The Germany Spouse Visa is a visa that nationals outside the EU have to apply for to join their spouse or any family members in Germany. As per the Schengen Agreement citizens outside the EU do not need a visa to join their family members. Those outside the EU need to apply for a German spouse Visa.
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The visa will permit the spouse to enter Germany for 90 days. Those who want to stay for a longer duration will have to apply for a German residence permit. Before applying for a spouse visa applicants must be aware of its requirements. In this blog, we have covered the spouse visa Germany requirements.
Valid Passport
One of the most important spouse visas Germany requirements is a valid passport. The passport must be issued within the last 10 years and must be valid for another year. Passport passports with observations such as name, date of birth, sex, etc cannot be accepted. Moreover, the passport must have at least 2 empty pages.
Application Form and Other Forms
The spouse visa Germany requirements include submitting the application form and other forms. For example, a duly filled and signed declaration form, a personal cover letter explaining the reason for stay and the duration, and an additional questionnaire. Apart from these forms, the applicant must also submit the 1st and the last pages that have entry stamps or visas of the passports (A4 size copy) their spouse’s passport, and their own passport.
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Residence Permit
Another important spouse visa Germany requirements is proof of residence permit. The residence permit of the spouse is sought to verify the address of the spouse. The following documents can be submitted for this purpose.
- Copy of spouse’s residence permit (“Aufenthaltstitel”), if applicable
- Certificate of residence (“Meldebescheinigung”) of the spouse living in Germany, not older
- than 6 months
Apart from these documents, the applicant must also submit his/her proof of residence in India. For example, Aadhar card/ration card (details of previous 4 years or Voter’s ID).
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Credit: @EriInGermany
Proof of Marriage
Another important spouse visa Germany requirements is proof of marriage. We have listed the proof of marriage certificates acceptable below. Note: apart from these documents the marriage photographs must be submitted. A conversion certificate must also be submitted if it is applicable (irrespective of the marriage act/law). A conversion certificate is not needed if the marriage has been conducted as per the Special Marriage Act.
Particulars | Certification Acceptable |
Marriage as per the Hindu Marriage Act | Temple or Gurudwara or Priest certificate |
Marriage registration certificate | |
Conversion certificate (if applicable) | |
Marriage as per Sharia Law | Marriage registration certificate |
Temple or Gurudwara or Priest certificate | |
Conversion certificate (if applicable) | |
Marriage as per Section 13 Special Marriage Act | – Certificate of Marriage according to Section 13 Special Marriage Act |
Marriage as per the Christian Marriage Act: | Marriage registration certificate (if the compulsory Registration Marriage Act is there) |
Conversion certificate (if applicable) | |
Marriage certificate issued by licensed Church | |
Marriage outside of India or Germany | marriage certificate withapostille/ legalization, if applicable |
Proof of Divorce (if applicable)
As per the spouse visa Germany requirements, if the applicant wants to join a spouse whom he/she has divorced appropriate document must be presented. Germany accepts Divorce judgment and decree of all former marriages of both spouses, (if applicable), and the German divorce judgment with “Rechtskraftvermerk”. That is, confirming that the divorce is final. Apart from these documents, a Certificate of death of the former spouse must be submitted (if applicable).
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Birth certificate and Educational Documents
Germany spouse visa requirements state that the birth certificate of the applicant must be submitted. Apart from this educational documents must also be submitted, The following are the educational documents required for a spouse visa in Germany.
- School certification (For example, Middle School Board Certificate/ matriculation certificate/school leaving certificate)
- Additionally, the academic degrees must also be provided (if applicable)
Proof of German Language
Knowledge of the German language is necessary to travel to Germany. The reason is, that German is the most widely spoken language in the country. Therefore applicants are required to submit proof of German knowledge (A1 level). For example, „Start Deutsch 1“ from Goethe-Institute or Grundstufe Deutsch 1“ of the Austrian Language Diploma (ÖSD). However, depending on the applicant, a German language requirement exemption is provided.
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Photographs & Visa Fee Payment Receipt
Photographs are required for the German spouse visa, to verify the identity of the applicant. For this reason, 2 photographs must be submitted. Additionally, the Germany spouse visa application form fee receipt must also be submitted. The fees are charged for visa processing. This is another important spouse visa Germany requirements.
Additional Documents (Chennai/Kolkata/Mumbai)
Additional documents must be presented to meet the spouse visa Germany requirements. However, these documents are only necessary for applicants from Chennai, Kolkata, or Mumbai. The additional documents are listed below:
- Spouse’s employment contract and salary slips (3 months), Invitation letter of spouse
- Proof of temporary residence of the spouse or a lease deed. For example, hotel booking
- Residence of Mumbai (only) are required to provide the marriage photo album along
All documents submitted for the visa application must be translated into English or German. Applicants must bring 2 identical copies of the above-mentioned documents. Moreover, original documents must be presented. It is important to note that the Germany spouse visa application can take approximately 3 months to be processed.
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FAQs
Germany spouse visa age requirement for non-EU nationals is 18. There is no maximum age limit set for a successful application. However, apart from meeting the age requirement, the applicant must also present the relevant documents.
The Germany spouse visa can take approximately 3 months to process. The reason is, that the spouse visa application needs to be forwarded to the competent immigration authority for a final visa approval. Therefore, verification documents must be submitted in most cases.
Yes. Knowledge of the German language is a mandatory requirement for a spouse visa. The applicant must submit an A1 level of the German language certificate as proof. The certificate can be provided by TestDaf, Goethe, or other eligible institutions.
We hope you now understand what are the spouse visa Germany requirements.Want to apply for a Visa for your study abroad journey? Drop us a comment in the section below, or you can connect with a visa expert at Leverage Edu, and we will guide you on your dream journey!