Are spouses and children of permanent residents eligible for permanent residency too?

Are you an expat, living in Germany for quite a while now, who just got his/ her permanent residency? Well, congratulations to you on that. That is great news indeed!

Now that you have your permanent residency, would you also like to bring your spouse and children over, to join you in Germany?

Let me assure you that you are in good hands here, as the German law has got you covered there.

Let us look at the provisions in the German law, that can help you unite with your loved ones as soon as possible.

Temporary residence permits for spouses

Your spouse is eligible to apply for a temporary residence permit if the two of you are at least 18 years of age and he/ she can communicate in German at a basic level.

The German language requirement could be waived, if you possessed a temporary residence permit as a researcher immediately before you received your permanent residency, and in some other situations as well (if applicable).

Until when can my spouse extend his/ her temporary residence permit?

Your spouse can get his/ her residence permit extended as long as your marital cohabitation continues.

Can the temporary permit also be converted to a permanent one?

Well, absolutely!

Initially, your spouse can extend his/ her temporary residence permit as long as the conditions for permanent residency have not been met.

As soon as he/ she becomes eligible to receive permanent residency, be it as a skilled worker or through another scheme, he/ she can successfully apply for the same.

Now that you know how to invite your spouse to join you in Germany, let us also get a picture of how you can invite your children as well.

Temporary residence permits for children

Similar to the above case, your child also becomes eligible to join you on a temporary residence permit if he/ she is a minor and unmarried at the time of application.

If your child was born in Germany, he/ she may automatically receive a temporary residence permit since you are a permanent resident of the country.

Until when can my child extend his/ her temporary residence permit?

Your child may extend his/ her temporary residence permit as long as your permanent residency is valid and he/ she lives with you, as a part of your family unit.

When your child becomes an adult, his/ her residency status becomes independent of that of yours.

Can the temporary permit also be converted to a permanent one?

Again, similar to the case for your spouse, your child may extend his/ her temporary residence permit as long as the conditions for permanent residency have not been met.

Once your child turns 16 and has already held a temporary residence permit for 5 years, he/ she becomes eligible to apply for permanent residency.

Conclusion

To sum it up, we see that it is indeed possible to invite your spouse and children to join you in Germany, if you are a permanent resident.

They might need to start off on a temporary residence permit but with the fulfillment of certain conditions, it can certainly be converted into a permanent residence permit.

With that, I would like to wish you the very best for inviting your family over to join you in this beautiful country.

In case you have already applied for any of the family reunification permits, I would love to hear, in the comments below, if you faced any challenge(s) in the process and how you ultimately overcame it, to reach a successful application!

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