Family Reunification — National Visa to Berlin Residence Permit (Spouse or Child)

AusHelpVerified knowledge · Germany

step-by-step guidelast reviewed 2026-08-28

Workflow: Family Reunification — National Visa to Berlin Residence Permit (Spouse or Child)

Workflow ID: WF-FED-FAM-001

Version: 1.0

Status: Draft — awaiting source review

Jurisdiction: Federal (German mission abroad) + Berlin (local Ausländerbehörde procedure)

Risk level: High

Legal review required: Yes

Last reviewed: 2026-08-28

Next review due: 2026-09-27 (30-day cycle — volatile figures: fees, mission wait times, § 104 Abs. 14 sunset)

Owner: AusHelp Knowledge Team

Scope and disclaimer

Informational guidance only — not legal advice. AusHelp is not a legal advisor, lawyer, or official authority, and does not take responsibility for the outcome of any visa or residence-permit decision. Mission-specific requirements vary by country — verify with the responsible German mission and, after arrival, with the LEA (030 / 90269-4000) or a qualified immigration advisor. Where escalation conditions are flagged, always recommend professional or official guidance.

Purpose

Guide a foreign spouse, registered partner, or minor unmarried child of a sponsor already living in Germany through the two-stage family reunification process (RS-008-P1): the national D visa at the responsible German mission abroad, then — after entry and Anmeldung — the residence permit at the Berlin Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA).

Trigger

Trigger	Urgency
User wants to bring a spouse/partner to Germany	Medium
User wants to bring a minor child to Germany	Medium
Family member already has a mission appointment	High
Family member's visa was granted; travel being planned	Medium
Family member already in Germany on another status	Redirect — not covered here
Sponsor's own permit expires within 12 months	High — check first, caps new permit's duration (§ 27 Abs. 4)

Applicable Users

Dimension	Required value
Sponsor location	Germany, holding NE, DA-EU, AE, Blue Card EU, ICT/Mobiler-ICT, or § 18e residence
Joining family member	Currently abroad
Relationship	Spouse/registered partner, or minor unmarried child
Sponsor's protection status	Not a current § 25 Abs. 2 S. 2 subsidiary-protection holder — that § 36a route is suspended (Exceptions)
Process stage	First issuance from abroad (RS-008-P1)

German sponsor → § 28 route instead (WF-FED-FAM-002, not yet created). Sponsor holds § 25 Abs. 1/Abs. 2 S. 1 (asylum/refugee) → three-month privileged window applies (family_reunification.md 3.16–3.18) but these steps still hold. Family member already resident in Germany → RS-008-P2 (not yet built).

Required User Context

Field	Purpose
Sponsor's permit type and expiry	Eligibility; caps new permit's duration (§ 27 Abs. 4)
Sponsor's income / employment	Livelihood check (§ 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 1); joining member's income also counts (§ 2 Abs. 3 S. 4)
Household size and housing (m²)	Adequacy check (§ 29 Abs. 1 Nr. 2) — unless waived
Relationship type and child's age	Different statutory test per type; age 16 triggers § 32 Abs. 2
Joining member's nationality	Some nationalities skip the mission stage entirely
A1 German certificate status (spouse only)	Required unless a § 30 Abs. 1 S. 3 exception applies
Marriage/birth certificate origin country	Apostille vs. legalisation route
Responsible German mission	By family member's country of residence
Berlin address availability	Needed for the LEA stage after arrival

Responsible Authority

Stage	Authority	Contact / portal
1 — Visa	Responsible German mission abroad (Visastelle)	Consular Services Portal: digital.diplo.de — mission located via digital.diplo.de/navigator
2 — Residence permit	Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA), Berlin	Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24, 13353 Berlin · 030 / 90269-4000

