Germany Issues 100,000 Family Reunification Visas in 2025

Germany granted more than 100,000 family reunification visas in 2025, despite tighter migration policies introduced by the country’s governing coalition, according to official data released this week.

Figures from the German Foreign Office, published by Welt am Sonntag, show that 101,756 visas for family reunification were approved by the end of November. The approvals came under a coalition government led by the Christian Democratic Union alongside the Social Democratic Party, headed by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The majority of visas were issued to nationals of the five countries that account for the largest share of asylum applicants in Germany. Turkish citizens received the highest number, with 14,907 visas, followed by Syrians with 13,148. Indian nationals were granted 9,286 visas, Kosovars 7,143, and Albanians 4,426.

Family reunification for children made up slightly more than a third of the total, with 37,227 visas allowing minors to join their parents. Around 3,500 visas were issued to enable parents to reunite with their children. The largest single category, however, was spousal reunification: 44,426 visas were granted to foreign spouses of residents living in Germany. A further 16,298 visas allowed people to move to Germany to live with spouses who hold German citizenship.

Under German law, family reunification generally applies to the so-called nuclear family, limited to spouses and minor children. Exceptions are made only in a small number of humanitarian cases.

A legal amendment introduced by the previous German government in March 2024 expanded eligibility, allowing parents and parents-in-law of highly skilled workers and specialised professionals to join their families, provided they can support themselves financially.

At the same time, the current federal government decided in July to suspend family reunification for individuals granted “subsidiary protection” status for a period of two years. This category includes a large number of Syrians. Under the suspension, those affected are barred from bringing spouses, minor children, or parents of unaccompanied minors to Germany, except in exceptional humanitarian circumstances.