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Visa for spouse reunification
General Information
You can apply for a visa to reunite with your spouse,
- If the spouse is already resident in Germany or
- If they will be travelling to Germany together with their spouse
and the marital partnership is to be maintained in Germany.
First of all, the marriage must be valid under German law; partners from a marriage-like cohabitation are not entitled to a visa or residence permit.
Partners from a same-sex marriage can also apply for a visa if the marriage is valid under German law.
If Tanzanian nationals are travelling to Germany via third countries, you must find out in advance whether you require a separate entry visa for this third country.
Online Application for spouse reunification via Consular Services Portal
You can easily apply online for your family reunion as a parent to a minor German child via the Consular Services Portal of the Federal Foreign Office. You need to compile the necessary document personally followed by a pre-check of your application You can check the status of your application online at any time. Please refrain from any status enquires, as these will not be answered.
This is how the online application works:
Step 1: Complete your application form online and upload all and correct documents.
Step 2: Submit your application. Your details and documents will be pre-checked once for completeness. You will receive feedback online. If your application is complete, you will receive a link to book your appointment.
Step 3: Use the link you receive to book an appointment online at your diplomatic mission abroad. You will only receive an appointment to come in once your documents have been have been pre-checked.
Step 4: Attend your appointment on site at the Embassy. During this appointment, you need to provide the checklist (see below), a biometric passport photo, originals of your documents (certificates), your identity will be checked and your biometric data (fingerprints) recorded. You will also have to pay the necessary fees.
Step 5: Track your application status online.
Please Note: Applications for Family Reunion -Child to Foreign Parent can no longer be handed in directly at the Embassy. Do not book an appointment separately.
Required Documents
To apply, you will need the following original documents . We highly recommend to use the information sheet as a checklist and bring it as a print out for your appointment.
Please pay attention that all Tanzanian documents issued by an authority of the state needs to be legalised.
All documents need to be either in English or accompanied by a German/English recognized translation.
Please sort the individual sets in the order listed below.
Depending on your individual situation more/other documents might be requested when applying through the Consular Service Portal, please ensure to only hand in complete and correct applications.
Information Sheet
In your application form (VIDEX) you enter all the information about your entry and your stay in Germany. You must complete this form and print it out once, sign and date it.
If you are a minor, your legal representatives must sign the application and declare their consent.
A recent biometric photo (3.5 x 4.5 cm with a light background)
Information on biometric photos can be found here
Your passport must be signed and valid for at least one year from the date your visa is issued.
Please note that the document must still have at least two blank pages (if the decision is positive, your visa will be affixed here later).
Do you not have Tanzanian citizenship?
If you are not a Tanzanian citizen, please provide us with your Tanzanian residence permit.
Proof of your residence in Tanzania can be, for example, a copy of your electricity bill, water bill or gas bill.or a rent contract.
For non- Tanzanian nationals: Tanzanian residence permit
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If you got married in Tanzania or abroad: Marriage certificate with legalisation by the Embassy in the country of issuance/Hague Apostille and German translation by a sworn translator or
if you got married in Germany: German marriage certificate or extract from the family register
Please note that a legalisation is required to use Tanzanian documents. This confirms to the domestic authorities that the document was actually issued by an official Tanzanian authority.
Further information on legalisations
- Copy of the passport / identity card of the spouse living in Germany - if the spouse living in Germany is not a citizen of a European Union member state, a copy of the German residence permit in the passport is also required.
- Copy of the registration certificate
- Copy of the tenancy agreement (not required if joining the German spouse/ EU-citizen)
- Copy of proof of income (e.g. tax return or employment contract showing monthly earnings, not required if joining the German spouse/EU Citizen)
- Marriage certificate of previous marriage
- (legalized) divorce decree or
Death certificate of former spouse
Proof of basic knowledge of the German language in the form of a language certificate at level A1 in accordance with the standards of the ALTE (Association of Language Testers of Europe) certified examination providers (not required for reunification with a non-German EU citizen) - see also BAMF brochure “Nachweis einfacher Deutschkenntnisse beim Nachzug von Ehegatten aus dem Ausland”.
Exemptions that might be possible:
- Should you be parents of minor children, you will not have to provide a language certificate. Instead, please provide the (if applicable: legalized) birth certificate(s) of the minor children and their German passport
- Should you not intend to stay in Germany longer than one year. You would have to provide proof (e.g., limited transfer from abroad for one year)
- Easy integration in Germany to be expected, e.g., by
- providing proof of a current job offer/work place in Germany,
- providing proof of long stays abroad in other countries and proof of other languages already learnt
- recognized university degree or vocational training
Proof of statutory or private health insurance cover must be provided. If a long or permanent stay is planned, some travel health insurance policies may exclude insurance cover in their terms and conditions and are therefore not sufficient. This restriction may also apply to an “incoming” insurance policy, so please ensure that your supplementary insurance policy provides sufficient cover. Further information here.
In certain cases, additional documents may be required.
Processing time:
Due to the regular need for approval from the authorities in Germany, you should generally allow twelve weeks for your visa application to be processed (calculated from the time you submit the complete application documents to the diplomatic mission abroad).
Please do not request a status update – these will not be answered but ignored.
Fees
Appointments
After the above mentioned pre-check you will receive a link to book your appointment. It is not possible to make an appointment by telephone or in person. Special appointments are not provided.