Bringing your family to Germany

1. Who can come

The core cases are a spouse or registered partner and minor unmarried children. Other relatives are possible only in narrow hardship circumstances, which is a common misunderstanding.

The sponsor’s own status matters a great deal: what is straightforward on a Blue Card can be harder on a permit with a shorter validity.

2. The usual conditions

Authorities generally look at whether the family can live in suitable accommodation of adequate size, and whether the household income covers everyone without recourse to state support. Health insurance for the arriving members is also required.

For spouses there is normally a basic German requirement, with exemptions depending on the sponsor’s permit and on nationality.

• Adequate accommodation for the size of the family
• Income sufficient to support everyone without state benefits
• Health insurance for the arriving family members
• Basic German for spouses, with exemptions in some categories
• Marriage or birth certificates, often legalised or apostilled

3. How the application runs

The family member applies at the German mission where they live, while the sponsor in Germany supplies evidence of income, housing and status. The two halves have to match, so coordinate before submitting.

Once here, the arriving family members register their address and apply for their own residence permits.