Family reunion visa from India: VFS step-by-step for Indians

If you are a spouse or child of someone already living in Germany on a Blue Card, Skilled Worker Visa, or other qualifying residence permit, you can apply for a Family Reunion visa (Familiennachzug) at VFS Global in India.

The Family Reunion visa is a national D-visa that lets you live and work in Germany with your family. This guide walks through the process step by step for Indian applicants.

Who can sponsor family reunion

Blue Card holders

• Spouse: no German language requirement before arrival
• Children (under 18): automatic
• Spouse's work rights: full work rights on arrival
• Typical processing: 6-14 weeks

Skilled Worker Visa holders (§18a, §18b)

• Spouse: no German language requirement before arrival. Under §30 AufenthG the A1 exemption covers both the vocational-training route (§18a) and the academic-degree route (§18b), the same exemption Blue Card spouses get.
• Children: automatic
• Spouse's work rights: full work rights on arrival

Students (on a student residence permit)

• Spouse: usually requires proof of sufficient funds to support the family (very high threshold), A1 German, and specific circumstances. Generally difficult, most student couples bring family only after converting to Blue Card or work permit.

Permanent residents (Niederlassungserlaubnis)

• Spouse: A1 German required
• Children: automatic

German citizens

• Spouse: A1 German required (with some exceptions)
• Children: automatic

A1 German requirement

For most family reunion cases, the applying spouse must prove A1 level German before the visa is issued. This is done via a Goethe-Zertifikat A1 or equivalent.

Exemptions from A1 requirement (§30 AufenthG):

• Spouse of an EU Blue Card holder
• Spouse of a Skilled Worker holder, whether on the vocational-training route (§18a) or the academic-degree route (§18b): both are exempt, not just degree-holders
• Spouse of an ICT Card / Mobile ICT Card holder
• Spouse of a researcher (§18d)
• Spouse of a self-employed professional (§21)
• Spouse of a holder of §18c Abs. 3 or §18f
• Spouse of a §19c Abs. 1 holder, but only for the roles the statute names: senior executive, manager, company specialist, scientist, guest scientist, engineer or technician in a guest scientist's research team, or teacher. §19c Abs. 2 and Abs. 4 Satz 1 are exempt outright
• Spouse is unable to prove basic German because of a physical, mental or psychological illness or disability (Satz 3 Nr. 2)
• The spouse has a recognisably low integration need under the Rechtsverordnung made under §43 Abs. 4 (Satz 3 Nr. 3)
• It is impossible or unreasonable for the spouse to make efforts to learn basic German before entering, given the particular circumstances of the case (Satz 3 Nr. 6). This one is broader than it looks and is the provision to raise where there is no test centre within reach, or where health, caring duties or safety make a course unrealistic. It is rarely mentioned and worth knowing about

Where to take Goethe-Zertifikat A1 in India:

• Goethe-Institut Delhi
• Goethe-Institut Mumbai
• Goethe-Institut Bengaluru
• Goethe-Institut Chennai
• Goethe-Institut Kolkata
• Goethe-Institut Pune
• Some partner institutions in other cities

Cost: ~INR 8,000-12,000. Preparation time: most people need 2-3 months of classes (VHS Germany, Goethe-Institut, or Indian language institutes).

Step 1: Verify eligibility

Before applying, confirm:

• Your sponsor has a valid residence permit in Germany
• You have the correct documents (marriage certificate, birth certificates)
• You meet language requirements (or are exempt)
• Your sponsor has adequate housing in Germany

Step 2: Book VFS appointment

Visit vfsglobal.com/de/in/ (Germany visa for India), create an account, and book a Family Reunion (national D-visa) appointment.

Jurisdictions: you must apply at the VFS centre covering your permanent residence in India (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune).

Wait times: 2-6 weeks for appointment slots.

Step 3: Prepare documents

Application forms and photos

1. VIDEX Online Application Form (printed, signed, 2 copies)
2. Declaration on legal consequences form
3. 2 biometric photos (35×45mm, not older than 6 months)

Passport and identity

4. Original passport (valid 12+ months)
5. Passport copies (bio-page + all pages with stamps)
6. Previous Schengen visa copies (if any)

Proof of relationship

7. Marriage certificate (original + 2 copies)
   • Must be apostilled by MEA India
   • Must be translated into German by a sworn translator (if not already in English/German)
8. Birth certificate (for children, original + apostilled
   • translated)
9. Recent photos of the family together (strongly recommended to prove genuine marriage)
10. Marriage registration certificate from the relevant authority in India (in addition to the wedding certificate itself)

Sponsor's documents

11. Copy of sponsor's current residence permit (Blue Card, Skilled Worker Visa, etc.)
12. Sponsor's employment contract and last 3 payslips
13. Sponsor's Anmeldebestätigung showing address in Germany
14. Rental contract in Germany showing adequate living space (typically 12 sqm per adult, 10 sqm per child)
15. Sponsor's passport copy
16. Sponsor's tax ID (Steuer-ID)

Financial proof

17. Proof of sponsor's income (payslips, tax returns, employer letter)
18. Proof of health insurance for the applying family member (can be provided after arrival for Blue Card holders; confirm with the consulate)

Language (if required)

19. Goethe-Zertifikat A1 (or equivalent) for spouse, unless exempt

Children-specific

20. Birth certificate (apostilled + translated)
21. School records (if applicable)
22. Custody documents if one parent is not applying together (court orders, notarized consent)

Step 4: Attend VFS appointment

Arrive 30 minutes early with all documents organized. The appointment typically takes 30-60 minutes.

What happens:

1. Document verification
2. Biometric data collection
3. Fee payment
4. Submission receipt

Visa fee: approximately €75 (~INR 7,000) per applicant plus VFS service charges.

