Reunification of children from abroad

Course description

For the purpose of family reunification, German or foreign nationals residing in Germany with a residence permit can have their foreign, underage and unmarried children join them.

Children do not have to be present in person for a provisional residence permit (fictitious certificate) to be issued, for example because not all documents have been submitted yet.

Parents can also collect the electronic residence permit (eAT) for their children under the age of 16 without authorisation.

These rules for family reunification do not apply to nationals (and their family members) from EU member states, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway.

Prerequisites

Visa procedure Before foreign children can travel to Germany, they need a visa for family reunification, which they can apply for at the German diplomatic mission(embassy or consulate) in their home country.

As soon as the visa application has been received from the responsible diplomatic mission abroad, the family member living here will be informed and may have to submit additional documents.

There are exceptions to the visa procedure for nationals from these countries: Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America as well as Andorra, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras, Monaco and San Marino.

Citizens from EU member states, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway do not require a visa

After entering the country, you must first register your residence at the Citizens Office. Children aged six and over must apply for a residence permit in person at the Immigration and Naturalisation Service Office.

Application for a residence permit Before the child's visa/residence permit expires, the residence permit must be applied for. If it is possible to enter the country without a visa to join your child, you must apply for a residence permit at the Immigration and Naturalisation Service Office within 90 days of entering the country. Please submit the application form and the required documents online or by post. After submitting your online application, you can download a completed document as a PDF for your records. The document will confirm your application and the authorisation/continuation of your previous residence. Once we have checked your application, you will receive an appointment for a personal interview.

Required documents

Visa procedure:

• Birth certificate and custody decision (if necessary) in the original or as a copy
• if no international/multilingual document is available: German, certified translation by a sworn translator in Germany

In individual cases, the German diplomatic mission abroad may require further documents.

After entry, the Immigration and Naturalisation Service Office requires the following documents:

• Fully completed application form
• Valid passport or passport replacement
• current biometric passport photo submitted digitally by a certified photo studio or drugstore. Alternatively, you can use one of the photo terminals at the Immigration and Naturalisation Service Centre for a fee.

Further documents may be required in individual cases.

Legal basis

§§ Sections 28, 29 and 32 AufenthG