Residence permit for family reunion to persons entitled to subsidiary protection
General information
From 1 August 2018, it is possible to grant entry to people entitled to subsidiary protection to members of the core family, up to a [national] limit of 1,000 persons per month.
You can find all important information about family reunion to persons entitled to subsidiary protection on the website of the Federal Foreign Office.
On this page you can find out how to apply for a residence permit after your arrival in Germany. The residence permit is issued to a spouse or the underage child of a foreigner who possesses a residence permit as a person with subsidiary protection status.
The same applies to parents of an underage foreigner, if no primary caregiving parent is living in Germany.
Legal basis
§ 36a 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.
For the first-time issue of the residence permit
Family reunion to a spouse with subsidiary protection status
- Declaration of marriage (see below) - not a photocopy
- Copy of the visa for family reunion
- Copy of the applicant's valid passport
- Copy of the spouse's identity documents
- Marriage certificate - if the marriage already took place before fleeing the country of origin (in the case of foreign certificates with German translation as well as apostille/legalisation - certificates issued by the EU regarding civil status do not need an apostille.)
- Copy of the rental contract
- Copy of proof of having secured living costs
- Current certificate of health insurance
Family reunion of an underage child to parents who have subsidiary protection status
- Original declaration of support (see below) - not a photocopy
- Birth certificate of child (in the case of foreign certificates with German translation as well as apostille/legalisation - certificates issued by the EU regarding civil status do not need an apostille.)
- Custody declaration in the case of unmarried parents (if available)
- Copy of the visa
- Copy of the applicant's valid passport
- Copy of the marriage certificate with a German translation
- Copy of the rental contract
- Copy of proof of having secured living costs
- Current certificate(s) of health insurance
- School attendance certificate of the child, if of school age
- for children under the age of six: a current biometric passport photo
Family reunion to parents to an underage child who has subsidiary protection status
- Original declaration of support (see below) - not a photocopy
- Birth certificate of child (in the case of foreign certificates with German translation as well as apostille/legalisation - certificates issued by the EU regarding civil status do not need an apostille.)
- Custody declaration in the case of unmarried parents (if available)
- Copy of the visa
- Copy of the applicant's valid passport
- Copy of the marriage certificate with a German translation
- Copy of the rental contract
- Copy of proof of having secured living costs
- Current certificate(s) of health insurance
- School attendance certificate of the child, if of school age
- for children under the age of six: a current biometric passport photo
When extending the residence permit
- for spouse family reunion: Declaration of marriage (see below)
- for family reunion of children coming to Germany: Declaration of support (see below)
- Copy of the applicant's valid passport
- copy of current certificate(s) of health insurance
- For children: School attendance certificate, if child is of school age
- 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
- Minors: 50 euros
Extension
- Adults: 93 euros
- Minors: 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 the spouse who will be joined has 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