [10] Aufenthaltsverordnung (AufenthV) § 45 – Gebühren Aufenthaltserlaubnis (consolidated)
    Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · fee schedule · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08 · Archived copy
  11. [11] Aufenthaltsverordnung (AufenthV) § 46 – Gebühren Visum (consolidated)
    Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · fee schedule · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08
  12. [12] Freizügigkeitsgesetz/EU (FreizügG/EU) § 1 – Anwendungsbereich (consolidated)
    Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris (gesetze-im-internet.de) · statute · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08
  13. [13] Family reunification for children
    Make it in Germany (Federal Government portal for skilled workers) · official portal · Tier 1 · Accessed 2026-08-08
  14. [14] 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

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