Spousal reunification (Ehegattennachzug) for labor migrants: language proof, visa, and switch at the LEA
The topic page "Family reunification for labor migrants in Berlin" already explains the legal framework for spousal and child reunification to holders of a Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card), Blaue Karte EU (EU Blue Card), § 18a/18b title, or ICT Card (ICT-Karte). This page goes one step deeper specifically for spousal reunification (Ehegattennachzug): which of the total of seven statutory exceptions to the A1 language requirement really exist – not just the two skilled-worker exceptions the other page already covers? How does the language proof work in practice, which providers are recognized, and what does it cost? And how long does the visa procedure really take, and what happens after entry at the Landesamt für Einwanderung (LEA, State Office for Immigration) in Berlin?
In short: your spouse must, as a rule, prove basic German skills (A1) before entry, unless one of the seven statutory exceptions applies. Proof is provided through a recognized exam (e.g. Goethe-Institut, telc, ÖSD). The subsequent visa procedure at the German mission abroad can take very different lengths of time depending on the location. After entry into Berlin, the visa is switched to a residence permit at the LEA.
- Check whether one of the seven exceptions to the A1 proof appliesBefore you start a language course, check whether one of the seven exceptions in § 30 Abs. 1 Satz 3 AufenthG applies (full list in the specialist section) – such as illness/disability, a recognizably low need for integration, nationality of a visa-exempt state, skilled-worker status of the spouse living in Berlin, or particular unreasonableness in the individual case. Two of these exceptions (skilled workers, recently granted settlement permit) are also explained on the related topic page on family reunification of skilled workers.
- Without an exception: book an A1 language course and exam in your home countryCertificates based on a standardized language exam according to the standards of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) are recognized – according to the Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office), these include, among others, Goethe-Institut, telc, ÖSD, ECL, and the Deutsches Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz (DSD, German Language Certificate of the Standing Conference of Education Ministers). Expect around 80 to 200 teaching units to reach A1 level; course costs vary considerably by location (roughly 120 to 750 euros), and the exam fee is usually between 70 and 120 euros.
- Submit the visa application to the responsible German mission abroadThe application is made online via the Auslandsportal (consular services portal) of the Auswärtiges Amt. Required are, among other things, two biometric passport photos, a valid passport, the marriage certificate, a current certificate of residence, a copy of the ID of the reference person in Germany, and the A1 language certificate (unless an exception applies). The visa fee is 75 euros for adults and 37.50 euros for children; for spouses of German nationals, the visa is free of charge.
- Expect waiting and processing timeHow long it takes depends heavily on the responsible mission abroad: according to a reply to the Bundestag (German Federal Parliament), the waiting time for an appointment alone ranged from around two weeks (New Delhi) to over 52 weeks (among others Addis Ababa, Beirut, Dhaka, Erbil, Islamabad, Lagos, Rabat, Tunis). On top of this comes the processing time of the immigration authority (Ausländerbehörde) responsible in Germany, which according to several sources is as a rule at least around three months, since it must be involved in the procedure before the mission abroad can make a final decision.
- After entry: apply for a residence permit at the LEA BerlinAfter entering with the visa, apply online via service.berlin.de for the "Aufenthaltserlaubnis für den ausländischen Ehegatten eines Ausländers" (residence permit for the foreign spouse of a foreign national) (or the corresponding variant for spouses of Germans). The LEA checks the documents, requests further ones if necessary, and invites you and your spouse together to an appointment. The fee is 56 to 100 euros (first issuance, depending on the form of the title); issuing the electronic residence title then takes at least about four weeks.
- The seven exceptions to the A1 language requirement (including No. 5 and No. 7, which relate to skilled-worker titles) are documented here in their wording (see specialist section).
- For the processing time, concrete figures exist, but with a very wide range and from different types of sources: a reply to the Bundestag (report of 30.09.2024) names waiting times for an appointment of 2 weeks to over 52 weeks, depending on the mission abroad, and attributes the long times in certain cases to the statutory quota of 1,000 national visas per month worldwide (§ 36a AufenthG). A mission-abroad page (Embassy Pristina, as of 30.06.2026), on the other hand, names for the processing itself "as a rule up to three months, in some cases considerably longer". The two figures concern different procedural steps (appointment waiting time vs. processing time) and are deliberately stated side by side here rather than smoothed into a single number. The Bundestag figure also dates from 2024 and may have changed since.
- The list of recognized language test providers (Goethe-Institut, telc, ÖSD, ECL, DSD) comes from the FAQ of the Auswärtiges Amt; TestDaF was also named there, but according to this source only tests from B2 level upward and is therefore not relevant for the A1 proof in spousal reunification.
- On the concrete costs and course duration for A1 language courses, only rough, non-official ranges are available (course costs approx. 120–750 euros, exam fee approx. 70–120 euros, 80–200 teaching units) – the actual costs depend heavily on the respective country and local provider and were not checked in detail for a particular country or a particular Goethe-Institut location.
- For the LEA implementation, the service.berlin.de page for the specific service "Aufenthaltserlaubnis für den ausländischen Ehegatten eines Ausländers" describes an online application procedure followed by an invitation to a joint appointment, but gives no information on a fixed processing period between application and appointment – only on the duration of issuing the title afterwards (at least around four weeks).
