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Visa for family reunification – Parent to minor German child
General Information
A foreign parent can generally move to Germany to grow up their minor German child – if legal parentage according to German (international private law) is established. In certain cases this might be possible even before birth of the child. Please read more information in the section ‘Birth’:
Legal parentage of a (German) child – different but current most common scenarios in Tanzania:
- The foreign parent is/was legally married (according to German law) to the German parent at the time birth
- The child was born in Germany has its habitual residence there and lives there together with the German mother, the Tanzanian father is in Tanzania –
o an acknowledgement of paternity (with all necessary consents) was notarized
o a Tanzanian Juvenile court established a court order concerning the parentage of the child
Attention: In this scenario it is not possible for the parents to establish legal paternity before birth by notarized acknowledgement of paternity (with all consents) but only by a Tanzanian court order. It is possible however to notarize the acknowledgment of paternity which will then enter into effect if the child is born in Germany and has its habitual residence in Germany.
- The child was born in Tanzania and has its habitual residence in Tanzania, the father has the German nationality (it does NOT Matter where he lives) -
o an acknowledgement of paternity (with all necessary consents) was notarized
The acknowledgement of paternity is already possible before birth
o a Tanzanian Juvenile court established a court order concerning the parentage of the child
- The child was born in Tanzania and has its habitual residence in Tanzania, only the mother has the German nationality -
o a Tanzanian Juvenile court established a court order concerning the parentage of the child
The official website of the Federal Government of Germany Make it in Germany contains a lot of helpful information about working and living in Germany.
The following applies to persons requiring a visa:
- Certificates, diplomas, etc. must be submitted in the original with apostille/legalisation. You will receive the originals back after your application has been processed.
- Flight bookings are not required to apply for a visa - please book only after you have received your visa.
- The representation reserves the right to request further documents.
- Incomplete documents will delay the procedure and may lead to rejection
Online Application for family reunification - Parent to minor German child (NOT for family reunion to refugees/asylum seekers) 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: additionally, the Tanzanian residence permit
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- Marriage certificate of parents or
- legalised Tanzanian court ruling concerning parentage or
- notarized acknowledgement of paternity as well as consent of the mother with all required consents
- adoption certificate and court’s decision (only if applicable)
- Marriage certificate of parents or
- Court ruling of the place of residence of the child
- Notarized declaration of custody of both parents
Copies of the parents' passports
Residence registration certificate of the German child/German parent and information whether applicant will stay there
or alternatively/and proof of accommodation with one copy
Certificate of no impediment to marry/single status certificate (at time of birth!)
Divorce decree or death certificate from former spouse(s) or
Death Certificate of former spouse
Doctors’ confirmation of pregnancy
As well as in cases of non.married parents: proof of financial means in the form of formal letter of obligation (‚Verpflichtungserklärung‘ for permanent residence/not visit) and proof of accommodation
Attention: Should it be a case of a pre-natal acknowledgement of paternity with the (German) mother residing within Germany the acknowledgement of paternity is not yet valid. You may provide documents according to this information sheet but a different legal ground applies which entails that you need to provide proof of income and residence.
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 four to six weeks for your visa application to be processed (calculated from the time you submit the complete application documents as well as fees and biometric data and have come in for your appointment 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.