Service Finder
Residence permit for family reasons Issuance for family reunification of a foreign parent with a German minor
Service Description
You can join your German, minor, unmarried child if you come from a country outside the EU or the EEA, have personal custody of the German child and intend to exercise this custody.
Personal custody includes the right and at the same time the duty to care for, raise and supervise the child and to determine its residence. A child is a minor if he or she has not yet reached the age of 18. A person is single if he or she is not married and has not been married before; a person living in a registered partnership is not single either.
If these requirements are met, you must be granted a residence permit.
You can also join your child if you do not have custody of the child. The prerequisite for this is that you and your child already live together as a family in Germany. A family relationship is assumed if the relatives maintain regular contact with each other that goes beyond mere visits. If the requirements are met, the authorities will decide whether to issue a residence permit on a discretionary basis.
Under certain circumstances, the Aliens' Registration Office may require you to attend an integration course. This will then be noted on your residence permit.
The residence permit is a temporary residence title and is issued for at least one year.
Process flow
The procedure is as follows:
- Depending on the foreigners authority and your request, it may be possible to apply via the Internet. Find out whether your foreigners authority offers electronic application for the residence permit.
- If the application is only possible in person, make an appointment with the Aliens' Registration Office.
- During the appointment, your application will be received and your supporting documents will be checked (bring them with you to the appointment).
- For the production of an electronic residence permit (eAT card) your fingerprints will be taken.
- In the case of an electronic application, the Aliens' Registration Office will contact you after receiving your online application to arrange an appointment at the Aliens' Registration Office, if necessary.
- During the appointment, your supporting documents will be checked (bring them with you to the appointment) and your fingerprints will be taken for the production of the eAT card.
- If your application is approved, the Aliens' Registration Office will arrange for the eAT card to be produced.
- After about six to eight weeks, you can pick up the eAT card at the Aliens' Registration Office.
The eAT card must always be collected in person.
Who should I contact?
Please contact the foreigners authority responsible for the applicant's place of residence.
Competent authority
The immigration authority responsible for the applicant's place of residence.
Requirements
- You have a recognized and valid passport or passport replacement and - if required for entry - an appropriate visa.
- Your child is a minor, unmarried and has German citizenship.
- You have the right of custody over your child and wish to exercise this right or, as a parent who does not have the right of custody, you are already living with the child in Germany.
- There is no interest in deportation against you.
- Your stay does not endanger or impair the interests of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Which documents are required?
- Valid passport or passport replacement
- Current biometric photo
- Visa, if it was required for entry
- Birth certificate of your child
- Proof of custody, if applicable
- If necessary, proof of living together as a family
- Current certificate of registration
In individual cases, the Aliens Department may request further documents.
What are the fees?
Issuance of residence permit: EUR 100.00
Under certain conditions, a fee reduction or fee exemption may be considered.
Notes:
- Additional fees may apply for the issuance of the residence permit in the form of the electronic residence title, which can also be used as electronic proof of identity.
- The time and the form of the fee collection as well as the payment vary depending on the authority.
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
- The residence permit should be applied for no later than eight weeks before the expiry of your still valid visa or your current residence permit or - if you are legally residing in Germany without a visa - within 90 days of entry.
- Action period: 1 month
Processing duration
Processing Time: 6 - 8 Weeks
Applications / forms
An appeal against the decision of the Foreigners' Registration Office may be filed with the court specified in the decision.
Appeal
- Online procedure possible: Occasionally
- Written form required: Yes
- Personal appearance required: Yes
Supporting institutions
You can also obtain free advice on the topics of entry, residence and occupation from the hotline "Working and Living in Germany" from the Federal Government's portal for skilled workers from abroad.
Phone: 030 1815-1111
Service hours: Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Author
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
Technically approved by
Thuringian Ministry for Migration, Justice and Consumer Protection (TMMJV)
Professionally released on
13.01.2023
Source: Zuständigkeitsfinder Thüringen (Linie6Plus)
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