Family reunification with parents in Germany follows a distinct legal path depending on the family member’s residence status and the nature of the relationship. Under European law, all EU citizens have the right to freedom of movement, which makes family reunification much easier. Family members of an EU citizen who are third-country nationals themselves also benefit from these rights, though as derived rather than independent entitlements. However, family reunification is connected to considerable requirements.
Family reunification is one of the most active areas within our immigration practice, and our German immigration lawyers regularly advise clients from around the world on bringing family members to Germany. At Schlun & Elseven Rechtsanwälte, we are one of Germany’s leading full-service law firms, with over ten years of experience advising international clients on German immigration matters. As a digital-first firm, we offer our services in English throughout, allowing clients worldwide to access full legal support regardless of where they are based.
Family Reunification with Parents in Germany: Legal Support
There is no German visa requirement for EU citizens who wish to bring their parents to Germany. Under EU Freedom of Movement, they have the right to live and work in Germany. However, the situation for third-country nationals and their parents is different. Firstly, the third-country national should possess a long-term German residence permit such as an EU Blue Card, a residence permit for highly qualified individuals, or a permanent residence permit. This is per Section 29(1) AufenthG, and our German visa lawyers can advise on the specific permit that applies to your circumstances.
Short-term visas such as the Business Visa or Schengen Visa are not as accommodating for family reunification. The authorities may also refuse the application if the sponsor, the family member already living in Germany, depends on state benefits under Book Two or Book Twelve of the German Social Code (Sozialgesetzbuch) to support other family or household members (Section 27(3) AufenthG). This does not mean the sponsor can never receive any public assistance; the relevant question is whether benefits are being used to support additional dependents beyond the applicant. Furthermore, the applicant must ensure sufficient accommodation for their family members (Section 29(1) No. 2 AufenthG). If the family reunion is with a German citizen, the previously mentioned requirements do not apply.
The requirements for family reunification between parents and children are more straightforward in the case of German citizens. Contact our German citizenship lawyers for advice on gaining German citizenship through naturalization, marriage, or other means. The parents must also fulfil specific requirements for family reunification. Of particular importance here are the general conditions of Section 5 AufenthG, according to which the parents must guarantee their livelihood security.
Family Reunification Where the Sponsoring Child Is an EU Citizen
Where the sponsoring child is an EU citizen exercising free movement rights in Germany, rather than a German citizen or a third-country national holding a residence permit, reunification with parents is generally governed by the Freedom of Movement Act/EU (FreizügG/EU) rather than the AufenthG provisions described above. As long as the sponsoring child’s free movement rights are in place, no separate AufenthG residence permit is required for the family relationship itself. See our page on EU Freedom of Movement Law in Germany for the general framework governing this route.
Health Insurance and Livelihood Security
Livelihood security includes having sufficient health insurance coverage without recourse to public funds (Section 2(3) AufenthG). Parents who are enrolled in Germany’s statutory health insurance scheme (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) automatically satisfy this requirement; no separate proof of adequate coverage is needed in that case.
Can My Income Help My Parents Meet the Requirement?
Where the parent’s own income or means are limited, contributions from family members already living in Germany, including the sponsoring child, are taken into account as part of the household’s overall income when assessing whether livelihood security is met. This is a point of practical significance in hardship cases, since a parent’s inability to support themselves independently is often precisely what establishes the need for reunification in the first place.
Alternatively, should the applicant’s parents obtain an EU Blue Card in their own right for work purposes, they can begin the journey of reuniting in Germany on that basis instead.
Family members of an EU citizen who are not EU nationals themselves need a Family Reunification Visa (Visum zur Familienzusammenführung) to enter Germany. This can be applied for in consulates and embassies of the applicant’s home country. If the visa has been granted, the next step is for the EU citizen to apply for a residence card for the family member at the foreigners’ authority (Ausländerbehörde) of their place of residence within three months.
For the visa, as well as the residence permit, the third-country national requires:
- A valid passport,
- A current biometric photo,
- Confirmation of relationship with the EU citizen,
- Proof of residence,
- Registration certificate of the EU citizen,
- Proof of sufficient health insurance,
- Proof of income.
Processing times at German missions abroad and at the local Ausländerbehörde can vary considerably, and delays are common in practice. Where an application has stalled beyond a reasonable timeframe, structured legal remedies are available; see our page on family reunion visa delays and how to speed up the process for the options at each stage.
Housing Requirements for Family Reunification
Accommodation for family reunification with parents must meet the standard applied to publicly subsidized social housing (Sozialmietwohnung) in Germany, judged by the same rules on condition and occupancy density that apply to German nationals seeking social housing (Section 2(4) AufenthG). This is a general requirement for family reunification with parents (Section 29(1) No. 2 AufenthG). Children who have not yet turned two are not counted when calculating the space required for the family.
This standard is distinct from, and generally stricter than, the housing rules that apply where the sponsor holds an EU Blue Card. Under the general rules referenced above, authorities typically expect around 12 square meters per family member over the age of six and 10 square meters per family member under six, though the precise assessment depends on the individual Ausländerbehörde. Where the sponsor holds an EU Blue Card, this minimum size requirement does not apply at all, and adequacy is instead assessed according to the family’s individual needs.
Reunification to Avoid Exceptional Hardship
In principle, parents can only reunite with their children if those children are minors. In exceptional hardship cases, however, parents can also reunite with their adult children. The decision regarding what constitutes “hardship” is a matter of discretion of the courts and can be challenging to prove.
