Important:

Applications for visas for Joining Family should now only be submitted via the Consular Services Portal online.

Please choose the competent Visa Section in the UK carefully:

Applicants residing in Scotland have to submit their application in the portal to the Consulate General in Edinburgh. Applicants residing in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight, the British Channel Islands, Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) have to submit their application to the Embassy in London. Please refer to the correct visa department in the online portal. Incorrectly submitted applications cannot be processed.

You will receive online feedback as to whether your documents are complete. If documents do not meet the requirements, we will request that you upload the missing or corrected documents. Your appointment at the visa section will thereafter be quick and efficient: you present the requested original documents, provide your biometric data (fingerprints and photograph) and pay the fee.

Please note: we will only request corrections online once, being invited to book an appointment does not necessarily mean, that your documentation is complete. Final checks under immigration law will only be completed after your appointment at the Embassy/ Consulate General.

Please read the following information very carefully before applying, then prepare the documents needed and only afterwards proceed to the online portal. Incorrectly uploaded documents or incomplete applications will extend processing times.

Visa-free travel

British citizens may apply to the local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) for their residence permits after arrival in Germany and without having obtained a visa prior to travelling to Germany. Please note that you need to register your new residence (Anmeldung) with the authorities (Meldebehörde) within 2 weeks of having moved in and apply to the local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) for your residence permit within the first 90 days of your stay in Germany. This privilege is also extended to citizens of Andorra, Australia, Brazil, Canada, El Salvador, Honduras, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Korea (Republic), Monaco, San Marino and the United States of America.

Please note that you may only take up employment once you have been issued a residence permit explicitly authorising such employment. . You may also choose to apply for a visa prior to travel, effectively permitting employment from the first day of visa validity.

All other nationalities require a visa prior to travelling to Germany.

General information

This information is designed to cover a wide range of individual and different cases and is therefore provided as a guideline only. Particularly in the case of children joining parents, the law provides for a multitude of different requirements depending on a number of criteria such as age, German language skills as well as current and previous custody Arrangements.

Applications for a minor must be filed by all parents/ guardians. The minor and all parents and guardians need to be present for the application. Should one or both parent/s and/ or guardian/s be unavailable/ overseas at the time of application we will require a “declaration of consent”, notarised by a German Honorary Consul in the UK or a notary public in the UK or any EU member state or any German mission overseas. A notarisation by a foreign Notary Public might be sufficient in some cases. Contact us for details at the Embassy in London or the Consulate General in Edinburgh.

The following is a standard list of requirements for an expat family with children under the age of 16 years relocating together to Germany.

Under German law, all residents must have sufficient health insurance cover. Please read our additional information on health insurance requirements.

How to apply for your visa via the Online Portal

1. Compile your supporting documentation:

• Valid passport signed by the holder, issued within the last 10 years and valid for at least six months. The passport needs to have at least 2 consecutive blank pages (i.e. a blank double page spread).
  Plus 1 photocopy of the passport biodata page
• Current UK residence permit (BRP,share code incl. information on residence status and duration)/ visa (non-British applicants only).
  Plus 1 photocopy of the permit/ visa
• 2 fully biometric passport photos, size 35 x 45 mm. Consult our FAQs for detailed requirements.
• Original birth certificate - “Unabridged” or “full” birth certificate required: must contain the names of the child’s parent/s. Any original will be sighted during your appointment. Any document in a language other than German, English or French needs to be translated into one of these languages by a certified or sworn translator. If issued outside Germany, the EU or the UK documents need to be legalised or apostilled as applicable.
  Plus 1 photocopy of the certificate and (if applicable) the translation.
• Original or certified copies of passports of parents (biodata page only).
  Plus 1 photocopy each of the passport biodata pages.
• If one parent is/ both parents are already resident in Germany: confirmation of parent’s/ both parents’ registration (Anmeldebestätigung or Meldebescheinigung)
• If one parent is/both parents are already resident in Germany: photocopies of (both) parent's/parents' German Residence Permit (Aufenthaltstitel or Aufenthaltsdokument-GB) – only applicable to foreign residents.
• If one parent has sole custody, please provide documentary evidence. Any original will be sighted during your appointment. If this document was issued outside Germany, the EU or the UK, we will require the document to be legalised or apostilled as applicable.
• Any document in a language other than German, English or French needs to be translated into one of these languages by a certified or sworn translator.
  Plus 1 photocopy of the evidence and (if applicable) the translation.
• Prepaid, self-addressed Royal Mail Special Delivery return envelope (up to 500g) in order to return your passport after processing (not applicable for applications submitted to a Visa Application Centre run by our external service provider, TLScontact).
• Visa fees apply for certain categories. Contact us for details.

• Processing time: For some visa categories, we will require approval from other German government agencies, such as the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) or the local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde). If you have previously lived in Germany this will add to processing times, as the immigration office may need to look into your previous immigration record. Once a decision has been made on your application, we will contact you.

  In this visa category, most applications are typically processed within 3 months.

  Although we will provide you with a file number, please understand that we cannot respond to questions regarding the status of your visa application. Should we have any questions or should we require additional documentation to process your application, we will contact you.

2. Upload your documentation:

General information on the application process can also be found here.

After compiling the documentation, enter the Consular Services Portal and upload the above-mentioned documents.

Please note: The Visa Department will check each upload and request necessary corrections online. The system will inform you accordingly whenever there has been a comment or review on your uploaded documents.
You will be automatically guided to the booking system for an appointment to present the requested original documents, provide your biometric data (fingerprints and photograph) and pay the fee.

Please note: we will only request corrections online once, final checks under immigration law will only be completed after your appointment at the Embassy/Consulate General.

Access to the Consular Services Portal: Auslandsportal | Visa im Überblick

Alternatively:

It is -for the time being- still possible to submit your application at the visa department at one of our missions.

What do I have to present:

• All of the above-mentioned documents have to be compiled as print outs (original and copy) and presented.
• Additionally: for applications still filed directly at the Embassy a VIDEX application form has to be completed separately and printed, one copy of the form including the barcode page (page 7) and sign the form on pages 5 and 6. Separate application forms are required for each applicant.
• Appointments have to be booked separately

Additional information

If your application is successful, you will be issued a limited-validity entry visa - similar to a UK entry clearance. Once you have arrived in Germany, please register your new residence with the local authorities (Meldebehörde) within 2 weeks of having moved in and apply to your local immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) for your Electronic Residence Permit.

Further information on living and working in Germany is available here.