Family reunification for refugees from Syria

Accelerated procedure
When is there a legal right and what deadline must be observed?
What is the visa procedure?
Where is support provided?
Please note
Arrangements for family reunification with beneficiaries of subsidiary protection

Accelerated procedure

On 15 September 2015, the Senate Department for the Interior and Sport issued overall consent

• for the entry of spouses and/or underage unmarried children
• of persons recognised as entitled to asylum and refugees as defined by the Geneva Refugee Convention from Syria,
• where a legal right exists pursuant to Section 29 (2) sentence 2 of the Residence Act (AufenthG).

Due to this overall consent, the entry procedure is accelerated in these cases, as it is no longer necessary for the Landesamt für Einwanderung (Berlin Immigration Office) to be involved in processing the visa applications.

This overall consent is valid indefinitely until further notice and only benefits Syrian nationals and stateless persons from Syria whose identity has been established.

When is there a legal right and what deadline must be observed?

The application for a family reunification visa must be submitted within three months of

• incontestable recognition as a person entitled to asylum (Section 25 (1) Residence Act) or
• incontestable granting of refugee status (Section 25 (2) sentence 1, 1st alternative Residence Act) or
• granting of a residence permit as per Section 23 (4) Residence Act.

Another condition is that the family unit cannot be set up in a state which is not a member state of the European Union and to which the person concerned and his/her family members have a special bond.

What is the visa procedure?

The Federal Foreign Office has created a web portal for family reunification with Syrian refugees.
All the necessary information on the visa procedure can be found there. Furthermore, an online form can be used to submit notifications in order to meet the deadline (see above).

The portal can be displayed in German, English or Arabic and can be used by Syrian refugees, family reunification applicants and support organisations.

You can find more information about the visa process in the information sheet of the Federal Foreign Office.

• Information sheet of the Federal Foreign Office on family reunification with Syrian refugees

  PDF-Document (1.7 MB)

Where is support provided?

The Federal Foreign Office points out the following:

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has, since June 2016, offered the “Family Assistance Program (FAP)”. This programme, which was initiated by the Federal Foreign Office, is intended for family members of Syrian refugees who have been recognised as such in Germany.

The programme helps visa applicants with questions about the visa process and ensures that all the necessary documents are presented at the visa appointment. To this end, the IOM has set up family support centres in Lebanon and Turkey.

Please note:

• All visa applicants are strongly advised to contact the IOM Family Support Centres for advice before their appointment at the German missions in Lebanon and Turkey.
• Visiting the family support centres can speed up the processing of the visa application and thus the departure to Germany.

The IOM Family Support Centres can be reached as follows:

Beirut:
Beit El Kekko,
Bekfaya main road,
Kachouh building, floor -1,
Metn, Mount Lebanon
Libanon
E-Mail

Istanbul:
Bestekar Şevki Bey Sokak No: 9,
Balmumcu,
Beşiktaş/İstanbul,
Türkei
E-Mail

Gaziantep:
Güvenevler Mahallesi 29069,
Sokak No:15,
Tugay Sehitkamil/Gaziantep,
Türkei
E-Mail

Please note

• Applications for privileged family reunification with refugees from Syria are only accepted by the competent German missions abroad (embassies, consulates general).
• The Landesamt für Einwanderung (Berlin Immigration Office) is generally not involved in the handling of such visa processes and cannot give any advance consent.
• We also have no influence on the allocation of appointments at the German missions abroad.

Arrangements for family reunification with beneficiaries of subsidiary protection

On 1 August 2018, the Act on the Reorganisation of Family Reunification with Beneficiaries of Subsidiary Protection came into force. Spouses, parents of minors and unmarried minor children are thus allowed to reunite with beneficiaries of subsidiary protection.

• Here you can find more information about this