Germany dependent visa
Germany calls this route Familiennachzug (family reunion), and for an Indian applying from India it begins as a national long-stay visa in category D, not a short Schengen visitor visa. You apply while still in India; once you land, you convert that visa into a residence permit for family reasons (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) at the local foreigners' authority, the Auslanderbehorde, within the visa's validity. The honest reality is that this route is built entirely around your sponsor, the family member already living in Germany. There is no independent or shortcut version of it. Who qualifies, what you must prove and how long you can stay all follow the sponsor's status, and the final call sits with the German authorities.
The mechanics are strict. The sponsor must hold a qualifying status, such as a German settlement permit, an EU Blue Card, a skilled-worker residence permit under sections 18 to 21 of the Residence Act, EU long-term residence, or, in defined cases, a student permit. Every family member files their own application and books their own appointment, infants included. In India you apply at the German mission responsible for your place of residence, the Embassy in New Delhi or the Consulates General in Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai, with the application submitted and biometrics captured through VFS Global's German visa application centres. Spouses generally show basic German, and the household's livelihood and health insurance must be in place.
Who this visa is for
- ✓Spouse or registered partner joining a family member in Germany, where both partners are at least 18 years old.
- ✓Minor unmarried children under 18 joining a parent; those aged 16 to 17 generally need C1 German unless they move together with both parents or with a sole-custody parent, or the parent is a skilled worker, German or EU national.
- ✓The sponsor holds a qualifying residence status: a German settlement permit, an EU Blue Card, a skilled-worker permit under sections 18 to 21, EU long-term residence, or a student permit (section 16b) where the marriage predates that permit and the stay exceeds one year.
- ✓Spouses usually prove basic German at A1 level; families of EU Blue Card, ICT-card, scientist and eligible skilled-worker sponsors, and spouses joining within six months as dependents, are exempt from this.
- ✓The sponsor can show a secured livelihood without recourse to public funds, adequate living space, and valid health insurance for every family member from the day of arrival.
- ✓Reunion with dependent parents or other relatives is possible only in narrowly defined cases of exceptional hardship.
Visa options for Germany
Dependent of a Skilled Worker or EU Blue Card holder
For spouses and children joining a highly qualified employee, Blue Card, ICT-card holder or scientist. No A1 German is required of the spouse, and where the family applies together with the sponsor, or within six months, the case can be coordinated with the sponsor's and moves faster. Full labour-market access follows.
Spouse or registered partner reunion
For the spouse or registered partner of a settled resident or German national. Both partners must be 18 or over, the spouse generally shows A1 German, and the sponsor must evidence a secured livelihood, suitable housing and health insurance.
Minor child reunion
For unmarried children under 18 joining a parent in Germany. Children under 16 need no German; those aged 16 to 17 generally must show C1 German unless they move together with both parents or a sole-custody parent, plus proof of custody and, where relevant, the other parent's consent.
Family of a student
For the spouse and children of a holder of a student residence permit under section 16b. Permitted only where the marriage existed before the student permit was issued and the intended stay is longer than one year; other cases are at the authority's discretion.
Documents typically required
- ✓Passport valid for the intended stay, issued within the last ten years and with at least two blank pages, plus A4 photocopies of the data pages and any pages carrying entry stamps or visas.
- ✓Two copies of the completed national (long-stay) visa application form with the signed declaration under Section 54 of the Residence Act, together with the additional family-reunion questionnaire.
- ✓Two recent identical biometric passport photographs meeting the German specification.
- ✓Proof of marriage matching how it was performed (for example a marriage registration certificate with a temple, Gurudwara or priest certificate; a Nikahnama; or a Special Marriage Act certificate) with supporting photographs; for children, the birth certificate issued under the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1969, and proof of custody.
- ✓Proof of German at A1 level for spouses where the rule applies: Start Deutsch 1 from the Goethe-Institut or telc, or the OSD Grundstufe Deutsch 1 certificate.
- ✓Copy of the sponsor's passport and German residence document (Aufenthaltstitel: residence permit, EU Blue Card or settlement permit).
- ✓Sponsor's proof of a secured livelihood, such as an invitation letter, employment contract and the last three months' payslips (specifically requested by the Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai jurisdictions).
- ✓Proof of the sponsor's accommodation and registration in Germany, such as the certificate of residence (Meldebescheinigung), generally not older than six months.
- ✓Confirmation of health insurance valid from the day of arrival, through the sponsor's family coverage or travel health insurance until statutory cover begins.
- ✓Proof of residence in India, such as an Aadhaar card, a ration card covering the past four years, or a voter's ID.
- ✓For children aged 16 to 17 who do not move together with both parents or a sole-custody parent, proof of C1 German and, where one parent stays behind, that parent's consent declaration.
Your exact checklist depends on your profile — we confirm it during your case analysis. Every visa decision rests with the embassy or consulate.
In India you apply at the German mission responsible for your place of residence, either the Embassy in New Delhi or the Consulates General in Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata or Mumbai; apply to the mission that covers where you live, not where your family lives. In practice the appointment is booked, the application submitted and the biometrics (fingerprints and a photograph) captured at a VFS Global German visa application centre, which operate in several Indian cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune and Kolkata; in the Bengaluru jurisdiction the family-reunion intake is handled through VFS Global. Book one appointment per person, infants included. Present each document as an original plus two A4-size copies and do not staple them; any document not in German or English must come with a notary-attested English translation, and a marriage or other certificate issued outside India may need an apostille or legalisation. The mission can request further documents or verify them, and the final decision rests with the German authority.
Frequently asked questions
Do you guarantee the visa?
No. The decision rests solely with the relevant immigration authority, and no one can honestly guarantee a visa. What we can promise is a frank reading of your case and the strongest, best-documented application we can build around it. Over the last 2-3 years, the applications we have handled have carried a 97% success rate.
Can the dependent spouse work in Germany?
Yes. When you join a family member who already has the right to work, such as a Blue Card holder or a regular employee, you are granted full access to the labour market. Your residence permit is endorsed with the words Erwerbstatigkeit gestattet (employment permitted), so you can take up employment or self-employment without a separate work permit.
Does the spouse have to prove German before travelling?
Usually yes, at A1 level, shown with a Start Deutsch 1 certificate from the Goethe-Institut or telc, or the OSD Grundstufe Deutsch 1. But there are real exemptions: spouses of EU Blue Card and ICT-card holders, of scientists, and of eligible skilled workers do not need it, nor do those joining within six months as dependents. Children under 16 need no German, while 16 to 17 year olds generally need C1 unless they move together with both parents, a sole-custody parent, or a skilled-worker parent.
How long does it take, and is there an income requirement?
Most family reunion applications are forwarded to the German foreigners' authority for prior approval, so a straightforward case commonly runs to around three months and can take longer; families of skilled workers or Blue Card holders who apply together can be decided within days. There is no single published figure to quote for income, but the sponsor must show the household's livelihood is secured without recourse to public funds, along with adequate housing and health insurance. The final decision always rests with the German authority.