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Visa for the purpose of getting married with subsequent permanent residence in Germany
Please note our general information on long-term residence in Germany, which supplements this information.
In order to apply for a visa for the reunification of spouses, you must first register on the appointment waiting list for national visas. You will be allocated an appointment approximately three months after registration. The appointment waiting list can be accessed via this link.
Applications are accepted at the
Visa section of the German Embassy Nairobi
113 Riverside Drive
P.O. Box 30180
Fax: +254 (0)20 4262 129
Mail: visainfo@nair.diplo.de
This and all other embassy leaflets and application forms are free of charge.
Unless stated otherwise, all application documents must be submitted in original with 2 copies, meaning that there are two sets of identical application documents.
Please sort the documents according to the order listed below.
Incomplete application forms and applications with incomplete documents will delay processing and may result in the rejection of the application.
Important: Additional documents may be requested during processing; in particular, it may be necessary to verify the documents, which is done at an extra fee. Before any decision is made on the application, the embassy must obtain the approval of the responsible aliens‘ authority. Processing times of four to six months, in individual cases even considerably longer, must therefore be expected. A refund of fees in the event of a rejection is not possible.
Below is a list of the required documents.
| No. | Document | Notes | Present at the time of submission of the application? |
| 1. | Passport with 2 copies of the data page | The passport must be valid for at least 3 months longer than the validity period of the visa. If you are a foreigner living in Kenya, Burundi or Eritrea, you must present a residence permit for the country of your place of residence or a return authorisation. | |
| 2. | 2 application forms | Please complete in all sections and sign. You can find a digital application form that can be completed online here. | |
| 3. | 2 Passport photos | The photos must be up to date, biometric and identical. | |
| 4. | 2 copies of the fiancée's passport | If the fiancée is not a German citizen: 2 copies of the current residence permit for Germany. | |
| If the fiancée is a German citizen, 2 copies of the identity card can also be submitted. | |||
| 5. | Certificate from the German registry office confirming the notification of the wedding | this means that the examination by the registry office has been completed, with or without a specific marriage date | |
| 7. | Certificate of no impediment to marriage of the applicant | For previous marriages of one of the fiancées: divorce decree or death certificate for previous spouses | |
| 8. | Birth certificate of the applicant | - | |
| 9. | Certificate of registration of the fiancée in Germany | Must not be older than six months at the time of application. If you do not yet have a place of residence in Germany: Submit a tenancy agreement, proof of ownership or equivalent indicating the future residential address. | |
| 10. | Formal Obligation Letter | The future spouse must submit a formal obligation letter (“Verpflichtungserklärung”). This is an official document issued by an Aliens Department (“Ausländerbehörde”) in Germany, stating that the host in Germany will cover all costs incurred by your visit. Alien Departments are the German public authority responsible for foreigners. They are usually located in every administrative district (“Landkreis”), mostly in the town hall of the district town (“Kreisstadt”) | |
| 11. | Proof of German language skills at level A1 of the European Reference Framework. | Proof must be provided in the form of an ALTE-certified language certificate. Further information on this can be found in the information sheet “Info German language skills”. | |
| 12. | Proof of health insurance cover | Further information on this can be found on the information sheet “health insurance for national visas”. | |
| 13. | Visa fee | in the amount 75 Euros, payable in Kenyan Shillings either in cash or per credit card. |
Disclaimer:
All information in this leaflet is based on the knowledge and assessments at the time of writing. No guarantee can be given for the completeness and correctness, in particular due to legal changes that have occurred in the meantime. The German language version is authoritative.