How To Get A Family Reunion Visa In Germany
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Those partners or children (under eighteen) of EU/EEA nationals may apply for a family reunion visa, a German national long-stay visa. With the family reunion visa, you can move in with a relative who is a citizen of the EU or the European Economic Area and receive permanent residency and status there. A one-year visa may initially be granted, with subsequent renewals possible under specific circumstances.
Usually, spouses and unmarried minor children of EU/EEA nationals are eligible for the family reunion visa, a German national long-stay visa. Suppose you have a relative in the European Union or the European Economic Area and want to move in with them. In that case, you may apply for a family reunion visa, allowing you to stay in the country permanently.
The initial visa period is one year, with possible renewal after that.
The Family Reunion Visa in Germany
Long-term residency in Germany with immediate family members is possible with the family reunion visa. This includes your domestic partner or spouse, your children and their spouses, provided they are above 21, and anybody else residing in your household. If one of your guardians or parents is a permanent resident of Germany, you may also be allowed to apply for a German Family Reunion Visa.
To obtain this type of visa, you require:
- Both parties must be at least 18 years old, and the marriage must be recognized by German law (civil marriage or registered partnership);
- One must have lived for at least two years without getting married before being considered a domestic partner;
- It is expected that all applicants would arrive with sufficient finances to cover their living expenses for the stay (see details below); and
- Evidence that all applicants meet these requirements is required to secure approval from the German authorities responsible for issuing residency permits, the BAMF (Federal Office for Migration and Refugees) or the local immigration office."
Who can apply for a family reunion visa?
Only spouses and unmarried children under 18 of an EU/EEA national living in Germany are eligible to apply for family reunion visas. If you are the unmarried child (under 18) or spouse of an EU/EEA national currently living in Germany, you may be eligible to apply for a family reunion visa.
You cannot qualify for a family reunion visa as an accompanying person or as the primary applicant if you are a parent or relative.
Applying for a Family Reunion Visa in Germany
A family reunion visa can be requested through the German embassy or consulate in your home country. We propose you apply outside of Germany if you are not already located there but will be within the next three months. You can also request a visa from an immigration department once you relocated to Germany.
Family reunion visa applicants are expected to demonstrate that they have adequate housing, transportation, financial resources, and health insurance coverage in Germany (the cost of which they will be responsible) to qualify.
There is an exception to this rule if one guardian is a German citizen and you seek to join them as a member of their family, but only if your passport can contain the names of both of them without affecting its legal status (for example, by including additional pages in the back).
Which documents do I need to submit with my application?
To apply for a visa to visit family, you must provide:
- You must have a valid passport first. If you plan on visiting Germany, your passport must be legitimate for the entirety of your trip (or an additional one month for the stay period if you are a minor).
- A dully signed and filled out visa application form. Black ink or written numbers and letters are required for all mandatory fields.
- Copies of the passport photo page, name and gender page, and birth date and location page of the EU/EEA national in question. Copies of these pages may be submitted in place of the originals if the originals have been lost or destroyed but are still accessible (for instance, in a digital archive).
How long is the processing time for my application?
It will take roughly 3–4 months for your application to be processed. How long it takes to get your visa depends on how long it takes for your EU/EEA relative to get theirs (if you are applying for a family reunion visa as a dependent).
Several factors, such as the nature of questions asked during the interview, whether additional checks are required, or whether you are applying for a "direct visa" or "abstract," will determine the time you will wait till you receive your visa.
How much is the visa fee? Do I have to pay it upfront?
There is a €60 charge for obtaining a visa. This charge must be paid during submission time, regardless of your application's outcome. Even if your application has been accepted, the payment will still be retained.
Can I work in Germany with a family reunion visa?
To work in Germany on a family reunion visa, your spouse or a parent must be employed there. Children legally residing in the same household as their parents in Germany are eligible for employment.
Your spouse or parent must leave Germany until a new visa is obtained if they lose their job and are unable to find another position within six months. If a family member cannot find a job in Germany and has been unemployed for more than 6 months, but less than 12 months, that person must leave the country unless exceptional circumstances can be shown.
Suppose your child loses work in Germany and hasn't finished any vocational training to qualify for another occupation (such as an apprenticeship). In that case, they must leave Germany until they have done so. Only then can they seek residency via family reunification.
What is the validity period for the family reunion visa?
The duration of the family reunion visa is 12 months. When applying for a residence permit within Germany, you can extend your family reunion visa within three months of entry.
If you wish to live in Germany for more than a year, a visa extension application is needed before your current visa expires.
Your proposed changes to the terms and circumstances of your residency are contingent upon your application being granted. After legally residing in Germany for five years, you may be able to apply for permanent residency if you meet specific requirements (such as passing language tests).
If the visa holder or applicant has committed fraud during a subsequent stay in Germany or during the application process, visas can be revoked. However, deportation of those directly implicated to their countries of origin would only occur in rare instances due to the low frequency with which such events occurred compared to the overall immigration trends among Eu countries.
Germany Family Reunion Visa for Spouses and Children
Only couples and unmarried children under the age of 18 who are seeking to be reunited with their legal guardian or parents are entitled to apply for a family reunion visa. If the couple has been married for less than two years, the spouse cannot apply for this visa.
The parents or guardians must be German residents and be able to provide evidence of their financial stability. Prove that they can accommodate the applicant's disability is required.
Contact us immediately if you have any questions about the residence permit application process or how we can assist you.
Conclusion
In conclusion, spouses and children (under the age of 18) of EU/EEA nationals can apply for a family reunion visa, a sort of German national long-stay visa. Suppose you have a relative in the European Union or the European Economic Area and want to move in with them. In that case, you may apply for a family reunion visa, allowing you to stay in the country permanently.
As long as specific requirements are followed, the visa might be extended for an additional year beyond the initial 12-month period. Who is allowed to apply for this visa? This visa is available to anyone who wants to move to Germany with an EU citizen spouse or minor children.