- This page deals exclusively with spousal reunification to labor migrants. Family reunification to persons entitled to asylum, recognized refugees, or persons with subsidiary protection follows structurally different rules (among others different deadlines and in part different facilitations for the language proof) – this is not covered in depth here; see the separate page on family reunification for persons in need of protection.
In depth · Legal basis, figures and practice – for counsellors and professionals
Complete list of exceptions to the A1 language requirement (§ 30 Abs. 1 Satz 3 AufenthG)
Under § 30 Abs. 1 Satz 1 AufenthG, the joining spouse must be able to communicate at least in a basic way in German before entry (level A1 under § 2 Abs. 9 AufenthG). § 30 Abs. 1 Satz 3 AufenthG names seven exceptions to this:
1. The spouse holds a residence title under § 23 Abs. 4 or § 25 Abs. 1 or 2 AufenthG (certain protection and admission titles), and the marriage already existed when this person moved the center of their life to Germany.
2. The joining spouse is unable to prove basic knowledge of German because of a physical, mental, or psychological illness or disability.
3. The joining spouse has a recognizably low need for integration within the meaning of a regulation issued under § 43 Abs. 4 AufenthG.
4. The spouse living in Germany may, because of their nationality, enter and stay in the federal territory without a visa even for a stay that is not a short stay.
5. The spouse living in Germany holds a Blaue Karte EU (EU Blue Card), an ICT Card (ICT-Karte), a Mobile ICT Card (Mobiler-ICT-Karte), or a residence title under §§ 18a, 18b, 18c Abs. 3 AufenthG for employment as a senior employee, executive, researcher, or similar (already covered in depth on “Family reunification (Familiennachzug) for labor migrants in Berlin”).
6. Due to special circumstances of the individual case, it is not possible or not reasonable for the joining spouse to make efforts to acquire basic German skills before entry.
7. Immediately before being granted a settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis), the spouse living in Germany held a Blaue Karte EU or a residence title under §§ 18a, 18b, 18d, 19c Abs. 1 AufenthG (already covered in depth on “Family reunification (Familiennachzug) for labor migrants in Berlin”).
Practical mechanics of the A1 language proof
According to the Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office), certificates based on a standardized language exam according to the standards of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) are recognized as proof – specifically named are the Goethe-Zertifikat A1 (Goethe-Institut), telc Deutsch A1, the Österreichisches Sprachdiplom (ÖSD, Austrian German Language Diploma), ECL, and the Deutsches Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz (DSD; TestDaF is also named but only tests from B2 upward and is not relevant for A1). The exam usually takes place at a Goethe-Institut or a telc or ÖSD partner school in the country of residence; the certificate should not be older than one year when presented. Depending on prior knowledge, around 80 to 200 teaching units are estimated to reach A1 level; course costs are roughly between 120 and 750 euros (depending on location, most expensive among others in Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, New York, Tokyo, Rome, and Paris), and exam fees are usually between 70 and 120 euros. These figures are general guide values and have not been checked individually for a specific country.
Visa procedure at the mission abroad: documents and duration
The application is made online via the Auslandsportal of the Auswärtiges Amt. Regularly required are two current biometric passport photos, a valid passport, the birth certificate and marriage certificate, a current certificate of residence, a copy of the passport or ID card of the reference person in Germany, the A1 language certificate (unless an exception applies), and – in case of previous marriages – divorce judgments or death certificates. The visa fee is 75 euros for adults and 37.50 euros for children; for spouses of German nationals, the visa is free of charge. On duration: a reply of the Federal Government (report of 30.09.2024) puts the waiting time for an appointment alone, depending on the mission abroad, at about two weeks (New Delhi) to over 52 weeks (among others Addis Ababa, Beirut, Dhaka, Erbil, Islamabad, Lagos, Rabat, Tunis); one cause named is the statutory quota of 1,000 national visas per month worldwide for certain groups of cases under § 36a AufenthG. Independently of this appointment waiting time, a mission-abroad page (Embassy Pristina, as of 30.06.2026) names for the actual processing "as a rule up to three months, in some cases considerably longer"; with an already granted advance approval (Vorabzustimmung) from the German immigration authority, this can be shortened to a few weeks.
Berlin implementation: switch at the LEA after entry
After entering with the visa, you apply for the residence permit online via service.berlin.de – specifically via the service "Aufenthaltserlaubnis für den ausländischen Ehegatten eines Ausländers" (or the separate variant for spouses of Germans). Requirements include, among other things, a valid residence title of the spouse living in Germany, secured subsistence, sufficient living space, health insurance valid in Germany, and a joint main residence in Berlin. After submission, the LEA checks the documents, requests further ones if necessary, and invites both spouses to a joint appointment, to which all documents named in the letter of invitation must be brought. The fee is 56 euros (sticker title) to 100 euros (electronic residence title, eAT) for first issuance, or 49 to 93 euros for extensions, with reduced rates for Turkish nationals under 24 years and fee exemption for recipients of social benefits. After the appointment, issuing the eAT takes at least around four weeks. According to the Service Berlin page, there is no longer a separate online booking system for first appointments; appointments are assigned directly by the LEA after checking the online application, or via the contact form for cases without an online option or in urgent cases.
Distinction from family reunification with protection status
This page deals exclusively with spousal reunification to persons with a labor-migration residence title. For family reunification to persons entitled to asylum, recognized refugees, or persons with subsidiary protection, structurally different rules with their own deadlines and in part more extensive facilitations apply; these are not covered here and are the subject of the berlin-flucht strand.
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