Family reunification, step by step (2026) — documents, verification, embassy reality
The full §§27–36a process for bringing your spouse or child from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh: requirements, the apostille trap, the Consular Services Portal, honest wait times, and what happens after arrival.
The visa that takes months — and the mistakes that add more
Pakistan runs 6–12 months, Bangladesh 12–16, India is the fast lane at 2–6. Most of the avoidable delay comes from two mistakes: apostilling documents Germany won't accept, and ordering documents that expire during the wait.
typical Pakistan processing incl. document verification
6–12 mo
These are honest ranges from official mission notices, not marketing. Blue Card and skilled-worker families are processed preferentially at all three missions.
Step 0 — Which route are you on?
| Provider | A1 for spouse? | Income + housing proof? |
|---|---|---|
Blue Card / §18a/§18b sponsor Best The privileged track — also preferential embassy processing. | No — exempt (§30 Abs.1 S.3 Nr.5) | Yes, both |
Permanent resident (NE) | Usually yes | Yes, both |
Student (§16b) | Yes | Yes — the practically hardest common case |
German citizen | Yes (§28 applies A1 'entsprechend') | Waived as a rule |
Subsidiary protection (§36a) | — | SUSPENDED 24 Jul 2025 – 23 Jul 2027 |
The privileged track — also preferential embassy processing.
- A1 for spouse?
- No — exempt (§30 Abs.1 S.3 Nr.5)
- Income + housing proof?
- Yes, both
- A1 for spouse?
- Usually yes
- Income + housing proof?
- Yes, both
- A1 for spouse?
- Yes
- Income + housing proof?
- Yes — the practically hardest common case
- A1 for spouse?
- Yes (§28 applies A1 'entsprechend')
- Income + housing proof?
- Waived as a rule
- A1 for spouse?
- —
- Income + housing proof?
- SUSPENDED 24 Jul 2025 – 23 Jul 2027
For parents of skilled workers there is a narrow §36(3) route (first residence title issued on/after 1 March 2024, health insurance is the practical blocker) — and the current coalition has announced it wants to abolish it. If you qualify, apply early.
Step 1 — The four standard requirements
Income
Livelihood secured
without public assistance — waived for German-citizen sponsors
12 m²
living space / person 6+
10 m² per child 2–6, under-2s not counted, ~10% tolerance
A1
spouse German (if not exempt)
Goethe / telc / ÖSD certificate
GKV
health insurance
family insurance is free for spouse + kids once you're in GKV
Both spouses must be ≥ 18. The living-space rule is the administrative rule of thumb (VwV-AufenthG 2.4.2) — a 2-adult household needs ≈ 24 m², a family with one child aged 3 needs ≈ 34 m².
Step 2 — Documents: verify, do NOT apostille
Germany formally objected to India's, Pakistan's and Bangladesh's accessions to the Hague Apostille Convention. German authorities reject apostilles from all three countries. Money spent on apostilles for German use is wasted.
What actually happens is authority-initiated document verification:
| Provider | Verification path | Cost |
|---|---|---|
India | Trusted-lawyer verification ordered by the mission | ~150–250 € (varies) |
Pakistan | NADRA / union-council field verification | PKR 75,000 (+ possible second doc set) |
Bangladesh | MoFA attestation pre-step + embassy verification | BDT 28,000 |
- Verification path
- Trusted-lawyer verification ordered by the mission
- Cost
- ~150–250 € (varies)
- Verification path
- NADRA / union-council field verification
- Cost
- PKR 75,000 (+ possible second doc set)
- Verification path
- MoFA attestation pre-step + embassy verification
- Cost
- BDT 28,000
Pakistan tip: order fresh NADRA documents only when your submission date is near — they can expire during the long wait, forcing a re-order. Bangladesh tip: birth certificates should come from the online BRIS system; old handwritten certificates trigger extra verification.
Step 3 — Apply via the Consular Services Portal
All three countries have moved family-reunification applications to Germany's digital Consular Services Portal (digital.diplo.de) — Pakistan exclusively so since 15 January 2026 (the old email waiting list is discontinued). India additionally books biometric/submission appointments through VFS Global by state of residence; Bangladesh processes the old waiting-list backlog first.
Create the application in the portal
day 1Upload passports, certificates, sponsor documents (permit, work contract, payslips, rental contract with m²).
Biometrics / submission appointment
weeks–months, country-dependentIndia: slots open 3 months ahead and sell out in visa season. Pakistan: Islamabad embassy handles all national visas.
Document verification runs
the long middleThis is the main driver of Pakistan's 6–12 months and Bangladesh's 12–16. You mostly wait; answer any mission queries fast.
Visa decision + entry
~90 days is the visa itselfThe D-visa is typically issued for 90 days; the residence card is issued in Germany afterwards.
Visa fee: 75 € per adult, 37.50 € per child — verification fees come on top (see Step 2).
Step 4 — After arrival (the part nobody budgets time for)
- Anmeldung within ~2 weeks of moving in — every later step needs it.
- Health insurance: add spouse + children to your GKV family insurance — free (§10 SGB V) as long as their own income stays minimal.
- Residence card appointment at the Ausländerbehörde — the spouse's card carries "Erwerbstätigkeit erlaubt": full work rights from day one (§27 Abs. 5 AufenthG), no separate permit.
- Kindergeld application at the Familienkasse (online) — 259 €/child/month.
- Kita list — apply immediately; waitlists are measured in months. See the Kita guide.
Sources
source source source source source sourceKeine Rechtsberatung — this guide states general rules from official sources; missions and Ausländerbehörden decide each case.
Last updated: 2026-07-20