Germany has announced that citizens from 14 countries can enter the country without a visa to join a spouse or civil partner. The exempted countries include Andorra, Australia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. This new policy allows nationals from these countries to travel to Germany and apply for a residence permit directly through the relevant local foreigners authority.
The visa-free entry process for eligible nationals does not require approval before departure. Once in Germany, they can approach the competent foreigners authority to formalise their residency status through a permit application. Required documents typically include a valid passport alongside a marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate, or registered partnership certificate, with additional paperwork potentially requested depending on individual circumstances.
For nationals of countries outside the exempted list, the process follows a different route entirely. Spouses must secure a visa before travelling, either by submitting an application through the Federal Foreign Office's Consular Services Portal or by visiting the nearest German embassy in person. Processing times may vary, and authorities advise applicants to begin assembling documents well in advance to avoid delays.
Notably, no African nation features among the 14 countries granted visa-free access for family reunification. Citizens from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and other African countries are required to follow the standard embassy visa route before travelling to Germany to join a spouse or civil partner. This means the simplified, on-arrival permit process remains unavailable to the vast majority of the African continent's population.
Germany's immigration framework continues to distinguish between nationalities when determining eligibility for simplified entry processes. This distinction carries practical implications for the many African nationals with family ties in Germany. The German government's official immigration resource, Make it in Germany, provides detailed information on the country's immigration guidelines.
Earlier, it was reported that Germany has named a family reunification pathway permitting certain foreign nationals to bring their parents or parents-in-law into the country. The government said the provision applies to foreigners whose visa or residence permit for gainful purposes was first issued after 1 March 2024.
The new policy is part of Germany's efforts to streamline its immigration process. The country's immigration guidelines note that eligible nationals can travel to Germany and subsequently apply for a residence permit directly through the relevant local foreigners authority, bypassing the embassy visa process entirely.
Key points
- No African country is eligible for visa-free family reunification entry.
- Eligible countries include Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Brazil.
- Germany's immigration framework distinguishes between nationalities when determining eligibility for simplified entry processes.