For families: each family member applies separately and pays a separate fee.

If your sponsor is a German citizen, the fee is waived. §46 AufenthV exempts the spouse, the registered partner and minor unmarried children of a German, and the parents of a minor German, from the national visa fee entirely. If you naturalised before your spouse applied, do not pay this and do not let VFS tell you otherwise.

Step 5: Wait for processing

Processing times (approximate):

During processing, the German consulate may:

• Contact the sponsor in Germany
• Verify the marriage or family relationship
• Request additional documents (common: more housing proof, more financial proof)
• Schedule a phone interview with the applying spouse

Step 6: Collect visa and travel

When issued, the visa is a D-visa valid for 90 days. You must travel to Germany within this window and:

1. Complete Anmeldung at the Bürgeramt (with your sponsor, at their address)
2. Book an Ausländerbehörde appointment to convert the D-visa to a family reunion residence permit
3. Receive your eAT card by post in 4-8 weeks

The residence permit is typically issued for 1-3 years, matching or aligning with the sponsor's residence permit.

Work rights on arrival

• Spouse of Blue Card holder: full work rights immediately on arrival. No permit needed.
• Spouse of Skilled Worker: full work rights immediately.
• Spouse of permanent resident: full work rights.
• Spouse of student: limited, usually the same 140/280 day rule as students.

Full work rights means the spouse can take any job, full-time, without additional permits.

Common issues

Marriage not legally recognized

Germany recognizes Indian marriages registered with the relevant Indian state authority. If your marriage is not registered (only a religious ceremony), you must register it first.

Polygamous marriages not recognized

Germany does not recognize polygamous marriages. Only the first legal spouse can apply for family reunion.

Inadequate housing

Germany requires proof of adequate housing, typically 12 sqm per adult + 10 sqm per child. A studio apartment may not qualify for a family of three.

Insufficient income

The sponsor must demonstrate they can support the family without public welfare. Blue Card holders easily meet this. Skilled Workers on lower salaries may struggle.

Missing apostille

Indian marriage and birth certificates must be apostilled by MEA India before submission.

A1 certificate issues

A Goethe-Zertifikat does not expire. The Goethe-Institut issues its A1 to C2 certificates with no expiry date, so a certificate cannot be "out of date" in the way people assume, and the two-year figure that circulates is a preference many institutions apply rather than a validity period.

What does get an application rejected is the certificate not coming from a recognised provider. Missions accept Goethe-Institut, ÖSD, telc, TestDaF and ECL. A course attendance confirmation (Teilnahmebescheinigung) is not a certificate and will not be accepted, however many hours it records.

That said, a very old certificate invites questions about whether the ability is still there. If yours is several years old and you can retake it comfortably, that is usually less trouble than arguing the point at the counter.

Fees summary (approximate, as of 2026)

Timeline example (Blue Card sponsor)

Total: 4-7 months from Blue Card issuance to family in Germany.

Before VFS appointment checklist

• VIDEX application (signed, 2 copies)
• 2 biometric photos
• Valid passport (12+ months)
• Passport copies
• Marriage certificate (original + apostilled + translated)
• Birth certificates for children (same)
• Sponsor's Blue Card/permit copy
• Sponsor's employment contract and payslips
• Sponsor's Anmeldebestätigung
• Sponsor's rental contract and housing proof
• Health insurance proof
• Goethe-Zertifikat A1 (if required)
• Recent family photos
• VFS visa fee ready
• All documents in correct order per VFS checklist

Need a lawyer for complex cases? Browse lawyers in the directory →

Sources

• §30 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Nr. 2 AufenthG, the language requirement: the spouse must be able to communicate in German "zumindest auf einfache Art", which is the A1 standard.
• §30 Abs. 1 Satz 3 Nr. 5 AufenthG, the main exemption, which names in one list the Blaue Karte EU, the ICT-Karte and Mobiler-ICT-Karte, and permits under §§18a, 18b, 18c Abs. 3, 18d, 18f, §19c Abs. 1 for the enumerated roles, §19c Abs. 2 or Abs. 4 Satz 1, and §21. Both skilled worker routes, the vocational §18a and the academic §18b, are in that list.
• §30 Abs. 1 Satz 3 Nr. 2, 3 and 6 AufenthG, the further exemptions for illness or disability, recognisably low integration need, and cases where pre-entry language efforts are impossible or unreasonable.
• §30 Abs. 1 Satz 3 Nr. 7 AufenthG: the exemption survives where the sponsor held a Blaue Karte EU or one of the listed permits immediately before being granted a Niederlassungserlaubnis or Erlaubnis zum Daueraufenthalt-EU, which is why a sponsor who has since moved to permanent residence may still not need the A1 from their spouse.
• §46 AufenthV, fees: €75 for a national visa of category D including for multiple entries, €25 to extend one, and an exemption from the fee for spouses, registered partners and minor unmarried children of Germans, and for parents of minor Germans.
• Goethe-Institut: its Goethe-Zertifikat exams from A1 to C2 are issued without an expiry date.

Statutory quotations are reproduced from the published texts at gesetze-im-internet.de.

Processing times are the least reliable numbers in this guide. Every week figure here, and every row of the timeline table, is drawn from applicants' reported experience and varies by mission, by season and by how complete the file is; the mission's own current estimate beats anything written here. Rupee costs, VFS service charges, course prices and the appointment waits move constantly. Whether family reunion to a student sponsor succeeds turns on the livelihood evidence in the specific case. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Related guides on this site

• Family Reunion Visa: policy overview
• Blue Card vs Opportunity Card
• Blue Card application from India
• Ausländerbehörde Berlin (LEA)