Jewish immigration and family reunification in Germany in 2026

In 2026, the family of a Jewish immigrant can generally consider two routes to Germany: joint admission through BAMF under the admission conditions, or later through a separate family-reunification procedure. Including a spouse without independent eligibility generally requires a three-year marriage at the time of application. Children and other relatives must be assessed against their own conditions. Language requirements and exemptions also differ. This guide explains both routes, key documents and common risks.

• Who can enter with the eligible principal applicant?
• Spouses: the three-year requirement and previous marriages
• Minor children: inclusion and independent applications
• Parents and grandparents: independent eligibility and other residence routes
• Joint admission or later family reunification?
• Option A: joint admission and entry under an admission notice
• Option B: later family reunification after the principal applicant moves
• Requirements for family members
• Steps to prepare a family move
• Risks in family applications and how to prepare
• How FIRMDER supports families
• Common questions about Jewish immigration with family

Who can enter with the eligible principal applicant?

Jewish immigration is a specific admission procedure for eligible people from successor states of the Soviet Union under § 23 Abs. 2 of the Residence Act and the applicable admission order. The programme aims to strengthen Jewish life in Germany and differs from ordinary family reunification. Independent eligibility and inclusion have different conditions. The relevant groups are:

• spouses sharing a household and generally married for at least three years when applying;
• unmarried minor children in the shared household, subject to the applicable admission conditions;
• adult children through independent eligibility or the special provision for certain severely disabled children permanently dependent on assistance;
• parents and grandparents generally through independent eligibility and their own application;
• siblings, children-in-law and other relatives cannot be included solely on that basis; any independent eligibility requires separate assessment.

The ancestry requirement may be met through Jewish ethnicity or at least one Jewish parent or grandparent. Other admission conditions also apply, including possible admission to a Jewish community. Inclusion without independent eligibility is generally limited to spouses and unmarried minor children; a special provision covers certain severely disabled adult children.

Spouses: the three-year requirement and previous marriages

A spouse without independent eligibility can generally be included only if the marriage has lasted at least three years when applying, the couple shares a household and they enter together. Earlier unmarried cohabitation does not replace the marriage period. After remarriage, the current marriage is relevant. Divorce proceedings or a completed divorce before departure may invalidate inclusion. An independently eligible spouse files a separate application and must meet its requirements.

If you have been married for two and a half years, compare the remaining wait with the requirements for later family reunification. Applying separately is not a general recommendation: it can add financial requirements, delays and a longer separation. Assess both routes against your actual circumstances first.

Minor children: inclusion and independent applications

Unmarried minor children without independent eligibility may be included under the programme’s conditions if they live in the same household. Independently eligible children generally need their own application, even if underage. Clarify custody and consent documentation. BAMF may waive the language certificate for children under 14 if they enter before their 15th birthday. Turning 18 during processing and children born later require timely clarification with BAMF; report changes promptly.

Parents and grandparents: independent eligibility and other residence routes

Parents cannot simply be included as relatives in an adult child’s application. Independent admission eligibility must be assessed separately and, where applicable, a separate application submitted. Jewish parents or spouses over 60 of Jewish immigrants already living in Germany may qualify for an exemption from the integration forecast under the official conditions. Without independent eligibility, a separate application may be possible under § 36 Abs. 2 AufenthG. This requires exceptional hardship, such as a particularly serious care need that cannot otherwise be met. Illness or kinship alone does not automatically qualify. A visit is not a substitute for permanent family reunification. The parent-reunification provisions introduced in 2024 for certain skilled workers do not apply solely because someone holds residence under section 23(2).

Joint admission or later family reunification?

Different procedures, eligibility conditions and responsible authorities may apply when moving as a family:

• joint admission procedure: the required individual applications and family forms, a forecast where necessary and coordinated entry;
• later family reunification after the sponsor has entered Germany, in particular under sections 27–30 of the Residence Act, through the diplomatic mission and the responsible immigration authority.

The choice depends on factors including the length of the marriage, independent eligibility, the integration forecast and the requirements for later reunification.

