Family reunification: bringing your spouse, children or parents to Germany

• Joining a non-EU national who lives in Germany: the rules in this guide.
• Joining an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen who has moved to Germany: free-movement law, with a free visa and a residence card. See the EU citizens in Germany guide.
• Joining a German citizen: the Residence Act (§28). The spouse usually needs A1 German, as with other spouses, but income is normally not checked. A settlement permit is usually possible after three years if the family still lives together and you have sufficient German.
• Joining someone with protection status: special rules. See "Refugees and subsidiary protection" below.

Most applications must meet these conditions:

• Qualifying sponsor title: a settlement permit, an EU long-term residence permit, a Blue Card or ICT Card, or a residence permit that meets the conditions below.
• Secured livelihood: the household's income must cover living costs, rent and health insurance without public benefits such as Grundsicherungsgeld. There is no single published income figure; the authority calculates it for your household. Both spouses' income counts, for example a job offer the joining spouse already has.
• Sufficient living space for the whole family. This is not required when joining holders of a Blue Card, ICT Card, or a permit under §18a, §18b, §18c(3), §18d, §18f, §19c(2) or §21, among others. In those cases it is waived for the spouse and minor unmarried children.
• Health insurance in Germany: statutory or comparable private. Berlin does not accept foreign insurance for the residence permit.
• Valid passport and no serious grounds for expulsion.

Basic conditions: both partners must normally be at least 18, and the marriage or registered partnership must be valid. The sponsor must hold one of:

• a settlement permit or EU long-term residence permit;
• a Blue Card or ICT Card. The marriage may also have been concluded later;
• a residence permit for work, study or training (for example §18a, §18b, §19c or §16b), if the marriage already existed when that permit was issued and the stay is expected to last more than a year;
• any residence permit held for two years, if it does not exclude a later settlement permit.

German at A1: the joining spouse must normally show basic German (einfache Deutschkenntnisse, CEFR level A1) before entry. This is usually done with a certificate from a recognised exam provider; check your embassy's list.

Exemptions from the A1 requirement. You do not need to prove German if, for example:

• the sponsor holds a Blue Card, ICT Card, or a permit for skilled work, research or self-employment (§§18a–18d, 18f, 19c, 21). This also applies if they held one before moving to a permanent permit;
• the sponsor is a national of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK or the USA, or another country whose citizens may stay in Germany visa-free for longer periods;
• the sponsor is a recognised refugee or holds protection status, and the marriage existed before they came to Germany;
• the joining spouse cannot learn German because of illness or disability;
• the joining spouse has a recognisably low integration need, for example a university graduate with good prospects;
• learning German before entry is impossible or unreasonable in the individual case, for example because no course is reachable or it is unsafe to attend.

After arrival: the spouse receives a residence permit tied to the sponsor's, may work, and can usually attend an integration course. See the Integration course guide.

• Under 16: minor unmarried children can join their parents without further conditions, beyond the general ones and the parent's qualifying title.
• 16 or 17: if the child moves together with the parents (the BAMF treats arrival within about six months of the parents' move this way), the normal rules apply. If the child comes later and alone, they must speak German at C1 level, or it must appear that they can integrate, for example through German-language schooling. This extra test does not apply if the parent, or the parent's spouse living with them, holds a Blue Card, ICT Card or a permit under §18a, §18b, §18d, §18f, §19c(2) or §21. It also does not apply if they held one of these right before getting a permanent permit, or if they have asylum or refugee status.
• Custody: if only one parent lives in Germany and custody is shared, the other parent's consent or a court decision is needed.
• Hardship: in other cases a permit can be granted to avoid particular hardship, taking the child's welfare into account.

• Parents and parents-in-law of skilled workers: if the sponsor was first issued a Blue Card, ICT Card, or a permit under §18a, §18b, §19c(2), §21 or certain other work categories on or after 1 March 2024, the immigration office can grant the parents a residence permit. Parents-in-law are included if the sponsor's spouse lives in Germany permanently. Their livelihood, including health and long-term care insurance, must be fully secured. This is a discretionary decision.
• Other relatives, including the parents of other foreign residents, adult children, siblings and grandparents, can only join to avoid exceptional hardship. This is a very high bar.

• Recognised refugees and people entitled to asylum: if you apply for your spouse and minor children within three months of the final recognition, the authorities can waive the income and housing requirements. This applies only if family life is not possible in a non-EU country to which the family has a special connection.
• Subsidiary protection: family reunification is suspended from 24 July 2025 until 23 July 2027. During this period, family members are admitted only in exceptional cases on urgent humanitarian grounds. The Federal Foreign Office explains how to submit hardship cases.

See the Protection and asylum orientation guide, and get advice from a counselling service before acting.