Required Documents

#	Document	Stage	Issuing body	Notes
D-01	Marriage/partnership certificate	1, 2	Standesamt / foreign registry	Apostilled/legalised + certified translation (Step 4)
D-02	Birth certificate (child cases)	1, 2	Foreign civil registry	Same rule as D-01
D-03	Valid passport	1, 2	Home-country authority	Original at both stages
D-04	Sponsor's residence permit (copy)	1, 2	Ausländerbehörde	Shows status and remaining validity
D-05	Sponsor's income proof	1, 2	Employer / Finanzamt	Payslips, contract, or tax assessment
D-06	Housing proof	1, 2	Landlord / Wohnungsamt	Not required if § 29 Abs. 5 waiver applies
D-07	Simple-German (A1) certificate	1	Goethe-Institut / recognised provider	Spouses only, unless exempt
D-08	Custody proof / other parent's consent	1	Court / notary	Child cases only
D-09	Completed national visa application	1	Consular Services Portal	Online since 1 Jan 2025
D-10	Visa fee	1	Mission	€75 adult / €37.50 minor, non-refundable
D-11	Address registration (Anmeldung)	2	Bürgeramt	Universal layer, before LEA application
D-12	German health insurance proof	2	Krankenkasse	Statutory or comparable private
D-13	LEA application fee	2	LEA	€100 first issuance

Ordered Steps

Step 1 — Confirm eligibility and route

Check	Condition	Result if fails
Relationship	Spouse/partner or minor unmarried child	Other relatives use § 36 (narrower test)
Sponsor status	Holds a qualifying title (§ 29 Abs. 1 Nr. 1)	Workflow does not apply
Sponsor nationality	Not German	German sponsor → § 28 route
Protection status	Not current § 25 Abs. 2 S. 2	§ 36a suspended to 23 July 2027 (§ 104 Abs. 14) — see Exceptions

Source: SRC-205 (§ 27), SRC-150 (§ 29 Abs. 1), family_reunification.md 3.12, 3.17a

Step 2 — Verify sponsor-side conditions: housing, livelihood, language

Condition	Rule	Waived / exempt when
Housing	Adequate — social-rental-flat yardstick; under-2s uncounted	Sponsor holds Blue Card EU, ICT/Mobiler-ICT, or listed §§ 18a/18b/18c Abs. 3/18d/18f/19c/21 titles (§ 29 Abs. 5)
Livelihood	Household income secured without public funds; joining member's income counts	Extension (not first issuance) proceeds regardless while family community continues (§ 30 Abs. 3, § 34 Abs. 1)
Protection-sponsor waiver	Housing/livelihood may/must be waived for spouses/children of certain humanitarian sponsors	Discretionary (§ 29 Abs. 2 S. 1); mandatory within 3 months of unappealable recognition (S. 2) — never reaches current § 36a sponsors
A1 German (spouse only)	Simple German before entry (administratively ≈ A1; statute names no CEFR level — open question)	7 statutory exceptions incl. Blue Card/skilled-worker sponsor, illness, low integration need, visa-free-entry nationality, pre-entry effort unreasonable (§ 30 Abs. 1 S. 3 Nr. 1–7)

Source: SRC-150 (§ 29), SRC-167 (§ 5), SRC-147 (§ 2), SRC-120 (§ 30)

Step 3 — Identify the mission and open a Consular Services Portal case

Use the Visa Navigator (digital.diplo.de/navigator) to confirm the visa category and the mission responsible for the family member's residence. Family reunification has been an online-application category on the Consular Services Portal (digital.diplo.de/visa-fz) since it went live worldwide on 1 January 2025 — the form is completed and D-01–D-09 uploaded there; the mission raises queries before the in-person appointment.

⚠ ASSUMPTION A-001 — unverified: The Navigator/portal pages are JavaScript-rendered and could not be fetched directly; described from AA secondary reporting (SRC-338). Confirm the live UI before publishing user-facing copy.

