Germany Spouse Visa 2026: German A1 Rules, Exemptions and Costs

Being apart from your husband or wife while one of you builds a life in Germany is hard. The good news is that German law gives spouses a clear right to join their partner, as long as you meet a few conditions and prepare the paperwork carefully.

This guide explains who can apply, how the German language rule works, which exemptions exist, what documents and money you need, and what happens after you arrive. It's based on the Residence Act and German mission guidance, checked in September 2026. Missions publish their own checklists, so always use the one for the country where you apply.

Two routes: joining a foreign national or a German

The rules depend on who your spouse is.

• Your spouse is a foreign national living in Germany. Section 30 of the Residence Act applies, together with the general family rules in Section 29.
• Your spouse is a German citizen who lives in Germany. Section 28 applies.

The same rules also apply to registered same-sex civil partners. If your spouse is a citizen of another EU country, EEA country or Switzerland, EU free movement rules apply instead, and this guide doesn't cover them.

Under Section 27, family reunification isn't allowed if the marriage was entered into only to get residence in Germany, or if one partner was forced to marry.

The basic requirements

Your partner's residence status

If your spouse is a foreign national, their own permit matters. Section 30 allows reunification if they hold, for example:

• A settlement permit or EU long-term residence permit
• An EU Blue Card or ICT card (for intra-company transferees)
• A residence permit they have held for two years, where settlement isn't ruled out
• A work or other listed permit, if you were already married when it was issued and they expect to stay more than a year

The German A1 requirement

Most spouses must show they can communicate in German at a basic level. In law this is "simple German", which equals A1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

At A1, you can understand familiar everyday phrases, introduce yourself and answer simple questions about where you live and who you know.

Which certificates count

You must prove A1 when you apply, with a certificate from a provider certified to the standards of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE). German missions list providers such as:

• Goethe-Institut
• telc ("Start Deutsch 1")
• ÖSD (Austrian German Language Diploma)
• TestDaF (only tests from B2 upwards)
• ECL

A course attendance certificate isn't enough. You can learn however you like, but you must pass the exam.

Exemptions from the German requirement

Many people don't have to prove A1. Section 30 and the German Embassy in Yerevan's guidance set out these main exemptions.

Because of your spouse's status

You don't need to prove German if your spouse holds:

• An EU Blue Card
• A skilled worker permit under Section 18a (vocational training) or Section 18b (degree)
• A permit as a researcher, an ICT card, or a permit for self-employment under Section 21
• A permit for IT specialists on the experience-based route, or certain executive, specialist, scientist or teacher permits
• Recognised refugee or asylum status, if you were married before they moved their life to Germany

The exemption also applies if your spouse is a national of a country whose citizens can stay in Germany long term without a visa. Section 41 of the Residence Ordinance lists Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Because of your own situation

• Illness or disability that prevents you from proving A1. Bring medical evidence with a German translation.
• A clearly low need for integration. The Yerevan embassy says this usually needs all three of these: a degree or equivalent qualification, a realistic prospect of qualified work in Germany, and a positive integration outlook. A degree alone is normally not enough.
• Special circumstances that make it impossible or unreasonable to learn German before you travel, for example if no courses exist in your country.
• Obvious German skills at the visa counter.

For spouses of German citizens, the illness, low-integration and special-circumstances exemptions also apply.

Money and housing

Spouses of foreign nationals

You normally need to show that the family can live without public benefits, including health insurance. Your own expected income can count towards the household.

You also normally need adequate living space. The law says this means no more than the standard for social housing, and children under two aren't counted. Local authorities apply this rule, so ask the foreigners' authority (Ausländerbehörde) where your spouse lives.

Exemption: under Section 29, the living space rule doesn't apply to spouses of EU Blue Card holders, Section 18a and 18b skilled workers and several other permit holders.

Spouses of German citizens

Section 28 says the income requirement should normally be waived for spouses of Germans. There's no living space rule. In practice, missions still ask for the German spouse's details and an invitation.

Documents you'll usually need

The German Embassy in Tbilisi's checklist gives a good picture of what missions ask for:

• A completed and signed national visa application form and declarations
• Your passport and a biometric photo
• Documents from any previous marriages, such as divorce or death certificates
• A copy of your spouse's passport or ID card and their registration certificate, no more than six months old
• Two copies of your spouse's residence permit, if they aren't German
• A rental contract or proof of ownership for your future home
• An informal invitation from your spouse, stating they will support you
• Your spouse's proof of income for at least the last three months
• Your A1 certificate, unless an exemption applies
• Travel health insurance, which you must show before the visa is handed over

You'll also need your marriage certificate. Foreign documents usually need an apostille or legalisation and a German translation. Your mission's own checklist decides the exact list.

Fees, costs and processing time

Budget for flights, health insurance until you're covered in Germany and your share of rent. Once you're in work, open a German bank account and compare transfer costs if you send money home.

The German Embassy in Tbilisi says processing usually takes around ten to twelve weeks, and can take longer. Other missions have different timelines. If your spouse's employer uses the fast-track skilled worker procedure, your application can be handled at the same time, as our Germany skilled worker visa guide explains.

Step by step

1. Check which route applies: joining a foreign national or a German.
2. Check the A1 exemptions. If none applies, start learning and book an exam.
3. Gather civil documents and arrange apostilles, legalisation and translations.
4. Ask your spouse for income proof, a registration certificate, a rental contract and an invitation letter.
5. Download your mission's checklist and book an appointment through its official website or named service provider.
6. Apply in person and give your fingerprints.
7. Show travel health insurance when you collect the visa.
8. Travel to Germany, register your address and apply for your residence permit at the foreigners' authority.

After you arrive

• Integration course. People who get a first family reunification permit for a long-term stay are generally entitled to one integration course, which includes German lessons.
• Length of your permit. It can't run longer than your spouse's permit. For spouses of Blue Card holders, it matches their permit. In other cases, it's usually issued for at least a year.
• Settlement. Spouses of German citizens should normally get a settlement permit after three years if the marriage continues and they have B1 German.
• If the marriage ends. Your permit can continue independently if you lived together as a married couple in Germany for at least three years. Hardship rules can waive this, for example for victims of domestic violence.

Your right to work

Yes, you can work. Section 4a of the Residence Act says anyone with a residence permit may work unless a law forbids it, and there's no such ban for family reunification permits. Every residence card must state whether work is allowed, so check yours.

That means you can take a job, including part-time or self-employed work, without a separate work permit. If your profession is regulated, such as nursing or teaching, you still need recognition. Our guide to jobs in Germany for foreigners explains how.

Scams and red flags

• "A1 certificate without an exam." Missions only accept real certificates from listed providers, and they can check them.
• Paid fake marriages. Authorities refuse reunification where a marriage exists only for residence, and false statements can harm future applications.
• Agents selling appointments. Book only through the official mission site or its named service provider.
• Promises of a guaranteed visa. Only the mission and foreigners' authority decide.

Your spouse visa checklist

• Confirm whether you're joining a foreign national or a German citizen.
• Check your spouse's permit and whether it exempts you from A1 and the housing rule.
• Pass an A1 exam with an approved provider, if needed.
• Collect your marriage certificate and civil documents, with apostille and translations.
• Get your spouse's income proof, registration certificate and rental contract.
• Download the checklist from the German mission for your country.
• Budget for the visa fee, exam, translations, insurance and travel.
• After arrival, register your address and apply for your residence permit on time.

If your spouse is still deciding how to move, the Germany Opportunity Card is another route for qualified job seekers. Prepare your language certificate and documents early, and the spouse visa is one of the more predictable parts of moving to Germany.