General information

Spouses, parents (custodians) and underage children of foreign or German nationals living in Germany can join them under certain conditions. Other relatives (e.g. children of full age or their parents, siblings grandparents, ...) can generally only obtain a visa for family reunion in cases of exceptional hardship.

Prepare your application

You should start preparing your application as soon as you have plans for your long-term stay in Germany. Prepare your application according to the following list and submit the documents with 1 copy when applying for a visa:

• copy of valid passport (including all pages that are not blank)
• a completed and personally signed national visa application form (please use the online application form)
• 2 recent biometric passport photos (not older than 3 months)
• Saudi ID or Iqama or Saudi Arabian visa & entry stamp
• visa fee in the amount of 75 EUR, to be paid in SAR (cash only)

for family reunion with the spouse:

• marriage certificate (in addition: if the marriage has been solemnized by representatives - power of attorney from the fiancé(e))
• proof of basic knowledge of German at level A1 (see exemptions)

• passport or identity card and registration certificate of the spouse residing in Germany
• if applicable: residence permit of the spouse living in Germany
• if applicable: excerpt of the family register
• in case of previous marriages: divorce deed or death certificate

for family reunion of children and parents:

• birth certificate
• identity card or passport and registration certificate (“Meldebescheinigung”) of the parent(s)/children living in Germany
• if applicable: marriage certificate of the parents
• if applicable: excerpt of the family register
• if applicable: residence permit of the parent(s)/children living in Germany
• in case a child applies for family reunion and one parent stays abroad: notarized declaration of consent, custody jugdement or death certificate of that parent

additionally for children older than 16 years:

• proof of knowledge of German at level B2

Before the visa can be issued, the German Mission will request a valid “Incoming” health insurance for Germany.

All documents are to be presented in original or certified copy along with one set of copies.

Foreign documents issued in other languages than English or German have to be submitted with an official translation.

The German Missions reserve the right to request additional documents.

Important notes on the visa procedure

Please do not send unrequested documents to the German Mission, especially not before applying for the visa, as those cannot be kept. Please submit all documents when applying in person at the Mission. Incomplete applications will be rejected or denied.

Foreign public documents need to be duly legalized by the competent German Mission in the issuing country, or, if applicable, provided with an Apostille. For documents from some countries, individual document verification might be necessary, that process would require more time and an additional fee.

Processing

The processing of the visa application for family reunion usually takes at least three months, sometimes longer.

The German Mission decides on your application based on the provided documents. You will be contacted as soon as the application has been decided. Please note that questions regarding the status of your visa application cannot be answered. Due to data protection regulation, no status updates can be given via phone.

Book your appointment

To submit your application, please book an appointment and appear in person at the mission. The German Mission will accept your complete application documents including the visa fee, will conduct a short interview with you and register your biometric data.

Applicants with residence in the provinces of Qasim, al-Mintaqa al-Sharqiya (Eastern Province), Hail, al-Hudud al-Shamaliya (Northern Province), Jouf and Riyadh are kindly requested to book an appointment through the online system of the Embassy in Riyadh.

Applicants with residence in the provinces of Tabuk, Medina, Mekka, Baha, Asir, Najran and Jazan are kindly requested to book an appointment through the online system of the Consulate General in Jeddah.

Further information

For more information on language courses or examinations, please see the website of the Goethe-Institut Riyadh.

If you have any additional question that has not been answered in this article, you can use the contact form. Please refrain from questions that are explained on this website.