Welcome
Family reunion to foreign spouse or registered partner or children
This visa enables you to travel to Germany and apply to the local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) for a residence permit in order to join your spouse or registered partner.
This visa provides a seamless transition into a residence permit.
Processing period
The processing period may take 2-3 months. During the processing period you cannot inquire about the status of your application. Upon expiry of the processing period only the applicant, his/her legal representative or persons holding an authorization letter from the applicant may inquire about the status of the visas.
Fees
The fee is 75,00 € payable in USD cash only. Please bring small USD bills. The application form can be downloaded for free.
Necessary documents
Please bring the following documents in the mentioned order to your appointment at the Embassy. Additional documents may in some cases be requested. Documents sent in advance will not be archived.
Complete the online application form (application forms are required for each applicant separately; all children require separate forms).
Bring one signed copy of the form including the barcodes to your appointment.
A valid passport signed by the holder, issued within the last 10 years and valid for at least one year is necessary. The passport needs to have at least 2 subsequent blank pages. Please bring one photocopy of the passport biodata page to your appointment.
1 fully biometric passport photo, 35 x 45 mm, no older than three months. Digitally altered passport photos cannot be accepted. Please ensure that your photo adheres to German biometric requirements and is taken in front of a white/bright background.
Non-Zimbabweans - please bring your valid Zimbabwean residence permit and 1 photocopy to your appointment.
- Original marriage/civil/registered partnership certificate - If issued outside Germany, the EU or the UK documents need be legalised or apostilled as applicable. Zimbabwean documents need to be certified by the Zimbabwean Foreign Ministry and then legalised by the German Embassy.
Any document in a language other than German or English needs to be translated into one of these languages by a certified or sworn translator.
Plus: 1 photocopy of the certificate and (if applicable) the translation
- Original or certified copy of passport or National ID card of spouse/partner (passport: biodata page only)
Plus: 1 photocopy of the passport biodata page or ID card
- If spouse/partner is already a resident in Germany: 1 photocopy of confirmation of spouse’s/partner’s registration (Anmeldebestätigung or Meldebescheinigung)
Please provide proof of accommodation, for example lease contract of spouse, with street, housenumber and postcode.
[At least level A1] Certificates issued by any institution testing in accordance with the standards of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) are accepted. The test may not be older than one year. There are a number of exemptions from the language proficiency requirement
1 copy of German residence permit of spouse/partner/child.
Book an appointment
Please use our online appointment booking system
Booking via telephone or email is not possible. At the appointment, you will submit all required documents and pay the visa processing fee. You will be interviewed with regard to your planned stay in Germany and your biometric data (passport photograph and fingerprints) will be collected.