Route: family reunification

Spouse, children, parents: German level, who may join whom, embassy deadlines.

Family reunification needs a national visa from the embassy in Yaoundé before entry (Visa and embassy). Processing (embassy page, German): the embassy gives at least 3 to 6 months, and at least 12 months where documents must be verified (Documents).

Spouse

• Spouse of a German: A1 German before arrival (§ 28 (1) S. 5), exceptions apply.
• Spouse of a foreign resident: A1 as a rule (§ 30 (1) S. 1 Nr. 2); the exceptions are in S. 3, among them Nr. 4 (the partner is a national of a state whose citizens may enter and stay visa-free even for longer stays) and Nr. 5 (skilled-worker partner). Check the exact case in the text of the law.
• Both partners must be adults, the marriage must be valid (Documents), and housing and income must be sufficient.

Children and parents

• Children aged 16 or over who do not move with the whole family: the embassy asks for German at C1, with exceptions (embassy page, German). Legal basis: § 32.
• Parents of a skilled worker: § 36 (3), for a first permit from 1 March 2024. Other adult relatives only in exceptional hardship (§ 36 (2)).

Income thresholds, housing size and the exact exception wording by case were not itemised here; talk to a counselling service (Sources). German level overview: Learning German.