--- title: Family Reunification (Familienzusammenführung) in Germany country: germany service: familienzusammenfuehrung category: immigration difficulty: complex estimated_time: "Roughly 4–6 months end-to-end from a complete national visa application at the German Auslandsvertretung to receipt of the elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel (eAT) card; Vorabzustimmung from the local Ausländerbehörde compresses the embassy phase; document-deficiency or Scheinehe-Prüfung cases can extend to 8–12 months" cost_range: "Visum-D €0,00 (EUR — waived for spouses, eingetragene Lebenspartner and children of Germans and of EU citizens exercising Freizügigkeit) or €75,00 adult / €37,50 minor for Drittstaatler-sponsor families; plus €100,00 / €50,00 at the Ausländerbehörde for the Aufenthaltserlaubnis, before A1-Sprachzeugnis, Apostille and translation" last_verified: 2026-05-17 canonical: https://publicservices.guide/germany/familienzusammenfuehrung/ status: current confidence: low tags: - immigration - "family-reunification" - familiennachzug - "visa-d" - aufenthaltserlaubnis - aussetzungsgesetz - "bgbl-2025-173" sources: - https://www.bamf.de/DE/Themen/MigrationAufenthalt/ZuwandererDrittstaaten/Familie/familie-node.html - https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/service/visa-und-aufenthalt/nationale-visa - https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/2727950-2727950 - https://www.recht.bund.de/bgbl/1/2025/173/VO.html - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__28.html - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__29.html - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__30.html - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__36.html - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__81.html - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/freiz_gg_eu_2004/__3.html - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthv/__31.html - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthv/__45.html - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthv/__52.html - https://www.bva.bund.de/SharedDocs/Aufgaben/DE/F/familiennachzug.html - https://www.goethe.de/de/spr/kup/prf/prf/sd1.html --- # Family Reunification (Familienzusammenführung) in Germany **Country:** 🇩🇪 Germany **Last verified:** 2026-05-17 **Estimated time:** Roughly 4–6 months end-to-end from a complete national visa application at the German Auslandsvertretung to receipt of the elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel (eAT) card; Vorabzustimmung from the local Ausländerbehörde compresses the embassy phase; document-deficiency or Scheinehe-Prüfung cases can extend to 8–12 months **Cost:** Visum-D €0,00 (EUR — waived for spouses, eingetragene Lebenspartner and children of Germans and of EU citizens exercising Freizügigkeit) or €75,00 adult / €37,50 minor for Drittstaatler-sponsor families; plus €100,00 / €50,00 at the Ausländerbehörde for the Aufenthaltserlaubnis, before A1-Sprachzeugnis, Apostille and translation ## Required documents - **National visa application form** *(Antragsformular für ein nationales Visum)* - Required: Two original signed copies of the AA national-visa application form, in German or English - Where to get: Website of the competent German Auslandsvertretung (form identical across missions) - Cost: Free (visa fee collected separately) - _Note:_ The competent Auslandsvertretung is determined by the applicant's ordinary residence. - **Passport (Reisepass)** *(Reisepass)* - Required: Original passport with at least two free pages; validity must extend at least three months beyond the intended Visum-D validity. Two biometric photos to ICAO (35 mm × 45 mm, neutral expression, light background) - Cost: Already issued (renewal in the home country if validity insufficient) - _Note:_ Bring copies of the data page and of any prior Schengen or German visas. - **Birth certificate** *(Geburtsurkunde)* - Required: Original Geburtsurkunde, apostilled (Hague-convention) or legalised (non-Hague), with certified German translation by a vereidigter Übersetzer - Where to get: Civil-registry authority of