Can my family join me in Germany?

Whether a spouse or child can join you depends on a few core points — four questions show where you stand and which special rules apply to you.

Who is the family joining?
Who is joining?
Does the spouse have basic German (A1)?
Are livelihood and sufficient housing secured?

The core requirements support reunification

Based on your answers, the key points are in place. The application runs through the visa procedure at the German mission abroad — appointment waiting times are often the longest part. The points below show what the authority examines.

Possible — but some points need clarifying

Some requirements are open (details below). In family reunification, exceptions and case-by-case rules are decisive — an initial legal assessment before the visa application often saves months.

What the authority examines

    Find a family reunification lawyer

    Turkish-speaking lawyers for family reunification and residence law across Europe — with profiles, languages and contact details.

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    Not automatically. Due to the standstill clause of association law (Art. 41 Additional Protocol), the ECJ ("Dogan", C-138/13) ruled that language proof may not be demanded across the board when joining Turkish sponsors — individual circumstances count. In practice, authorities apply a hardship clause; legal support considerably improves the chances.

    The longest part is often the appointment at the mission abroad — months to over a year depending on the country, plus visa processing. Complete documents from the start are the biggest accelerator.

    Typically: passports, marriage/birth certificates (with apostille and translation), A1 certificate, proof of income and housing of the person in Germany, residence permit. The mission publishes the exact list — it varies by constellation.

    Not necessarily. When joining a German citizen, livelihood proof is generally not required; for foreign nationals there are exceptions, and the detailed calculation (countable income, housing benefit questions) is often more favourable than expected — have it calculated.

    Reunification of other family members (e.g. parents) is only possible to avoid exceptional hardship — the hurdles are high. This is a classic case for an individual legal assessment.

    Not legal advice. Simplified self-test based on Secs. 27-32 AufenthG (as of 2026) — permit types, exceptions, hardship cases and the special association-law rules are only summarised. The mission abroad and the foreigners authority decide bindingly.