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Federal Republic of Germany · family

Family residence with a German citizen

By · Last reviewed:

Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Full-review date shown above.

Residence under Section 28 for qualifying spouses, registered partners, minor unmarried children and parents of minor unmarried German citizens.

Qualifying German family relationship, ordinary residence and the actual spouse, child or custody basisConditional PR application pathwayThe individual temporary residence grant and renewal control. The three-year settlement assessment is a separate procedure and does not make every initial family permit permanent.In flux
Processing time
The Federal Foreign Office says national-visa applications can take several months, depending on purpose and case. Mission processing, local residence decisions and card production are different stages; no universal six-to-twelve-month family decision timetable is established.
Government fees
Qualifying spouses/registered partners, minor unmarried children of Germans and parents of minor Germans are exempt from the national-visa fee under Section 52(1) of the Residence Ordinance. Residence-permit charges are a separate question: the standard initial charge is EUR 100, normally halved for minors, subject to applicable exemptions or reductions.
Typical duration
The individual temporary residence grant and renewal control. The three-year settlement assessment is a separate procedure and does not make every initial family permit permanent.
Required support
Qualifying German family relationship, ordinary residence and the actual spouse, child or custody basis
Leads to permanent residency
Conditional — separate application
Reviewed Federal Ministry of Justice — official German statute portal ↗

In short

Residence under Section 28 for qualifying spouses, registered partners, minor unmarried children and parents of minor unmarried German citizens. Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Costs, application stages and eligibility conditions are set out with their sources below.

Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/germany/family-german-citizen#answer

What is the Family residence with a German citizen in Federal Republic of Germany?

Qualifying German family relationship, ordinary residence and the actual spouse, child or custody basis. Follow the actual family basis, authority process and issued conditions. Indicative government fees are Qualifying spouses/registered partners, minor unmarried children of Germans and parents of minor Germans are exempt from the national-visa fee under Section 52(1) of the Residence Ordinance. Residence-permit charges are a separate question: the standard initial charge is EUR 100, normally halved for minors, subject to applicable exemptions or reductions; indicative processing time is The Federal Foreign Office says national-visa applications can take several months, depending on purpose and case. Mission processing, local residence decisions and card production are different stages; no universal six-to-twelve-month family decision timetable is established; typical duration is The individual temporary residence grant and renewal control. The three-year settlement assessment is a separate procedure and does not make every initial family permit permanent. Section 28(2) generally provides a separately assessed settlement basis after three years of residence permission, continued family life with the German in Germany, sufficient German and the other actual conditions. It is not permanent residence on arrival; qualifying children can have a different Section 35 basis.

Primary guidance checked with Federal Ministry of Justice — official German statute portal on 15 November 2026.

Overview

Section 28 distinguishes joining a German citizen from ordinary reunification with a foreign resident. The German must ordinarily reside in Germany and the actual family unit must be established. The statute differentiates spouses, children and parents exercising custody of a minor German child, including different livelihood treatment. A German citizen’s free-movement history can also change the applicable framework. Being related to an adult German does not by itself establish every parent or extended-family admission right.

Additional sources

Eligibility

Typical criteria

Common blockers

Typical evidence

Application pathway

  1. Identify the Section 28 family branch

    Establish whether this is a spouse/partner, minor child or parent-of-minor-German case. Check any free-movement history separately.

  2. Prepare the actual relationship and residence evidence

    Apply the correct language, custody and livelihood treatment rather than a generic foreign-sponsor checklist.

  3. Complete any required entry process

    Use the responsible mission and claim the applicable national-visa fee exemption.

  4. Obtain and maintain the residence title

    Follow registration, work, renewal and any later settlement instructions from the competent foreigners authority.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For Family residence with a German citizen, use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.

  1. 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
  2. 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
  3. 3. Confirm what you may do. Check the conditions for your own permission, including work, and keep evidence of the qualifying relationship. The principal applicant’s conditions may differ.
  4. 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
  5. 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Official Family residence with a German citizen instructionsBuild my moving plan for this routeMoving to GermanyFirst steps after arrivingDestination moving checklist

Plan the practical side of your stay

Once you have checked the official route, you can prepare for day-to-day life in Germany. These optional services are separate from the application and do not establish visa eligibility.

Official application links

Where to actually go next

Government links only

These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.

  1. Official guidanceApplicant + sponsor
    Check the German-citizen family category ↗

    Distinguish spouse, child and parent-with-custody conditions and any actual free-movement case.

    Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) · verified

  2. Official guidanceApplicant
    Confirm any entry visa and the mission’s checklist ↗

    Check the statutory fee exemption and actual filing requirements.

    German Federal Foreign Office · verified

  3. Official guidanceApplicant
    Find the responsible foreigners authority ↗

    Confirm the residence process for the intended place of family life.

    Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) · verified

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Frequently asked questions

Do all family members of Germans need A1?+

No. Basic language rules concern the relevant spouse/partner branch and have exceptions. BAMF describes cases where serious obstacles to learning before entry can matter; the authority must assess the actual evidence. Do not impose the spouse’s A1 condition on every minor child or parent.

Must a German child’s custodial parent prove the same income as a foreign worker sponsor?+

Section 28 expressly departs from the general livelihood requirement for the qualifying child and parent branches. The spouse branch has its own normally favourable treatment. Have the precise category assessed; this is not a universal waiver of every condition for every relative.

Is the family visa EUR 75?+

The qualifying German-citizen core-family categories are exempt from the national-visa fee under Section 52(1). Domestic residence charges and document or service-provider expenses are separate; do not assume that one visa exemption makes every later service free.

Can I bring the parents of an adult German automatically?+

No automatic right follows from that relationship alone. Section 28(4) refers other relatives to Section 36. Distinguish a parent caring for a minor German, the special qualifying foreign-worker parent basis and an individually assessed exceptional-hardship case.

When could settlement be available?+

Section 28(2) generally provides an assessment after three years holding residence permission, continued family life in Germany, sufficient German and no disqualifying expulsion interest, with the applicable exceptions. Children may have a different statutory basis. A separate application and decision are required.

Need tailored advice?

We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.

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How we verified this

We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.

Primary source: Federal Ministry of Justice — official German statute portal

Last checked: 15 November 2026

See the full evidence trail and methodology

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