place of birth, then the designated Apostille authority or German Auslandsvertretung for Legalisation, then a court-sworn translator - Cost: Apostille or Legalisation typically EUR 15–EUR 40; certified translation EUR 30–EUR 80 per page - _Note:_ Plan 2–8 weeks per document depending on country. Untranslated or unapostilled originals are routinely rejected at embassy intake. - **Marriage or life-partnership certificate** *(Heiratsurkunde oder Lebenspartnerschaftsurkunde)* - Required: Original Heiratsurkunde (or Lebenspartnerschaftsurkunde), apostilled or legalised, with certified German translation - Where to get: Standesamt or civil-registry authority of the place of celebration - Cost: Apostille or Legalisation EUR 15–EUR 40; translation EUR 30–EUR 80 per page - _Note:_ If registered in Germany, an Internationale Heiratsurkunde nach CIEC-Übereinkommen suffices without apostille. The marriage must be recognisable under deutsches internationales Privatrecht; child marriages may be void or annullable under Art. 13 Abs. 3 EGBGB. - **Sponsor identity and registration proof** *(Identitätsnachweis und Meldebescheinigung des Stammberechtigten)* - Required: German sponsor: Personalausweis or Reisepass copy plus current Meldebescheinigung. EU sponsor: EU identity document copy plus Meldebescheinigung. Drittstaatler sponsor: front-and-back copy of the Aufenthaltstitel plus Meldebescheinigung - Where to get: Sponsor's local Bürgeramt or Meldebehörde issues the Meldebescheinigung - Cost: Meldebescheinigung typically EUR 5–EUR 12 - _Note:_ Sponsor sends scans to the applicant abroad in advance. - **A1 German-language certificate** *(A1-Sprachzeugnis (Goethe-Zertifikat A1 oder anerkanntes Äquivalent))* - Required: Original Goethe-Zertifikat A1 'Start Deutsch 1' or equivalent from telc, ÖSD or TestDaF-Institute, per § 30 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 2 AufenthG - Where to get: Local Goethe-Institut or an accredited partner test centre - Cost: Exam fee EUR 100–EUR 120 depending on country office - _Note:_ Waived where the sponsor holds a Blaue Karte EU, ICT-Karte, Mobiler-ICT-Karte or researcher / Hochqualifizierten title (§ 30 Abs. 1 Satz 3 Nr. 5 AufenthG), and in narrow health-and-reasonableness cases. Check the provider against BAMF's accepted list before booking. - **Livelihood and housing proof (Drittstaatler sponsor)** *(Lebensunterhaltsnachweis und Wohnraumnachweis)* - Required: Drittstaatler sponsor only: sponsor's last three Gehaltsabrechnungen (or current Steuerbescheid for self-employed), plus Mietvertrag and a Bescheinigung from the landlord confirming adequate space for the joining family (typically at least 12 m² per adult and 10 m² per child over six) - Where to get: Sponsor's employer, Finanzamt, landlord - Cost: Free to obtain - _Note:_ Not required for Nachzug zu Deutschen or zu EU-Staatsangehörigen. The Ausländerbehörde computes Lebensunterhalt-Sicherung conservatively under § 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 AufenthG read with § 27 Abs. 3. - **Health insurance proof (post-arrival)** *(Krankenversicherungsnachweis)* - Required: Confirmation of statutory or private cover from the date of arrival, for the Ausländerbehörde appointment - Where to get: Statutory Krankenkasse or accredited private insurer in Germany - Cost: Varies by Krankenkasse - _Note:_ Statutory cover usually flows from the sponsor's membership where the joining family member is a Familienangehöriger; private cover is required where statutory entry is closed. ## Costs - **Visum-D — joining a German citizen, EU citizen or family member of one:** 0 EUR — Service charges (third-party intake, courier) and translation costs are still borne by the applicant. Confirm the fee status with the embassy in writing before the appointment. - **Visum-D — joining a Drittstaatler residence-permit holder, adult:** 75 EUR — Indicative federal figure under the AuslGebV; the embassy confirms the binding amount. Non-refundable if the application is unsuccessful. - **Visum-D — joining a Drittstaatler residence-permit holder, minor under 18:** 37.5 EUR — Indicative federal figure under