Spouses, parents and minor, unmarried children may migrate to Germany to join their family members in order to protect the institution of marriage and the family.

As a matter of principle, the conditions vary according to whether you wish to come to Germany to join a German national, an EU citizen or a third-country national.

Family members coming to Germany for the purpose of family reunification are allowed to work in Germany.

Required documents:

Please make sure to prepare a complete set of the following documents (collated in the order as listed below with a legible, unstapled copy in DinA4 format) to submit during your appointment:

• Fully completed and signed application including declaration pursuant to Section 54 Residence Act
• 2 recent biometric passport photos (see specimen photos)
• Valid passport with at least two completely empty pages.
• 1 uncertified copies of the data page of your valid passport/ travel document
• Norwegian residence permit (card) – original + 1 copy (front and back)
• Proof of address in Norway: Printout from the Population Register from „Skatteetaten“ (not older than 2 months) – original + 1 copy
• Health insurance: Health insurance coverage is required at the time of entry to Germany. Proof can be provided by presenting the health insurance policy of the family member residing in Germany and a letter of the health insurance company stating that the person entering the country will be included in the family insurance upon entry.

Additionally in the case of family reunification with the spouse:

• Marriage Certificate – original + 1 copy
• If there is no international marriage certificate in German or English, the marriage certificate must be translated into German by a sworn translator – original + 1 copy.
  
  In addition, the document must be legalized/authenticated (legalization/Hague Apostille) by the embassy or the competent office of the issuing country. Exceptions apply to documents from EU member states, Norway and international certificates from certain countries.
  You can find more information on legalization and Apostilles on the website of the German diplomatic mission in the country where the marriage was concluded. If the legalization has been suspended in relation to the state concerned, a verification of the document may become necessary.
• Basic knowledge of German „Start Deutsch 1“ must be proven by a current language certificate (not older than 18 months) after passing an ALTE-certified language test (at Goethe-Institut e.V., telc GmbH, Österreichisches Sprachdiplom (ÖSD) or ECL) original + 1 copy
  More information on language certificates and exemptions from submitting them can be found here: Proof of knowledge of basic German
  More information on where to learn German can be found here.
  
  Documents of the spouse already living in Germany
• Copy of the passport/identity card of the spouse living in Germany – if the spouse living in Germany is not a citizen of a European Union country, a copy of the German residence permit in the passport is also required.
• Copy of the registration certificate („Meldebescheinigung“)
• Copy of the tenancy agreement (not necessary if you join your German spouse)
• Copy of proof of income (e.g. tax return or employment contract showing monthly earnings, does not apply if you join your German spouse)

Additionally in the case of family reunification with the parent:

• Child's birth certificate – Original + 1 copy
  If there is no international birth certificate in German or English, the birth certificate must be translated into German by a sworn translator – original + 1 copy.
  
  In addition, the document must be legalized/authenticated (legalization/Hague Apostille) by the embassy or the competent office of the issuing country. Exceptions apply to documents from EU member states, Norway and international certificates from certain countries.
  You can find more information on legalization and Apostilles on the website of the German diplomatic mission in the country where the child was born. If the legalization has been suspended in relation to the state concerned, a verification of the document may become necessary.
• International marriage certificate of the parents/acknowledgment of paternity plus proof of custody, possibly with translation and legalization – original + 1 copy
• If applicable, current notarial declaration of consent for permanent residence of the child in Germany (not older than 6 months) from the parent remaining abroad (with apostille and notarized translation of the document and the apostille) + 1 copy
• 1 copy of the identity card or passport of the parent living in Germany, as well as 1 copy of their residence permit for Germany
• Proof of language proficiency for children aged 16 and over
  If children aged 16 and over, a C1 language certificate must be presented (provided from Goethe-Institut e.V., telc GmbH, Österreichisches Sprachdiplom (ÖSD), TestDaF-Institut e.V. or ECL) – Original + 1 copy. This does not apply if they enter the country together with both parents or with one parent who has sole custody.
  The parent resident in Germany must submit proof of secure subsistence to the competent German foreigner’s authority.
  More information on where to learn German can be found here.

Additionally in the case of family reunification with a minor German child:

• Child’s birth certificate
  If there is no international birth certificate in German or English, the birth certificate must be translated into German by a sworn translator – original + 1 copy.
  In addition, the document must be legalized/authenticated (legalization/Hague Apostille) by the embassy or the competent office of the issuing country. Exceptions apply to documents from EU member states, Norway and international certificates from certain countries.
  You can find more information on legalization and Apostilles on the website of the German diplomatic mission in the country where the child was born. If the legalization has been suspended in relation to the state concerned, a verification of the document may become necessary. Original + 1 copy
• Proof of German citizenship of the child – original + 1 copy – by presenting a certificate of citizenship or a copy of the German passport.
• If applicable, proof that the parent who is moving to Germany has sole custody of the German child – original + 1 copy
• If the child does not yet live in Germany and you intend to move together to Germany - 1 copy of the passport or identity card of the parent living in Germany and their proof of place of residence (1 copy) or proof of the planned place of residence and the original letter of invitation from the parent living in Germany.
• If the child is not yet born, but will acquire German citizenship by birth - additionally: Current medical certificate about the pregnancy and the expected date of birth with translation - original + 1 copy and proof of the child's future German citizenship, for example by the parents' marriage certificate or by an effective acknowledgment of paternity - original + 1 copy

Fees

The visa application for family reunification with a German citizen or an EU citizen is free of charge.

Visa applications for family reunification with foreign nationals are subject to fees of €75 for adults and €37.50 for minors, payable by Visa/Mastercard.

Important information:

Incomplete documents delay the process and can lead to rejection.

Additional documents not mentioned here may be requested in individual cases when applying or during the visa process.

The visa requires the approval of the responsible foreigners’ authority. The visa can only be issued after receipt of approval.

The standard processing time is approx. 3 - 4 months, in individual cases longer.

Please refrain from inquiries about the status during the normal processing time. Such inquiries are extremely time-consuming for the visa section and can thus not be answered.

Once your application is approved, the embassy will issue a national visa. The final residence permit is issued after entry by the competent immigration authorities.