Residence permit for family reunion of foreign children to foreign parents
General information
A child who enters Germany to be with their foreign parent can be issued with a residence permit if at least one of the parents has a residence permit, a settlement permit or a permit to stay in the EU long-term.
Legal basis
§ 32 Residence Act
Documents/ forms to be submitted
You can submit this application completely online. If you are not able to use the online application, please use the "Residence permit application/Application for renewal of a temporary residence permit" (PDF 227 KB) and submit the documents by mail.
- Visa for family reunion (copy)
- Valid passport of the child (copy)
- Birth certificate with a German translation (copy)
- in the case of unmarried parents: Custody declaration (copy)
- in the case of married parents: Proof of the marriage with a German translation (copy)
- for school attendance: current school attendance certificate (copy)
- for children under the age of six: a current biometric passport photo
Process and procedure
Please submit your application and related documents via online application. You will be invited to collect your biometric data after a decision has been made on your application. After the decision about your application, you will be invited to have your biometric data recorded.
Costs and fees
Issue
- Adults: 100 euros
- Underage children: 50 euros
Extension
- Adults: 93 euros
- Underage children: 46.50 euros
If you receive benefits from the Jobcenter (unemployment benefit II) or the Social Office (social assistance according to the social security act XII), you may not need to pay the fees. You need to submit your current benefits letter (Leistungsbescheid) for this.
Payment possibilities
- Paying by cash
- Paying by EC card
Paying by credit card is possible.
Special requirements
It is not possible to have a residence permit granted if both of the parents who will be joined have a residence permit according to:
- § 25 Section 4, Residence Act
- § 25 Section 4b Residence Act
- § 25 Section 5 Residence Act
- § 25a Section 2 Residence Act
- § 25b Section 4 Residence Act
- § 104a Section 1 Residence Act
- § 104b Residence Act