the AuslGebV. - **Aufenthaltserlaubnis zum Familiennachzug — first issuance, adult:** 100 EUR — Federal fee under § 45 AufenthV — equal for permits up to one year and over one year. Municipalities may charge separately for add-on services (express, weekend, courier delivery of the eAT) typically EUR 25–EUR 40. - **Aufenthaltserlaubnis zum Familiennachzug — first issuance, minor:** 50 EUR — Federal figure under § 45 AufenthV. - **Aufenthaltserlaubnis zum Familiennachzug — extension (Verlängerung), adult:** 93 EUR — Federal figure under § 45 AufenthV. Minor renewals are charged at half the adult figure. ## Steps ### 1. Identify the sponsor pathway - Confirm the sponsor's status — German citizen (§ 28 AufenthG), EU/EEA/Swiss citizen exercising Freizügigkeit (§ 3 FreizügG/EU), or Drittstaatler with a qualifying Aufenthaltstitel (§§ 29–36 AufenthG) - Where the status is ambiguous, the sponsor requests an aktuelle Meldebescheinigung and a copy of the Aufenthaltstitel-Bescheid - Reunification to subsidiarily-protected sponsors is suspended through 23 July 2027 under BGBl I 2025 Nr. 173 — not covered here. Härtefall admissions under §§ 22 and 23 AufenthG follow a separate IOM channel > **Tip:** The sponsor pathway drives fee, documents and language-and-livelihood prerequisites. Get this confirmed in writing from the local Ausländerbehörde before paying for the Apostille chain. _Links:_ - [BAMF — Familiennachzug overview](https://www.bamf.de/DE/Themen/MigrationAufenthalt/ZuwandererDrittstaaten/Familie/familie-node.html) - [Auswärtiges Amt — Aussetzung des Familiennachzugs zu subsidiär Schutzberechtigten](https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/2727950-2727950) ### 2. Sponsor consults the local Ausländerbehörde - Sponsor books an appointment or writes through the Ausländerbehörde's Kontaktformular requesting the Familiennachzug checklist for the specific case - Where eligible, sponsor requests a Vorabzustimmung under the AufenthV consultation framework — it compresses the embassy-side wait substantially - Some Ausländerbehörden publish detailed Merkblätter per pathway; smaller offices respond to written queries within 2–4 weeks > **Tip:** The Vorabzustimmungs-Antrag costs nothing and is the single highest-leverage preparation step the sponsor can take. ### 3. Enrol in A1 preparation and book the exam (where required) - Where the joining spouse is not waived under § 30 Abs. 1 Satz 3 (Blue Card / ICT / researcher / Hochqualifizierten family) or § 30 Abs. 1 Satz 2, enrol for the Goethe-Zertifikat A1 'Start Deutsch 1' or an accredited equivalent (telc, ÖSD, TestDaF-Institute) - Allow 3–6 months including the exam date; book at the local Goethe-Institut or an accredited partner - Confirm the provider is on BAMF's accepted list before paying > **If this fails:** If the A1 result is below pass-mark the certificate is not issued. Re-sit with the same or another accepted provider — the certificate is required at embassy intake. _Links:_ - [Goethe-Institut — Deutschprüfungen A1–C2](https://www.goethe.de/de/spr/kup/prf/prf/sd1.html) ### 4. Assemble civil-status documents and run the Apostille chain - Obtain originals of the Geburtsurkunde of the applicant and any joining children, and the Heiratsurkunde or Lebenspartnerschaftsurkunde - Present each document to the issuing country's Apostille authority (Hague-convention) or arrange Legalisation at the German Auslandsvertretung (non-Hague) - Arrange certified translation into German by a vereidigter Übersetzer - For Kindernachzug with only one parent in Germany, add a Sorgerechtsbescheinigung — other parent's notarised consent or a court-issued sole-custody decision, apostilled and translated > **Tip:** Plan 2–8 weeks per document depending on country. Untranslated or unapostilled originals are routinely rejected at embassy intake. ### 5. Book the Visum-D appointment at the competent Auslandsvertretung - Identify the competent German mission based on the applicant's ordinary residence - Book via the AA Termin-Buchungssystem or directly on the mission's website; some embassies delegate intake to VFS Global or TLScontact (service