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Visa for joining your spouse
To find out whether you require a visa to enter Germany, see „Who needs a visa?“.
General information
To protect marriage and family, parents of minor children have the option of moving to Germany to join their children.
The requirements depend on whether they are joining
- a German citizen,
- an EU citizen, or
- a third-country national.
The family members who join them are allowed to work in Germany.
What documents must be submitted during the application process?
A current biometric passport photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm with a light-coloured background) according to the photo sample table of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The photo should not be older than three months.
Personally signed passport with at least two completely empty pages and sufficient validity.
If you do not have your habitual residence in Switzerland or Liechtenstein, the German Embassy in Bern is not responsible for processing your application.
Consent to electronic notification. Please complete the form and enclose it with your application documents.
Original marriage certificate. If applicable with translation and legalization.
Spouse’s passport and official registration in Germany.
Certificates issued by any institution testing in accordance with the standards of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) are accepted. The test may not be older than one year. There are a number of exemptions from the language proficiency requirement.
The German Embassy Bern reserve the right to ask for additional documents at any time during the processing of your application.
Online application
The online application is possible through the Consular Services Portal. After you have uploaded your documents, your application will be checked for completeness. Communication regarding any additional information required will be conducted directly through the Consular Services Portal.
At your appointment, you will need to present all original documents, your biometric photos and pay the visa fee.
The Consular Service Portal will guide you step by step through the information and documents required for your specific purpose of stay. Your documents will be checked for completeness as part of the online procedure so that you are optimally prepared for your appointment at the foreign mission.
After successful preliminary review, you will receive a link to book an appointment. At the appointment, you will present any original documents that may be required, provide your biometric data (fingerprints and biometric photos), and pay the fee.
The application can only be submitted in person at your pre-booked appointment at the visa office of the embassy (Willadingweg 78, 3006 Bern). We will accept your application with original documents and the fee and take your fingerprints. It is not possible to submit an application without an appointment.
Processing time
Due to the regularly required approval of authorities in Germany, the processing time calculated from the day of personal appearance varies as follows:
- Joint entry with the employed foreign family member: approximately 2–5 weeks (no guarantee)
- Joint entry with the German family member: approximately 12 weeks (no guarantee)
- Entry to join the foreign and German family member residing already in Germany: approximately 12 weeks (no guarantee)
During the application process
Please do not contact the mission abroad to check the status of your application during the normal processing period. Such inquiries are extremely time-consuming for the visa department and cannot be answered. We will contact you by email as soon as the decision has been made. In principle, all communication can only take place with the applicant themselves, a legal representative or an authorized person.
Decision about the application
You will be informed as soon as the embassy has decided on your application. Your passport is required for the visa to be issued.
Please check your visa label as soon as you have your passport with the visa in your hands. You should inform us immediately of any errors so that we can issue a new visa.