Source: SRC-335, SRC-336, SRC-337, SRC-338

Step 4 — Legalise or apostille the civil-status documents

Origin country	Route	Issued by
Hague Apostille Convention party	Apostille	Competent authority in the issuing country
Not a party	Legalisation	German mission where the document was issued; original required, often with prior local certification

Certified German translation is required in addition. Legalisation runs approximately €28–€37/document plus processing costs (2026 general schedule, not family-reunification-specific).

Source: SRC-341

Step 5 — Submit the visa application; await Ausländerbehörde consent and interview

Complete the application on the Consular Services Portal, upload documents, pay the fee (€75 adult / €37.50 minor, non-refundable)
The mission may generally only decide once the responsible German Ausländerbehörde has given its consent (Vorabzustimmung) — this drives most of the wait
Attend the in-person interview when scheduled
Processing commonly takes "up to three months, occasionally longer" per general AA guidance — not mission-specific (open question)
The Remonstrationsverfahren (objection to refusal) was abolished 1 July 2025 — see Escalation for the remaining route

Source: SRC-339, SRC-340

Step 6 — Receive the visa, travel, and settle in Berlin

The visa typically carries ~3 months' validity and must be used to enter before it expires; it authorises entry and initial stay, not the permit itself
Some nationalities (e.g. Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, UK, USA) may instead enter visa-free and obtain the title after arrival — verify against the current § 41 AufenthV list
Complete Anmeldung at a Berlin Bürgeramt promptly, and arrange German health insurance — both required for Step 7

Source: SRC-339, SRC-340, family_reunification.md § 7 (RS-008-D10, D11)

Step 7 — Apply for the residence permit at LEA Berlin

Submit the online application for "Aufenthaltserlaubnis aus familiären Gründen" via service.berlin.de
LEA reviews and may request further documents
Sponsor and family member attend an in-person appointment together
Fee: €100 (first issuance); the eAT is issued at least 4 weeks after the appointment

Source: SRC-342, SRC-343

Deadlines

Deadline	Detail	Consequence of missing
Visa application	Before entry, at the responsible mission	Entry/residence without a valid visa unlawful (privileged-nationality exception aside)
Three-month protection window	Within 3 months of § 25 Abs. 1/2 S. 1 sponsor's unappealable recognition	Mandatory housing/income waiver lost; underlying entitlement is not
Visa validity	~3 months from issuance	Must enter Germany before it lapses
Anmeldung	Within 2 weeks of taking up residence	Fines possible; blocks the LEA application
LEA application	Promptly after arrival	Gap in documented lawful residence
Future renewal	Before the issued permit's expiry	Timely filing triggers Fiktionswirkung (§ 81 Abs. 3–4, SRC-002)

Common Exceptions

Exception	Description	Handling
Privileged nationality	May enter visa-free, obtain title after arrival	Confirm current § 41 AufenthV list; skips Steps 3–6
§ 36a currently suspended	No reunification to subsidiary-protection sponsors until 23 July 2027 (§ 104 Abs. 14)	Redirect to §§ 22/23; do not describe the 1,000/month quota as operative now
Sponsor is German	Different track	Use § 28 route (not this workflow)
Marriage breaks down	Spouse's independent right	1 year after 3 years' lawful cohabitation (2 years, Blue Card sponsors), or immediately on hardship incl. domestic violence (§ 31 Abs. 1–2)
Child turns 16/18 mid-process	Age-linked conditions	16-year test has skilled-worker/humanitarian-parent exceptions (§ 32 Abs. 2); independent at 18 (§ 34 Abs. 2)
Refugee/asylum sponsor	Broader waiver than subsidiary protection	Entitlement, not discretionary, inside the 3-month window (3.16–3.18)
Non-Hague origin country	Apostille unavailable	Legalisation via German mission — longer lead time