fee EUR 20–EUR 30) - Read the mission's own checklist — it is the authoritative list for the country of application > **If this fails:** Lead time varies widely; high-demand markets run 3–12 months. Plan the move-to-Germany date with a generous buffer. _Links:_ - [Auswärtiges Amt — Längerfristige Aufenthalte über 90 Tage (nationale Visa)](https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/service/visa-und-aufenthalt/nationale-visa) ### 6. Attend the appointment and submit the file - Attend in person with the full document set (originals plus two copies, two biometric photos, Reisepass, A1-Sprachzeugnis where required) - The Visa-Sachbearbeiter reviews the file, takes biometric fingerprints, and conducts a short Scheinehe-Prüfung relationship interview - Pay the visa fee — EUR 75 adult / EUR 37,50 minor for Drittstaatler sponsors; fee-free for German and EU sponsor cases (the embassy confirms § 52 AufenthV exemption at intake) - Submit any Vorabzustimmung the sponsor obtained from the local Ausländerbehörde ### 7. Beteiligungsverfahren — consultation between embassy and Ausländerbehörde - The embassy transmits the file to the competent Ausländerbehörde under § 31 AufenthV; the Ausländerbehörde reviews livelihood, housing and identity - The Ausländerbehörde may ask the sponsor for updated evidence (Gehaltsabrechnungen, Mietvertrag, Krankenversicherungsbescheinigung) - Routine: Zustimmung in 6–12 weeks; complex 12–20. Vorabzustimmung compresses the wait to roughly 2 weeks > **If this fails:** If the Ausländerbehörde refuses Zustimmung, the embassy refuses the Visum-D. Address the refusal ground (livelihood, housing, A1) and reapply, or file a Remonstration with the mission within the deadline. ### 8. Post-arrival: Travel and Anmeldung at the Bürgeramt - Travel to Germany on the Visum-D within its three-month validity - Within two weeks of taking residence, complete the Anmeldung at the local Bürgeramt under § 17 Bundesmeldegesetz - Bring Reisepass with Visum-D, the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from the housing provider (Mietvertrag alone is not sufficient under § 19 BMG), and family members' documents - Collect the Anmeldebestätigung — required for the Ausländerbehörde appointment and for bank, health insurance and other downstream services > **If this fails:** Late Anmeldung is an Ordnungswidrigkeit under § 54 BMG with a fine up to EUR 1.000 and blocks most Ausländerbehörde appointments. ### 9. Book the Aufenthaltserlaubnis-Familiennachzug appointment - Identify the competent Ausländerbehörde based on the registered address - Book via the municipality's online portal or by email as published - Aim to book well before the Visum-D expires; the Fiktionsbescheinigung under § 81 Abs. 5 AufenthG covers in-time applicants > **Tip:** Berlin, München, Frankfurt and Hamburg are documented bottlenecks for first appointments; smaller cities are faster. ### 10. Attend the Ausländerbehörde appointment and provide biometrics - Bring Reisepass with Visum-D, Anmeldebestätigung, sponsor's documents (re-presented in updated form), Krankenversicherungsnachweis, and the Ausländerbehörde's own Aufenthaltstitel-Antrag (distinct from the embassy form) - Provide biometric data — fingerprints and signature for the eAT under § 78 AufenthG - Pay the federal fee under § 45 AufenthV — EUR 100 adult, EUR 50 minor ### 11. Fiktionsbescheinigung and eAT card - Per § 81 Abs. 5 AufenthG, if the eAT card is not yet produced the Ausländerbehörde issues a Fiktionsbescheinigung preserving lawful status and any work-permission endorsement until the card arrives - Check the Nebenbestimmungen on the Fiktionsbescheinigung — especially the Erwerbstätigkeit endorsement - Collect the eAT-Karte 4–8 weeks after biometric capture by post or in person; encodes the Aufenthaltszweck 'Familiennachzug zu …' and is valid one to three years initially, renewable > **If this fails:** If the file is incomplete the Ausländerbehörde may defer the decision; the Fiktionsbescheinigung continues to cover an in-time applicant under § 81 Abs. 5 AufenthG. ## FAQ ### Who is treated as a sponsor for Familiennachzug, and