Applying for a residence permit for family reunification with a person entitled to subsidiary protection

Family reunification is granted as part of the visa application process. To this end, family members wishing to join the principal applicant must first book an appointment at the relevant German diplomatic mission abroad. As part of the process, the diplomatic mission involves the local immigration authority at the place of residence of the person entitled to protection, to whom the family members are to be reunited.

Once the checks have been completed, the diplomatic mission forwards the applications to the Federal Office of Administration. The Office then decides which applications can be included in the monthly quota.

You can apply for a residence permit for family reunification in person or online at the Foreigners’ Registration Office responsible for your place of residence. You should therefore first check whether your Foreigners’ Registration Office allows online applications or whether a different procedure applies.

If you would like to submit the application online:

• The online service provides further details on the eligibility criteria, the supporting documents required and the procedure.
• Once your online application has been received, the Immigration Office will contact you to arrange an appointment at the Immigration Office.

If you would like to submit the application in person:

• If applications can only be made in person, please book an appointment at the Foreigners’ Registration Office.

If you are under 18, you may not submit the application yourself; you will need a representative who is of legal age (the application is usually submitted by the parents with parental responsibility).

During the appointment, your identity and your documents will be checked (please bring the originals of your documents with you to the appointment).

If your application is approved, your fingerprints and signature will be taken for the production of your residence permit in the form of a new electronic residence permit (eAT card). The Foreigners’ Registration Office will commission the Bundesdruckerei to produce the eAT card. Once it is ready, you will be notified and can collect the eAT card from the relevant office. As a general rule, the eAT card must be collected in person. Please check with your Foreigners’ Registration Office to see whether, in your case, the eAT can be sent to your address.

If your request is not granted, you will usually receive a letter of refusal.

Please contact the immigration office responsible for your place of residence.

• The foreign national for whom family reunification is to take place was recognised as eligible for subsidiary protection after 17 March 2016 and holds a corresponding residence permit (Section 25(2), first sentence, second alternative, of the Residence Act).
• They are members of the nuclear family of a person entitled to subsidiary protection: spouses or civil partners, parents of children entitled to subsidiary protection (if neither parent with parental responsibility is resident in Germany), or unmarried minor children
• For married couples or civil partners:
  • You have reached the age of 18.
  • The marriage/civil partnership was entered into before the person entitled to subsidiary protection fled.
• There is a humanitarian ground relevant to family reunification, for example:
  • prolonged separation from the family,
  • the involvement of unmarried children under the age of majority,
  • existing threats to the life, physical integrity or liberty of the family member joining them in the host country,
  • serious illness, severe disability or a serious need for care on the part of the person granted subsidiary protection or the family member joining them.
• The foreign national to whom family reunification is to take place must not have given rise to grounds for deportation (for example, due to serious criminal offences or a threat to the security of the Federal Republic of Germany). Furthermore, there must be no grounds for expecting them to leave the country for other reasons (for example, due to the revocation or withdrawal of subsidiary protection).
• Their stay does not jeopardise or impair the interests of the Federal Republic of Germany.

• Recognised and valid identity document (e.g. passport or passport substitute)
• Current visa
• Foreign residence permit, if applicable
• A recent biometric passport-sized photograph (45 x 35 mm) – Please note: Since 1 May 2025, biometric passport photos may, as a general rule, only be taken digitally at government offices or in certified photo studios and sent to the Foreigners’ Registration Office via a secure electronic channel. Paper-based passport photos are no longer permitted.
• Proof of family relationship (e.g. marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate, birth certificate)
• Evidence of the circumstances of the person entitled to protection living in Germany (for example, an employment or training contract, a certificate of enrolment, a tenancy agreement, or a certificate of completion of an integration course)
• When applying on behalf of children under the age of 18:
  • Birth certificate
  • Proof of custody
  • Declaration of consent from all legal guardians regarding the planned stay
  • School certificate
  • written authorisation from the absent parent, if the parents are unable to submit the application for the child jointly
• In the event of serious illness, a need for care or a severe disability: a valid medical certificate, a decision on the care level or proof of severe disability
• In the event of different spellings of a name: evidence of the name used

Documents must generally be submitted in German. An official translation may be required for documents not in German. In individual cases, the diplomatic mission or consular post and the Foreigners’ Registration Office may require fewer or additional documents.
Please submit your documents to the relevant authority in full and in good time. Documents submitted late may result in longer processing times.

• Section 45(1) of the Residence Regulation – Fees for the residence permit, the EU Blue Card, the ICT Card and the Mobile ICT Card
• Section 50(1) of the Residence Regulation (AufenthV)

• Section 36a of the Residence Act (AufenthG)

• Appeal against the decision of the immigration authority within one month of notification.
• Action before the court named in the notice of objection if the objection is not upheld

• There is no entitlement to be granted a residence permit for family reunification with persons entitled to subsidiary protection. However, the law does confer an entitlement to a decision by the competent immigration authority that is free from any error of discretion.
• If a person entitled to protection living in Germany is married to more than one spouse, a residence permit may only be granted to one of them.
• People living abroad who wish to join a family member entitled to protection in Germany can contact the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) free of charge to obtain further information. The IOM’s free service includes checking that visa applications are complete at its service centres, as well as providing specific, helpful information on the family reunification process.
• The residence permit can now be applied for online and in various languages at many immigration authorities. The procedure at the foreigners authority is carried out in German.
• All information provided to the Immigration Office should be correct and complete to the best of your knowledge and belief so that your request can be processed without major delays.
• Incorrect or incomplete information can slow down the procedure and be to your disadvantage. In serious cases, incorrect or incomplete information that is not completed or corrected in good time vis-à-vis the immigration authority can result in the cancellation of residence rights that have already been granted, a fine, a prison sentence of up to three years or expulsion from the federal territory.
• Due to the complexity of residence law, this description is for information purposes only and is not legally binding.

Ministry of the Interior and Municipal Affairs of the State of Brandenburg, Department 21

• Applying for a residence permit for family reunification with a person entitled to subsidiary protection in Saxony-Anhalt

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