Since the end of 2018, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is supporting the Germany Embassy in Nairobi as part of the Family Assistance Program (FAP), which was launched in cooperation with the German Federal Foreign Office. The aim of the program is to help applicants with all matters relating to the visa application process and to ensure that all necessary documents are compiled before the application is made.

The IOM FAP Centre Nairobi assists the German Embassy in the visa application process in all cases of family re-unification with a holder of protection status in Germany - regardless of the nationality of the applicant, or the type of protection title (asylum seeker, refugee, subsidiary, deportation ban).

1. Registration on the waiting list

All applicants are required to register on the waiting list of the German Embassy. Appointments to submit the application will be scheduled by IOM according to the rank on the waiting list. No appointments will be made without prior registration on the waiting list.

Due to technical reasons, applicants pursuing family reunification with a person with subsidiary protection status must currently register via a separate link.

Due to the high demand, the regular waiting time for an appointment at IOM after registration is around 2 years. Please note that the applicant does not have to be present in Kenya for registration on the waiting list.

Important:
Applicants seeking family reunification with an unaccompanied minor who is in Germany are requested to inform the Embassy / IOM about the date of the 18th birthday of this minor at least 6 month in advance.

2. Preparing your application

While waiting for your appointment, please compile the documents you need to submit with your application. Checklists with the necessary documents are provided below. If documents or means of alternative proof are missing, your application may be rejected.

Please find here information about data protection

Important information:

Please do not send any documents to the visa section unless you are requested to do so, particularly not before you have submitted your application at IOM.

We are not able to store such documents and we will not know to which application they belong.

Please make sure that you bring the complete documentation with you to your submission appointment at IOM.

DNA Kinship Analysis

To prove kinship, Somali applicants in most cases will have to present a DNA kinship analysis report. Other nationals may be requested to do so due to peculiarities of the individual case.

If the Embassy requires a DNA-test for processing your visa, please follow the instructions provided in the information sheet provided below.

Please note:

All DNA procedures are processed via IOM.

Shipments to IOM can only be made via private courier service – please follow the shipment advice provided in the information sheet.

The sender has to ensure that all shipping and customs fees have been paid, and all documents necessary for shipment and customs are attached.
Sampling kits must be sent with a covering letter written in English. An example is provided below.

DNA Information sheet and important shipment advice (English / Deutsch)

Example DNA Covering Letter English

3. Procedures at IOM FAP Centre & Submission of your application

The IOM FAP Centre will contact all applicants registered on the list well in advance of the appointment, offer advice on the necessary documents, check the application documents for completeness, and eventually schedule an appointment to submit the application.

During the appointment for submission, IOM will take biometric data (photographs, fingerprints), collect the visa fee and conduct a detailed interview on the reasons for the request for family re-unification.

For visa fees, please see FAQ

After the application documents have been handed over at IOM, IOM transfers the application to the Embassy.

Please note: For minors who are not accompanied by a parent or another person with legal custody, the person attending the interview with the children will have to present a signed power of attorney. The accompanying person should have background knowledge of the reasons for family re-unification.

Please refrain from sending any status requests to the Embassy, before you have submitted your application.

The IOM-FAP Centre can be reached as follows:

Email: info.fap.ke@iom.int
Call centre: +254 709 575 000.
Directions:
International Organization for Migration – UN Migration.
Sri Aurobindo Avenue, Off Mzima Spring Road
Lavington, Nairobi, Kenya

4. What happens during processing at the Embassy?

The Embassy will review your application and make a decision on whether or not to grant you a visa. Therefore, the Embassy we will check whether your application meets the legal requirements.

Depending on the evidence submitted, it can take several months to check your application, in special cases, e.g. where a document verification is required, processing can be significantly longer.

The Embassy will contact you as soon as it has made a decision on your application.

For Somali applicants, in all cases the Embassy has to obtain the approval for an exemption of passport requirement from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, before a visa can be handed out. The fee will be collected upon visa pick-up.

For visa fees, please see FAQ

We thank you for understanding, that the Embassy cannot answer status inquiries within the first 3 month after submission of the application. After that, inquiries will only answered if they are made by the applicant, his/her legal representative or another person, authorised in writing by the applicant.

5. What happens after you receive your visa?

If all the information on your visa label is correct, you are free to travel.

Please check the information on the label as soon as you receive your visa. You should let us know immediately (at the counter / send us a mail to visainfo@nair.diplo.de) if there are any mistakes so that we can issue you a new visa.

Your visa will state your full name and passport number and include your photo. It will also state the number of days you can stay and the period of validity, that is, the time by which you must have received your residence permit for Germany.

Therefore, please do not forget to register at the residents registration office shortly after you arrive in Germany and to make an appointment with the alien authority.