how does this drive the procedure? BAMF recognises three sponsor pathways. (a) German citizen — § 28 AufenthG; visa waived under § 52 AufenthV with § 2 AuslGebV and no Lebensunterhalt-Sicherung test for the joining spouse. (b) EU, EEA or Swiss citizen exercising Freizügigkeit — FreizügG/EU § 3; the lightest of the three, visa is free. (c) Drittstaatler with a qualifying Aufenthaltstitel — §§ 29–36 AufenthG; full livelihood-and-housing test applies, visa fee EUR 75 adult / EUR 37,50 minor. ### Is family reunification to a sponsor with subsidiärer Schutz suspended? Yes. BGBl I 2025 Nr. 173 (in force 24 July 2025) suspends Familiennachzug to subsidiarily-protected sponsors through 23 July 2027 — per the Auswärtiges Amt: 'der Familiennachzug zu Personen mit subsidiärem Schutzstatus bis einschließlich 23. Juli 2027 nicht gewährt'. The statute targets the prior § 36a AufenthG pathway only — German-citizen, EU-citizen and standard-residence-permit-holder sponsor pathways continue to operate normally. Härtefall admissions under §§ 22 and 23 AufenthG follow a separate IOM channel and are out of scope here. ### What is the A1 requirement, and when is it waived? Per § 30 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 2 AufenthG, the joining spouse must communicate in German 'zumindest auf einfache Art' (A1 of the CEFR). Standard evidence is a Goethe-Zertifikat A1 'Start Deutsch 1' or equivalent from telc, ÖSD or TestDaF-Institute. Waived where the sponsor holds a Blaue Karte EU, ICT-Karte, Mobiler-ICT-Karte or researcher / Hochqualifizierten title (§ 30 Abs. 1 Satz 3 Nr. 5 AufenthG). Health-and-reasonableness exceptions under § 30 Abs. 1 Satz 2 apply narrowly. ### How long does the procedure take end-to-end? Roughly 4–6 months from a complete visa application to receipt of the eAT card. The two-authority Beteiligungsverfahren under § 31 AufenthV is the main variance — routine cases reach Zustimmung within 6–12 weeks, complex 12–20. Post-arrival, the Ausländerbehörde appointment wait varies by municipality: Berlin, München, Frankfurt and Hamburg run 8–16 weeks; smaller cities 2–6. Document-deficiency or Scheinehe-Prüfung cases can extend to 8–12 months. ### What is a Vorabzustimmung and does it speed things up? Yes — Vorabzustimmung is a pre-application Zustimmung the sponsor requests from the local Ausländerbehörde. Submitted with the embassy file, it compresses the consultation phase to roughly two weeks instead of 6–12. Most useful for sponsors with stable income, settled housing and no prior immigration complications. Costs nothing — ask before the family member books the embassy appointment. ### Are spouses of Blue Card holders treated differently? Yes. Spouses of Blaue Karte EU, ICT-Karte, Mobiler-ICT-Karte and researcher / Hochqualifizierten holders benefit from the A1 waiver under § 30 Abs. 1 Satz 3 Nr. 5 AufenthG. The waiver depends on current sponsor status — the embassy will ask for the Blaue-Karte-EU-Bescheid (formal decision document, not just the card) plus a current Gehaltsabrechnung. See the Blaue Karte EU guide for sponsor-side details. ### Can adult parents reunite with their adult child in Germany? Only in narrow circumstances. § 36 AufenthG provides for Nachzug der Eltern where the sponsor is a minor with specific protection or residence status and no custodial parent is already in Germany. For other relations § 36 requires außergewöhnliche Härte — rarely succeeds without specific humanitarian or care-need facts. No general parent-reunification entitlement for adult sponsors. Applicants typically need legal counsel. ### Does German law recognise same-sex marriages and registered life partnerships celebrated abroad? Generally yes. Same-sex marriages and eingetragene Lebenspartnerschaft celebrated abroad are treated equivalently to a marriage under § 27 Abs. 2 AufenthG (recognition under Art. 17b EGBGB) and follow the Ehegattennachzug track. Where recognition is contested, consult the Standesamt in Germany before the visa application. ### What if the application is refused? A refused Visum-D can be challenged by a Remonstration at the issuing mission