Applying for a residence permit for a parent to join their German children who are minors
Service description
You may join your German, underage, unmarried child if you come from a country outside the EU or the EEA, have custody of the German child and intend to exercise that custody.
Parental responsibility encompasses both the right and the duty to care for, bring up and supervise the child, and to determine where the child is to live. A child is a person who has not yet reached the age of 18. A person is single if they are not married and have never been married; a person living in a registered civil partnership is also not single
If these conditions are met, you must be granted a residence permit.
You may also join your child even if you do not have custody of them. The prerequisite is that you are already living together as a family in Germany. A family unit is deemed to exist if the family members maintain regular contact with one another that goes beyond mere visits. If the conditions are met, the authorities will decide at their discretion whether to grant a residence permit.
Under certain circumstances, the Immigration Office may oblige you to attend an integration course. This will then be noted on your residence permit.
A residence permit is a temporary residence authorisation and is granted for at least one year.
Procedure
The procedure is as follows:
- Depending on the foreigners authority and your request, it may be possible to apply online. Find out whether your foreigners authority offers electronic applications for residence permits.
- If the application can only be made in person, make an appointment with the Foreigners' Registration Office. During the appointment, your application will be accepted and your supporting documents checked (bring these with you to the appointment). Your fingerprints will be taken for the production of an electronic residence permit (eAT).
- In the case of an electronic application, the Foreigners' Registration Office will contact you after receiving your online application to arrange an appointment at the Foreigners' Registration Office if necessary. During the appointment, your documents will be checked (bring them with you to the appointment) and your fingerprints will be taken for the production of the eAT.
- If your application is granted, the Foreigners' Registration Office will arrange for the eAT to be issued.
- After about six to eight weeks you can collect the eAT from the Foreigners' Registration Office.
The eAT must always be collected in person.
Who should I contact?
Please contact the responsible immigration office.
Prerequisites
- You have a recognised and valid passport or passport substitute and, if required for entry, an appropriate visa.
- Your child is a minor, unmarried and a German national.
- You have parental responsibility for your child and wish to exercise it, or, as a parent without parental responsibility, you are already living with the child as a family in Germany.
- There is no interest in deporting you.
Your stay does not jeopardise or impair the interests of the Federal Republic of Germany
Which documents are required?
- Valid passport or passport substitute
- Current biometric photo
- Visa, if this was required for entry
- Your child’s birth certificate
- Where applicable, proof of custody
- Where applicable, evidence of cohabitation as a family unit
- Current registration certificate
In individual cases, the foreigners authority may request further documents.
What fees are incurred?
Issue of residence permit: EUR 100.00
Under certain conditions, a fee reduction or fee exemption may be possible.
Notes:
- Additional fees may be incurred for issuing the residence permit in the form of an electronic residence permit, which can also be used as electronic proof of identity.
- The time and form in which fees are charged and paid vary depending on the authority.
What deadlines do I have to observe?
- You should apply for a residence permit no later than eight weeks before your current visa or residence permit expires or – if you are staying in Germany lawfully without a visa – within 90 days of your arrival.
- Objection period: 1 month
Processing time
about six to eight weeks.
Legal basis
§ Section 28 (1) sentence 1 no. 3 and sentence 4 Residence Act
Legal remedy
An appeal against a decision by the immigration authority can be lodged with the authority named in the decision within one month of notification of the decision. The appeal may be lodged in writing, in electronic form or for the record.
If the foreigners authority does not grant the objection, an action can be brought before the court named in the objection notice.
Applications / Forms
- Online procedure occasionally possible
- Written form required
- Personal appearance required
Author
Forwarding service: Deep link to the original portal- Residence permit on family grounds: Granting of a residence permit for the family reunification of a foreign parent with a minor German national in Saxony-Anhalt
Display of performance in the source portal
- Residence permit on family grounds: Granting of a residence permit for the family reunification of a foreign parent with a minor German national in Saxony-Anhalt