Escalation Conditions

Condition	Escalation action
Visa refused	Remonstration abolished 1 July 2025; explain the remaining legal-recourse route; refer to an immigration lawyer
Sponsor's permit expires/is revoked before visa issuance	New permit capped at sponsor's remaining validity (§ 27 Abs. 4) — may affect the pending visa
Sham/forced-marriage suspicion (mission or LEA)	Immediate referral to an immigration lawyer (§ 27 Abs. 1a)
Domestic violence / abusive relationship	Do not require the 3-year wait (§ 31 Abs. 2 hardship) — immediate referral, never self-assess
Subsidiary-protection sponsor asks about reunification	Explain the § 36a suspension; refer to §§ 22/23 alternatives
Security-grounds refusal or removal notice	Immediate referral to an immigration lawyer or legal-aid organisation
Low-confidence case	Do not give definitive guidance; ask clarifying questions first

Legal Rules (Federal — apply nationally)

Claim	Legal basis	Source
Permit establishes/maintains family life, protecting Art. 6 GG	§ 27 Abs. 1 AufenthG	SRC-205
Duration capped at sponsor's remaining validity	§ 27 Abs. 4 S. 1 AufenthG	SRC-205
Sponsor must hold a qualifying title	§ 29 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 AufenthG	SRC-150
Housing must be adequate, waivable for listed sponsor titles	§ 29 Abs. 1 Nr. 2, Abs. 5 AufenthG	SRC-150
Livelihood secured without public funds; family income counts	§ 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 1, § 2 Abs. 3 S. 4 AufenthG	SRC-167, SRC-147
Spouse shows simple German before entry, 7 exceptions	§ 30 Abs. 1 S. 1 Nr. 2, S. 3 AufenthG	SRC-120
Child entitled where parent(s) hold a listed title; 16-year condition	§ 32 Abs. 1–2 AufenthG	SRC-209
Reunification to current subsidiary-protection sponsor suspended to 23 July 2027	§ 104 Abs. 14 AufenthG	SRC-150
Independent spousal right after 3 years, or immediately on hardship	§ 31 Abs. 1–2 AufenthG	SRC-208
Timely renewal triggers Fiktionswirkung	§ 81 Abs. 3–4 AufenthG	SRC-002

Berlin Administrative Procedures (local — Berlin LEA)

Claim	Source
Applied for as "Aufenthaltserlaubnis aus familiären Gründen": online → review → joint appointment	SRC-342
First-issuance fee €100; renewal €93; reduced for Turkish nationals; free for SGB II/XII recipients	SRC-342
eAT issued at least 4 weeks after the appointment	SRC-342
Family-reunification branch: Friedrich-Krause-Ufer 24, 13353 Berlin	SRC-343

Assumptions

ID	Assumption	Risk
A-001	Consular Services Portal / Visa Navigator behaviour described from AA secondary reporting, not a direct fetch of the (JS-rendered) tool	Medium
A-002	service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/305289 (fetched live) is the current family-reunification permit service; family_reunification.md's SRC-219 URL (dienstleistung/324271) returned HTTP 404 in this pass	Medium
A-003	"Up to three months, occasionally longer" is a rough planning figure, not a per-mission SLA	High

Unresolved Questions

ID	Question	Impact
UQ-001	Actual current wait time per mission for a family-reunification D-visa decision	High
UQ-002	Correct current service.berlin.de ID for this permit — 324271 (on file) or 305289 (live here)? Needs register correction	Medium
UQ-003	Does Vorabzustimmung apply identically across spouse/child/parent reunification, or do timelines differ?	Medium
UQ-004	Which test providers/certificates do missions accept in practice for the A1 spouse requirement?	Medium
UQ-005	Does "simple German" reliably equate to CEFR A1 in mission practice? (mirrors family_reunification.md OQ-1)	Medium