within the deadline stated in the refusal letter, or by Klage at the Verwaltungsgericht with jurisdiction over the mission. A refused Aufenthaltserlaubnis follows the standard Widerspruchsverfahren where the Bundesland still maintains it, otherwise Klage. The visa fee is non-refundable. For routine refusals it is often more effective to address the underlying ground — missing Apostille, A1 evidence, livelihood threshold — and reapply. ## Local tips - Practise the embassy interview with the sponsor over a video call in the weeks before — not memorising scripted answers but talking through the shared history. Couples who have lived apart for months sometimes find the Scheinehe-Prüfung questions hard to answer fluently; this is the single highest-leverage preparation step no checklist names. - Plan the Apostille chain 3–6 months ahead. Marriage and birth certificates flow through three handoffs — issuing authority, Apostille authority, court-sworn translator — each with its own waiting time. - Ask the local Ausländerbehörde about a Vorabzustimmung before the family member books the embassy appointment. Costs nothing and compresses the embassy-side wait substantially. - The Beteiligungsverfahren wait is the hardest phase emotionally — the file is 'done' from the applicant's side but the family is still apart and inquiries produce form-letter responses. ## Sources - [Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF) — Familiennachzug overview](https://www.bamf.de/DE/Themen/MigrationAufenthalt/ZuwandererDrittstaaten/Familie/familie-node.html) — accessed 2026-05-17 — _T1_ — BAMF splits Familiennachzug into three sponsor pathways — Nachzug zu Deutschen, Nachzug zu EU-Staatsangehörigen, and Nachzug zu Drittstaatsangehörigen. Eligible relations: spouses, eingetragene Lebenspartner, minor unmarried children, and in narrow circumstances parents of an unmarried minor child. - [Auswärtiges Amt — Nationale Visa (>90 Tage)](https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/service/visa-und-aufenthalt/nationale-visa) — accessed 2026-05-17 — _T1_ — Family reunification is filed as a national visa (Visum-D) at the competent Auslandsvertretung in the applicant's country of ordinary residence. The Visum-D is converted to an Aufenthaltstitel at the local Ausländerbehörde after arrival. - [Auswärtiges Amt — Aussetzung des Familiennachzugs (subsidiär Schutzberechtigte)](https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/2727950-2727950) — accessed 2026-05-17 — _T1_ — Family reunification to persons holding subsidiärer Schutz status is not granted through 23 July 2027 inclusive; the notice took effect 24 July 2025. Härtefall admissions under §§ 22 and 23 AufenthG remain available through a separate IOM-mediated channel. The suspension does not apply to German-citizen, EU/EEA/Swiss-citizen or standard-residence-permit-holder sponsors. - [Bundesgesetzblatt I 2025 Nr. 173 — Aussetzungsgesetz](https://www.recht.bund.de/bgbl/1/2025/173/VO.html) — accessed 2026-05-17 — _T1_ — BGBl I 2025 Nr. 173 enacts the suspension statute (Ausfertigungsdatum 17 July 2025; published 23 July 2025; in force 24 July 2025 through 23 July 2027). Targets reunification to § 25 Abs. 2 AufenthG (subsidiärer Schutz) sponsors and replaces the prior § 36a AufenthG monthly quota administered by the BVA. - [gesetze-im-internet.de — AufenthG § 28](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__28.html) — accessed 2026-05-17 — _T1_ — § 28 AufenthG (Familiennachzug zu Deutschen): residence permits issued to spouses of Germans, minor unmarried children of Germans, and parents of minor Germans exercising custody. § 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 Lebensunterhalt-Sicherung is relaxed for spouse-of-German cases. - [gesetze-im-internet.de — AufenthG § 29](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__29.html) — accessed 2026-05-17 — _T1_ — § 29 AufenthG (Familiennachzug zu Ausländern): the Drittstaatler sponsor must hold a qualifying Aufenthaltstitel (Niederlassungserlaubnis, Daueraufenthalt-EU, Blaue Karte EU, ICT-Karte, Mobiler-ICT-Karte, or certain employment- and research-based