Willkommen auf den Seiten des Auswärtigen Amts
Important information: Suspension of family reunification with beneficiaries of subsidiary protection
The law on the suspension of family reunification with beneficiaries of subsidiary protection entered into force on 24 July 2025. With the entry into force of this law, family reunification with persons with subsidiary protection status will not be granted up until and including 23 July 2027. The objective of the law is to relieve the burden on admission and integration systems in Germany.
A review will be conducted in good time prior to the expiry of the above-mentioned suspension period as to whether a further extension of the suspension is necessary and feasible. Insofar as there is no extension of or any other amendment to the law, the legal situation applicable prior to the suspension will automatically re-enter into force.
You will find important information relating to the new regulations below:
Registrations on the waiting list, in addition to applications that have already been submitted, will remain at the processing stage reached at the time of suspension. Processing will resume following the expiry of the suspension, subject to any amendments to the law. No action is required on the part of the applicant in this regard.
During the suspension period, no new registrations can be added to the waiting list and no applications pursuant to section 36a of the Residence Act are possible.
This new legal situation does not affect sections 22 and 23 of the Residence Act. It will still be possible to claim cases of hardship pursuant to these (exceptional) provisions. International law and urgent humanitarian grounds within the meaning of section 22 sentence 1 of the Residence Law are particularly important in this respect, and the circumstances of the individual case are decisive.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) provides support for processing cases of hardship as part of its Family Assistance Programme (FAP), which has been successfully established for many years. From 26 July 2025, Cases of hardship must be reported by email to info.fap.hardship@iom.int, stating the reasons why it is a unique individual case.