Official Source References

Source ID	Title	Publisher	URL	Level
SRC-205	§ 27 AufenthG — Grundsatz des Familiennachzugs	BMJ	gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__27.html	A
SRC-150	§ 29 AufenthG — Familiennachzug zu Ausländern	BMJ	gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__29.html	A
SRC-120	§ 30 AufenthG — Ehegattennachzug	BMJ	gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__30.html	A
SRC-208	§ 31 AufenthG — Eigenständiges Aufenthaltsrecht der Ehegatten	BMJ	gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__31.html	A
SRC-209	§ 32 AufenthG — Kindernachzug	BMJ	gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__32.html	A
SRC-167	§ 5 AufenthG — Allgemeine Erteilungsvoraussetzungen	BMJ	gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__5.html	A
SRC-147	§ 2 AufenthG — Begriffsbestimmungen	BMJ	gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__2.html	A
SRC-002	§ 81 AufenthG — Beantragung des Aufenthaltstitels	BMJ	gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__81.html	A
SRC-335	Visa Navigator	Auswärtiges Amt	digital.diplo.de/navigator	B
SRC-336	Visa Navigator — result: family reunification	Auswärtiges Amt	digital.diplo.de/navigator/en/visa/overview/ergebnis-familiennachzug	B
SRC-337	Consular Services Portal — family reunification	Auswärtiges Amt	digital.diplo.de/visa-fz	B
SRC-338	Digitalisation of the national visa procedure, 1 Jan 2025	Auswärtiges Amt	auswaertiges-amt.de/en/newsroom/news/2692292-2692292	B
SRC-339	Längerfristige Aufenthalte über 90 Tage (nationale Visa)	Auswärtiges Amt	auswaertiges-amt.de/de/service/visa-und-aufenthalt/nationale-visa	B
SRC-340	Voraussetzung für Visa für längerfristige Aufenthalte	Auswärtiges Amt	auswaertiges-amt.de/de/service/visa-und-aufenthalt/visum-laengerfristiger-aufenthalt-2230584	B
SRC-341	Beglaubigung / Legalisation / Apostille / Beschaffung von Urkunden	Auswärtiges Amt	auswaertiges-amt.de/de/service/fragenkatalog-node/-/606802	B
SRC-342	Aufenthaltserlaubnis für den ausländischen Ehegatten eines Ausländers	LEA Berlin	service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/305289/standort/121885/en/	C
SRC-343	Einwanderungsamt — Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA)	LEA Berlin	service.berlin.de/standorte/einwanderungsamt/329228/en/	C
SRC-344	Merkblatt: Nachweis einfacher Deutschkenntnisse beim Ehegattennachzug	BAMF	bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/DE/MigrationAufenthalt/Ehegattennachzug/ehegattennachzug.pdf	B

SRC-335–SRC-344 are new — not yet in sources/source-register.csv (this task's scope excluded editing that file). Register before this workflow leaves Draft status; jurisdiction Federal except SRC-342/343 (Municipal), source_type official_guidance, last_checked 2026-08-28. SRC-002/120/147/150/167/205/208/209 already exist in the register — reused.

Completion Criteria

The workflow is complete when:

The national D visa has been issued and used to enter Germany
Anmeldung and German health insurance are in place in Berlin
The LEA residence permit (sticker or eAT) has been received
The new permit's expiry date has been confirmed
The user understands a renewal application must be filed before that expiry to trigger Fiktionswirkung (§ 81 Abs. 3–4)

Last Review Date

2026-08-28 — initial draft. Sources fetched and verified during this pass; several AA/Berlin URLs recorded elsewhere in the knowledge base (SRC-218, and family_reunification.md's SRC-219) returned HTTP 404 and were replaced here with working equivalents — see UQ-002 and A-002.

Sources must be re-verified before next review (due 2026-09-27), and legal claims re-checked against residence-statuses/family_reunification.md once its pending human sign-off completes.

AusHelp provides information and calculation against published criteria — not legal advice (keine Rechtsberatung). Final decisions rest with the German authorities. For individual cases contact the responsible authority or the free migration counselling services (MBE/JMD). This page is a free public reference; AusHelp is an independent commercial project and is not affiliated with any German authority.

Generated 2026-08-28 from the AusHelp knowledge engine. Every claim carries its source; sources are re-checked on a weekly cycle (statutes every 90 days, official guidance every 30, volatile figures every 14).

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