titles) and adequate housing must be available. Privileged tracks apply to refugee sponsors (§ 29 Abs. 2) and to Blue-Card / ICT / researcher / Hochqualifizierten holders. - [gesetze-im-internet.de — AufenthG § 30](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__30.html) — accessed 2026-05-17 — _T1_ — § 30 AufenthG (Ehegattennachzug): both spouses must have completed their 18th year; the joining spouse must communicate in German 'zumindest auf einfache Art' (A1, § 30 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 2). § 30 Abs. 1 Satz 3 Nr. 5 waives A1 where the sponsor holds a Blaue Karte EU, ICT-Karte, Mobiler-ICT-Karte or researcher / Hochqualifizierten title. § 30 Abs. 1 Satz 2 provides narrow health-and-reasonableness waivers. - [gesetze-im-internet.de — AufenthG § 36](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__36.html) — accessed 2026-05-17 — _T1_ — § 36 AufenthG (Nachzug der Eltern und sonstiger Familienangehöriger): parents of minor foreigners holding specific residence permits may join where no custodial parent resides in Germany. Other family relations require außergewöhnliche Härte. No general parent-reunification entitlement for adult sponsors except under this narrow Härte test. - [gesetze-im-internet.de — AufenthG § 81](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__81.html) — accessed 2026-05-17 — _T1_ — § 81 Abs. 5 AufenthG mandates the Ausländerbehörde issue a Fiktionsbescheinigung documenting the effect of an in-time application. The existing title continues in effect from its expiry until the authority's decision. - [gesetze-im-internet.de — FreizügG/EU § 3](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/freiz_gg_eu_2004/__3.html) — accessed 2026-05-17 — _T1_ — § 3 FreizügG/EU (Familienangehörige): family members of an EU citizen exercising Freizügigkeit — spouses, eingetragene Lebenspartner, descendants under 21, dependent ascendants and descendants — enjoy a derivative right of residence under the lighter EU framework. - [gesetze-im-internet.de — AufenthV § 31](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthv/__31.html) — accessed 2026-05-17 — _T1_ — § 31 AufenthV (Zustimmung der Ausländerbehörde zur Visumerteilung) requires the Auslandsvertretung to obtain consent of the locally competent Ausländerbehörde before issuing a long-stay Visum-D. The Zustimmungsfiktion timer runs from when the file reaches the Ausländerbehörde. - [gesetze-im-internet.de — AufenthV § 45](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthv/__45.html) — accessed 2026-05-17 — _T1_ — § 45 AufenthV fixes the federal fee at EUR 100 for first issuance of an Aufenthaltserlaubnis (equal for permits of up to one year and over one year). Minor-applicant and extension figures follow the same schedule. - [gesetze-im-internet.de — AufenthV § 52](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthv/__52.html) — accessed 2026-05-17 — _T1_ — § 52 AufenthV (Befreiungen und Ermäßigungen): spouses, eingetragene Lebenspartner and minor children of Germans are exempt from the national visa fee, read with § 2 AuslGebV. Further exemptions cover Swiss nationals, recognised refugees and subsidiary-protection beneficiaries, scholarship recipients, and certain students and researchers. - [Bundesverwaltungsamt (BVA) — Familiennachzug (Tätigkeit ruht)](https://www.bva.bund.de/SharedDocs/Aufgaben/DE/F/familiennachzug.html) — accessed 2026-05-17 — _T1_ — BVA confirms its Familiennachzug-to-subsidiary-protection activity has been dormant since the suspension took effect; ongoing cases and Härtefall exemptions are routed via the Auswärtiges Amt and the IOM. - [Goethe-Institut — Deutschprüfungen A1–C2](https://www.goethe.de/de/spr/kup/prf/prf/sd1.html) — accessed 2026-05-17 — _T2_ — Goethe-Zertifikat A1 'Start Deutsch 1' confirms A1 (CEFR) and is recognised 'für das Visumsverfahren zum Ehegattennachzug'. Equivalent A1 certificates from telc, ÖSD or TestDaF-Institute partners are likewise recognised. --- Verification pending — see the canonical page for the latest trust state. Canonical: https://publicservices.guide/germany/familienzusammenfuehrung/