Option A: joint admission and entry under an admission notice

The eligible applicant submits the application; relatives without independent eligibility are included through the prescribed supplementary forms. Independently eligible relatives submit separate applications. BAMF checks ancestry, prepares an integration forecast where required and obtains an opinion from the Central Welfare Board of Jews in Germany (ZWST), with UPJ involvement, on possible community admission and decides on admission and allocation to a federal state. The admission notice is generally valid for one year, within which the visa must be requested. Relatives without independent eligibility must enter with the eligible applicant. Each person’s residence status follows the admission notice and section 23(2) of the Residence Act.

Option B: later family reunification after the principal applicant moves

For later reunification, the sponsor’s existing German residence status matters. Assess the marriage, sufficient financial resources and accommodation, and generally basic German for the spouse, subject to statutory exemptions. A BAMF integration forecast does not replace this assessment. A temporary residence permit under section 23(2) may entail additional restrictions under section 29(3). Assess this route before separating the family’s move, rather than only after arrival.

Compare the two routes using these points:

1. Responsible authorities: BAMF for admission; the diplomatic mission and immigration authority for later family reunification.
2. Marriage period: generally three years for inclusion; later reunification has different requirements without a general three-year rule.
3. Integration forecast: family circumstances are considered in the admission procedure; there is no such BAMF forecast for ordinary family reunification.
4. Living costs and accommodation: the admission procedure assesses prospective economic integration; later reunification has separate statutory requirements and exemptions.
5. Language: admission generally requires A1 with exceptions; reunification has its own language rules depending on the family member.
6. Timing: depends on documents, authorities and the individual case; neither route has a guaranteed processing time.
7. Residence basis: section 23(2) for admission; for later reunification, in particular sections 30, 32 for family reunification.

Joint admission may simplify the family move when every requirement is met. Later reunification requires a separate assessment and is not an automatic substitute for unmet admission conditions.

Requirements for family members

A thorough application review should cover four particular areas using documentary evidence:

• generally A1 evidence for accompanying relatives, subject to the specific exceptions for children and other cases;
• integration-forecast evidence: education, professional experience, age and language skills;
• the applicable religious-affiliation conditions for independent eligibility;
• documented family relationships, marriage duration and, where required, a shared household.

Clarify the first three areas particularly early.

A1 evidence: requirements and exemptions

Use a language certificate accepted under the current requirements. Admission-procedure exemptions include victims of Nazi persecution, certain children and recognised hardship cases. A rebuttable persecution presumption applies to people born in the area of origin before 1 January 1945. For children under 14, a waiver may require entry before the 15th birthday. Regional exemptions require confirmation by the Federal Foreign Office and may require A1 evidence within twelve months of arrival. Medical grounds need documentation. Higher certified language skills can improve the forecast but do not guarantee admission.

How family circumstances affect BAMF’s integration forecast

The integration forecast assesses prospective economic integration. Education, professional experience, language skills, age and family circumstances are considered under the applicable criteria. The overall documented picture matters.

The spouse’s qualifications and language skills may also contribute to the overall forecast. Individual characteristics such as age do not by themselves reliably predict the decision.

FIRMDER recommends fully documenting language skills, education and professional experience. Suitable evidence of family ties in Germany may also matter. Whether an additional language course is worthwhile depends on the overall profile. Exemptions from the integration forecast, including those for victims of Nazi persecution or certain Jewish parents and spouses over 60, must be assessed against the official conditions.

Religious affiliation: distinguish independent applicants from included relatives

Applicants claiming independent eligibility must, under the admission conditions, not profess membership of a religious community other than Judaism. Relatives without independent eligibility have a different position in the procedure. Baptism, past membership and present affiliation require assessment of the actual facts; blanket conclusions about individual religious acts are inappropriate. Provide complete and truthful information. Incorrect statements may lead to later withdrawal of an admission notice.

Planning to apply as a family but unsure whether your marriage documents and language certificates are sufficient? Arrange a review of your family’s documents with FIRMDER.

Steps to prepare a family move

A fixed overall completion time cannot reliably be promised. Archival research, document checks, the BAMF decision, visa processing and issue of residence documents each have their own timelines. Allow contingency time.