Section 36(2) German Residence Act (AufenthG) regulates the immigration of other family members, including the parents of a child who is not a minor. Although the paragraph applies primarily to family reunification with non-German citizens, the reference in Section 28(4) AufenthG also applies if the parents wish to reunite with a German citizen. As a rule, an extraordinary hardship is assumed if the parents can no longer lead an independent life and depend on family assistance. Furthermore, it must be proven that this help can only be provided reasonably in Germany.
Is This the Same as the EU Blue Card Parents Route?
| Hardship-based reunification | EU Blue Card parents route | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Section 36(2) / Section 28(4) AufenthG | Blue Card family reunification provisions |
| Who qualifies | Parents of any sponsor, including German citizens | Parents and parents-in-law of an EU Blue Card holder only |
| Hardship required | Yes; parent must be unable to live independently | No |
| Date restriction | None | Blue Card must have been first issued on or after March 1, 2024 |
| Housing standard | Sozialmietwohnung standard (Section 2(4) AufenthG) | No fixed minimum; assessed individually |
Reunification with parents on hardship grounds under Section 36(2) AufenthG should not be confused with a separate and more accessible route available to EU Blue Card holders. Since March 1, 2024, holders of the EU Blue Card have been able to bring their parents, and parents-in-law, to Germany through family reunification, without needing to demonstrate exceptional hardship. This route is only available where the Blue Card was first issued on or after that date. Readers whose family member in Germany holds an EU Blue Card should see our dedicated page on EU Blue Card family reunification, as the requirements and process differ meaningfully from the hardship-based route described here.
Reunification Due to Need of Care
The granting of a residence permit, per Section 36(2) German Residence Act, is intended to establish and maintain family relationships. The permit’s issuing must be deemed necessary to avoid the requirement for extraordinary assistance. Therefore, the applicant may be granted a visa for family reunification for a family member needing long-term care; if that family member depends on assistance, the applicant can only provide it in Germany. Under settled case law of the Federal Administrative Court, this requirement is only met if the personal assistance provided in the country of origin, whether from neighbors or professional nursing services, cannot adequately meet the applicant’s needs (BVerwG, judgment of April 18, 2013, Case No. 10 C 10.12).
Whether this is the case is analyzed on a case-by-case basis, as this allows for the individual characteristics of the persons concerned to be considered. Such elements include illness, disability, need for care, and psychological distress. On the other hand, circumstances resulting from the country of origin’s general living conditions are not considered. This means that the need for family reunification to avoid exceptional hardship may be denied if other family members live in the country of origin and are in a position to care for that family member. However, the Federal Administrative Court has clarified that reunification is not automatically ruled out merely because some outside help is technically available (BVerwG, 10 C 10.12).
In cases where a person’s loss of autonomy due to illness is so far advanced that it is objectively understandable that they require the comfort and security of close family, family reunification can be made possible, even where the help of third parties exists in principle. The court has also recognized that the need for care and support from close family members is valued differently across cultures, and that this cultural weight is itself relevant to the assessment.
When Reunification Is Not Possible
Grounds for Mandatory Refusal
Family reunification must be refused under Section 27(3a) AufenthG if the sponsor, the family member already resident in Germany, poses a threat to Germany’s free democratic order or security, has led or belonged to an organization banned by final court order, has participated in or publicly called for politically or religiously motivated violence, or has incited hatred against parts of the population. These grounds are mandatory and apply regardless of whether the underlying family relationship or hardship case would otherwise qualify.
Family reunification with parents in Germany involves a demanding set of legal requirements, whether the case proceeds under the exceptional hardship route, the EU Blue Card parents provision, or another basis entirely. Our German immigration lawyers advise on which pathway applies to your situation and handle the application process from start to finish, including representation before the competent authorities where needed. Contact us to discuss your circumstances and the options available to you.
Frequently Asked Questions relating to Family Reunification Parents with Adult Children
As a general rule, parents can only join children who are still minors. Reunification with adult children is possible only in cases of exceptional hardship, where the parent can no longer lead an independent life and depends on assistance that can only reasonably be provided in Germany (Section 36(2) AufenthG).
Exceptional hardship is assessed on a case-by-case basis and typically involves illness, disability, need for long-term care, or psychological distress that leaves the parent unable to live independently. The authorities also consider whether adequate care could reasonably be provided in the parent’s home country, though outside help being technically available does not automatically rule out reunification (BVerwG, judgment of April 18, 2013, Case No. 10 C 10.12).
Yes. Parents must demonstrate sufficient health insurance coverage as part of the general livelihood security requirement (Section 2(3) AufenthG). Enrollment in Germany’s statutory health insurance scheme automatically satisfies this requirement.
Yes. Where a parent’s own income is limited, contributions from family members already living in Germany, including the sponsoring child, are taken into account when assessing whether the household’s livelihood is secured.
No. EU Blue Card holders, where the card was first issued on or after March 1, 2024, can bring parents and parents-in-law to Germany without needing to prove exceptional hardship. This is a separate and generally more accessible route than the hardship-based reunification described on this page.
Our German immigration lawyers advise on which pathway applies to your situation, whether hardship-based or through the EU Blue Card provision, and handle the application process from start to finish, including representation before the competent authorities. Contact us to discuss your circumstances.
Practice Group: Our German Immigration Lawyers
Practice Group:
Our German Immigration Lawyers
