Visa for subsequent immigration of spouses

Subsequent immigration of spouses at a glance

You have the option of immigrating to join your spouse or your life partner living in Germany. This option is also available if you wish to marry your fiancé(e) in Germany.

If the person you wish to join (reference person) is not a German national, you must present their German residence permit. If your reference person has not yet been issued a residence permit in Germany, they must at least have a German visa for long-term residence or have already submitted a visa application.

In principle, you will need a visa to enter Germany to join your family. Information regarding possible exemptions from the visa requirement can be found on the Website of the Federal Foreign Office.

Applications for subsequent immigration that are governed by the European law on the free movement of persons can currently not be submitted online via the Consular Services Portal. Please contact your relevant German Mission in these cases.

Please note:

Some German missions abroad work together with service providers to check applications. These service providers help to ensure that applications are processed quickly and smoothly and may charge a service fee for this. You will find out during the application process whether the German mission or consulate responsible for you works with a service provider and what service fee is charged.

Online application for the visa for subsequent immigration of spouses

Register on the Consular Services Portal and apply online for your visa.

Visa for subsequent immigration of spouses

To immigrate to join your spouse, your partner or your fiancé(e), you must fulfil the following basic requirements, among others:
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Both of you have reached the age of 18.

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There is already evidence of a marriage or registered civil partnership or, in the case of engagement, an officially confirmed registration for marriage.

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You can provide proof of German language skills generally at level A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Further information regarding applying for and obtaining a visa

You can prove a marriage or registered civil partnership by means of a marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate or an extract from a civil status register. A civil partnership entered into abroad and under foreign law must be regarded as a marriage if it is a same-sex civil partnership that has been registered in the respective state and for which a notarisation in official registers exists, and if legal effects and obligations arise from the civil partnership.

You can provide proof of the required German language skills with a recognised language certificate. If you do not yet have a language certificate because you have yet to sit the language test for your current language learning endeavours, you can submit this later during the visa procedure. If it is clearly evident that you already have the required German language skills, these will be checked by your German Mission when you appear in person.

In some exceptional cases, proof of German language skills may be waived. Such an exception may apply, for example, in the case of physical impairment, a short period of stay or a recognisably low need for integration. Illiteracy, pregnancy or advanced age of the spouse do not generally constitute an exception.

You will receive details when you complete the questionnaire in conjunction with the application.

Still have questions?

Frequently asked questions and answers with more information on how to use the Consular Services Portal and the online application process can be found in our FAQ section. Take a look and see if you can find the answer to your question.

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Make it in Germany

The website of the Federal Foreign Office provides information on all consular services as well as on German foreign policy.

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Federal Foreign Office

The website of the Federal Foreign Office provides information on all consular services as well as on German foreign policy.

Find out more