Five steps and the timing dependencies:

• ancestry, family and marriage records: obtain them early and allow for archive response times;
• BAMF forms and language certificates: timing depends on preparation and examination availability;
• submission and BAMF assessment: timing depends on completeness and the enquiries required;
• national visa and arrival: after the admission notice and visa decision;
• residence documents: timing depends on appointments and processing at the immigration authority.

Each stage has common pitfalls that careful preparation can reduce.

Step 1: document ancestry, family relationships and marriage duration

Jewish ethnicity or ancestry requires suitable official evidence; the information sheet generally requires records issued before 1990. Birth, marriage and, where relevant, divorce or name-change certificates are also needed. Authentication and translation must meet the responsible authority’s current instructions. Further evidence of a shared household may be required. Start searches for missing historical records early because archive response times vary significantly.

Step 2: prepare BAMF forms and language evidence

Each independently eligible person files a separate application; included relatives need the relevant supplementary forms. Document education, work experience and language skills fully. An accepted A1 certificate is generally required when applying. Check the responsible diplomatic mission’s current requirements regarding providers, evidence and how recent it must be.

Step 3: submit to the responsible diplomatic mission and follow the procedure

The application is generally submitted to the responsible German diplomatic mission and forwarded to BAMF. BAMF checks eligibility, arranges the community-admission opinion and prepares the forecast where required. Respond to requests for evidence within the deadline. Long waits are possible, but still check delivery, contact details and the case status. Silence is neither approval nor reliable confirmation that the file is complete.

Step 4: arrange the national visa and arrival in the allocated federal state

Apply for the national visa while the admission notice is valid; processing depends on the diplomatic mission and the individual case. The federal state is allocated during the admission procedure. Family ties, employment and local connections may be stated but do not create an entitlement to a particular location. Extension of the notice is possible only exceptionally, with evidence of a valid reason.

Step 5: apply for residence documents at the immigration authority

After arrival and address registration, apply to the immigration authority for the residence document specified in the admission notice. Independently eligible applicants generally receive a settlement permit; relatives without independent eligibility receive a temporary residence permit. This is not simply a choice made by the federal state. Check work rights against the visa or residence document. Naturalisation is generally possible after five years of lawful habitual residence if all other requirements are met. German law permits multiple citizenship; the other state’s law needs separate assessment. In one three-person family case from Odesa reported by FIRMDER, the admission notice took 16 months and the visa a further three weeks. This individual example does not guarantee a processing time.

Risks in family applications and how to prepare

An obstacle affecting one relative does not necessarily mean every application will be refused, but it may prevent a joint move. Pay particular attention to:

• a marriage of less than three years when applying;
• a negative integration forecast where one is required;
• unmet religious-affiliation conditions for independent eligibility.

Many risks can be identified before applying, although not every obstacle can be resolved.

The marriage has not lasted three years when the application is submitted

The three-year requirement must be met when the admission application is submitted; an expected long processing time does not replace it. Before applying separately, assess the requirements and disadvantages of later family reunification. Depending on the circumstances, waiting until the period is complete and applying together may be preferable.

Risks affecting the integration forecast

Age, qualifications, language skills and family circumstances may affect the forecast, but no single factor determines the outcome in isolation. Document education, professional experience, language skills and connections in Germany. After refusal, assess the reasons, appeal deadlines and the limited possibilities for a new admission application. New evidence does not automatically create a right to repeat the procedure.

Unresolved information about religious affiliation

Information about religious affiliation must be complete and truthful. Inconsistencies may trigger further enquiries, refusal or withdrawal of an admission notice. A past baptism cannot be assessed categorically without knowing the circumstances. Obtain legal advice on doubtful cases and disclose the facts accurately.

How FIRMDER supports families

We start with ancestry and review which records are available or need to be obtained from archives. For each relative, we then assess whether to consider an independent admission application, inclusion or later reunification. We review the marriage period, language evidence and integration-forecast documents before filing. We help with forms, requests for additional evidence, and practical preparation for the visa and arrival. Updates reflect the official correspondence received; a positive decision cannot be guaranteed.

We help with finding records, preparing integration-forecast information, the application and organising the move. Where needed, individual legal assessment and representation are handled by a licensed lawyer. Book a personal consultation.