With its work and career-development prospects, Germany is drawing people's attention from all over the world. Furthermore, after some individuals have found a job and established themselves in Germany, they have the right to bring their families with them. The German Immigration Authorities have developed a German visa for a family reunion, although this visa is not required for everyone. Depending on where you're from and who you wish to join in Germany, various criteria apply to different individuals. We'll go over the basics of a German family reunion visa and how to get one in this post by answering such kinds of questions: What is a German spouse visa? How to apply for family reunion visa? What are the German spouse visa requirements? How long is the Germany family reunion visa processing time? How to write a personal covering letter for German visa family reunion? What are the German family reunion visa interview questions?
Let me explain to you what is German spouse visa and how to apply for family reunion visa? If you live in Germany and want to bring your family members next to you, you need to apply for a German spouse visa. To get a National Family Reunion Visa, whether it be a marriage visa, fiance visa, spouse visa, or other family members, one must be a relative of the German resident and meet several other qualifying conditions. The key requirement for a German resident is that they must be financially able to support their third-world nation relative. But before applying for the visa, you should check whether you need a visa or not. Because, as we all know, Germany is included in the Schengen Area, and citizens of the European Union, EEA, and Switzerland do not need to get a visa to come to Germany. Only an ID card or valid passport is required for those citizens. It implies that you will be permitted to visit the country without a German family reunion visa, but you will have to register with the residents' registration office within three months of your arrival. If you are from a country outside of the EU/EEA, you will need to apply for a family reunion visa in order to visit your relative, spouse, or partner in Germany. After that, the German Alien's Authority will grant you a residency permit. This permission is valid for as long as a member of your family, partner, or spouse resides in Germany. When it comes to the "how to apply for family reunion visa?" question, we need to say that you must make an appointment with the German embassy or consulate in your native country to apply for a German family reunion visa. If your native nation does not have a German embassy or consulate, you may be able to find one in a neighbouring country. You must submit all required papers for a German visa application, as well as specialized paperwork based on who you will be accompanied in Germany. Here are those important documents:
- Two application forms
- If the spouse is an EU citizen, a copy of their passport
- If the spouse is not an EU citizen, a copy of their residency permits is required
- The marriage certificate in its original form
- Basic German language abilities must be demonstrated
German spouse visa requirements
To be eligible for a German family reunion visa, you have to collect some important documents below:
- Proof of accommodation – demonstrating that the German resident has enough room in their house for the application.
- Proof of the applicant's German language abilities, at least at level A1.
- Spouse / registered partner:
- a document of registration or marriage attested by a foreign official, translated into German, and authorized by the German embassy.
- If the spouse is a German native, a copy of their passport and identity card must be supplied; if the spouse is a non-German resident in Germany, evidence of legal residency and their passport must be presented.
- Children:
- Certificate of birth for children
- evidence of the child's nationality
- evidence of the parent's right to care and custody while residing in Germany
Remember that all papers must be provided in one of two languages: German or English. If the papers are issued in your native language, you must submit an authenticated and legalized translation for each one. Then, schedule an appointment with the German embassy or consulate after you have all of your papers (or application centre if you find one closer to your home). On the day of the interview, arrive at the German embassy or consulate on time and with all of your papers. After paying the visa cost, meet with the consular office for a brief interview about yourself, your background, and your main purpose to get a German spouse visa.
Germany family reunion visa processing time
The application and supporting papers will be transmitted to the German authorities at the applicant's intended place of residence and employment during his or her stay in Germany after all needed documents have been submitted. Depending on your situation, Germany family reunion visa processing time might take anything from a few weeks to many months. Make sure to keep your appointments on time. If the embassy is receiving a large number of applications at the time, your appointment will be delayed; however, if the number of applications received at the time is small, you will be given an appointment within a few days. It may take up to 12 weeks for the processing to be completed. The Embassy/Consulate will grant a national visa for the first 90 days of the proposed stay once the application has been approved by the German government. The Aliens' Authority will grant a final residence permit for a longer time (typically the first year of study in Germany) upon arrival.
German family reunion visa fee
To complete your application form, you must pay a visa fee when you attend the interview. In most cases, a long-term family reunion visa (category D) costs 75,00 Euro for adults and 37,50 Euro for children under the age of 18. Just do not forget that you will not be able to receive your money back if you decide to withdraw your application after paying the cost. You will also not be refunded if your visa application is denied. You have to pay the cost again if you decide to reapply for a German family reunification visa.
German family reunion visa interview questions
When you apply for a visa, they will call you for an interview. After passing it, you will have a chance to get the visa. In order to make the process easier for you, I searched the German family reunion visa interview questions from lots of people's experiences. Here are the questions that you have to prepared:
1. Type of visa you are applying for?
2. Date of marriage?
3. Where would you stay in Germany.
4. Original marriage certificate and passport.
5. Do you speak German?
6. When your partner went to Germany.
7. When are you planning to come back from Germany.
8. Did u ever been to Germany?
9. Where is your husband working in Germany?
10. What is your highest qualification.
11. How long your spouse has been in Germany?
12. Have you found an apartment to stay in Germany?
13. What's your highest education?
14. Are you currently working?
15. Are you staying here with family or alone?
16. How long do you plan to stay in Germany?
17. Have you been to Germany before? If yes, is it stamped in your passport?
18. When do you plan to travel to Germany?
Personal covering letter for German family reunion visa
The applicant must include a cover letter outlining the specific purpose of the visa application in order to get the spouse visa. An example personal cover letter for German family reunion visa was provided below by the Bangalore Consulate in India:
From
<Name & Address>
To
German Consulate General,
2nd & 3rd floor, Cash Pharmacy Building,
Corner St. Mark's Road & Residency Road,
Bengaluru, Karnataka 560025.
Subject: Cover letter requesting the issue of Family Reunion Visa for Spouse
Dear Sir/Madam,
I, XYZ holding a Passport (Passport No. XYZ), wish to apply for the German National visa for Family Reunion (Spouse) to join my husband currently working in Germany.
My husband, XYZ (Blue cardholder with passport No. XYZ is working for XYZ as Software Professional in Berlin, Germany. We got married on XYZ, and he is currently residing at <German Address>. The mentioned address will also be my future residential address in Germany. And he will be my sole sponsor during my stay and will be covering all the expenses involved.
The required documents are attached along with this application, and all the details mentioned are true to the best of my understanding. I shall be pleased to furnish any further information and submit the relevant documents, as and when required, in this regard.
Keeping in view of the above, I request you to kindly issue the visa to join my husband in Germany.
Sincerely,
(Applicant's Name)
