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Residence permit for family reasons Issued for the family reunification of a foreign parent to a minor German

If you want to join your German minor, unmarried child in Germany, you can obtain a residence permit for family reunification.

Your responsible authority

Please enter a town (or postcode) where you are looking for the service search place
  • Forms
    • Online procedure possible in some cases
    • Written form required
    • Personal appearance required

  • Detailed description

    You can join your German, underage, unmarried child if you come from a country outside the EU or the EEA, have custody of the German child and intend to exercise this custody.

    Personal custody includes the right and at the same time the duty to care for, educate and supervise the child and to determine its residence. A minor is a child who has not yet reached the age of 18. A person is single if he or she is not married and has not been married in the past; a person living in a registered civil partnership is also not single.

    If these requirements are met, you must be granted a residence permit.

    You can also join your child if you do not have custody of the child. The prerequisite is that you and your child are already living together as a family in Germany. A family relationship is assumed if the relatives maintain regular contact with each other that goes beyond mere visits. If the prerequisites are fulfilled, the authorities will decide on the granting of the residence permit on a discretionary basis.

    Under certain circumstances, the Aliens Department may oblige you to attend an integration course. This will then be noted on your residence permit.

    The residence permit is a temporary residence title and is issued for at least one year.

  • Requirements
    • You have a recognised and valid passport or passport replacement and - if required for entry - an appropriate visa.
    • Your child is a minor, unmarried and has German citizenship.
    • You have the right of custody over your child and wish to exercise this right or, as a parent who does not have the right of custody, you are already living with the child in Germany.
    • There is no interest in deportation against you.

    Your stay does not jeopardise or impair the interests of the Federal Republic of Germany.

  • Documents
    • Valid passport or passport replacement
    • Current biometric photo
    • Visa, as far as this was necessary for the entry
    • Birth certificate of your child
    • Proof of custody, if applicable
    • If applicable, proof of living together as a family
    • Current certificate of registration

    In individual cases, the Aliens Department may request further documents.

  • Fees

    Issue of residence permit: EUR 100.00

    Under certain conditions, a fee reduction or fee exemption may be considered.

    Notes:

    • Additional fees may apply for the issuance of the residence permit in the form of the electronic residence title, which can also be used as electronic proof of identity.
    • The time and form of charging and payment vary depending on the authority.
  • Process

    The procedure is as follows:

    • Depending on the foreigners authority and your concerns, it may be possible to apply via the internet. Find out whether your foreigners authority offers electronic application for the residence permit.
    • If the application is only possible in person, make an appointment with the Aliens' Registration Office. During the appointment, your application will be accepted and your supporting documents will be checked (bring them with you to the appointment). Your fingerprints will be taken for the production of an electronic residence permit (eAT).
    • In the case of an electronic application, the Aliens' Registration Office will contact you after receipt of your online application to arrange an appointment at the Aliens' Registration Office if necessary. During the appointment, your documents will be checked (bring them with you to the appointment) and your fingerprints will be taken for the production of the eAT.
    • If your application is granted, the Aliens' Registration Office will arrange for the eAT to be produced.
    • After about six to eight weeks you can collect the eAT from the Aliens' Registration Office.

    The eAT must always be collected in person.

  • Duration

    about six to eight weeks.

  • Deadline
    • The residence permit should be applied for no later than eight weeks before the expiry of your still valid visa or your current residence permit or - if you are legally residing in Germany without a visa - within 90 days of entry.
    • Objection period: 1 month
  • Responsible authority

    The immigration authority responsible for the applicant's place of residence.

  • Point of contact

    You can also obtain free advice on the topics of entry, residence and employment from the "Hotline Working and Living in Germany" from the Federal Government's portal for skilled workers from abroad.

    Telephone: 030 1815-1111

    Service hours: Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

  • Legal basis

    Section 28 (1) sentence 1 number 3 and sentence 4 Residence Act

  • More information

    Portal of the BAMF:

    German:

    https://www.bamf.de/DE/Themen/MigrationAufenthalt/ZuwandererDrittstaaten/Familie/NachzugZuDeutschen/nachzug-zu-deutschen-node.html;jsessionid=FF333A61825028048280908484D45D12.internet542(German)

    English:

    https://www.bamf.de/EN/Themen/MigrationAufenthalt/ZuwandererDrittstaaten/Familie/NachzugZuDeutschen/nachzug-zu-deutschen-node.html

  • Approved

    Ministry of the Interior and for Local Affairs of the State of Brandenburg

  • Approved date
    28.05.2021