These are shared experiences by people who recently went through a German Citizenship application process. You can share yours with us via an easy-to-fill-in form on this page
These are shared experiences by people who recently went through a Work Visa application process. You can share yours with us via an easy-to-fill-in form on this page
We are not immigration agents, and your first point of contact should always be the German embassy or consulate in South Africa.Most of the information
The following Social Insurances are payable in Germany when you are a full-time employee or trainee: Krankenvesicherung / Medical Insurance Plegeversicherung / Long Term care
Health insurance is mandatory for everyone visiting or living in Germany.When living in Germany you can either take our private (privaten Krankenversicherung – PKV) or
Moving to a new country is a wonderful opportunity to start a new life. The biggest hardship in my opinion is leaving your loved ones behind, especially your elderly parents.
Many people are asking if it is possible as a third-country national, with permanent residence in Germany to bring their parents along to live with them.
Germany unfortunately does not a retirement visa.
New changes to the Immigration laws (from 01 March 2024) made it easier for parents of skilled workers to join them in Germany. Previously, and in some cases still valid, your parents could come to Germany on a Family reunification visa (FRV) only if they can prove hardship.
For Third-country nationals, dependent family members like spouses, children to foreign parents, and parents of a German minor can apply for a family reunification visa (FRV).
According to BAMF:
Parents or other family members (Third Country nationals)
If you are the parent or parent-in-law of a skilled worker working in Germany, you may be able to come to Germany under certain circumstances. Other family members may only come to Germany in all other cases to prevent exceptional hardship. If you are a parent or parent-in-law of skilled workers and highly-qualified persons, you have the opportunity to come to Germany if your child’s or child-in-law’s residence title was first issued on or after 1 March 2024. For this to be possible, your subsistence must be ensured, including sufficient health and long-term care insurance cover, from your own financial resources.
The requirements for a family reunification visa be found on the German embassy in South Africa website.
Previously you had to prove that your parent(s) are destitute (hardship) and that there is nobody else in South Africa, who can care for your parent(s). When there is nobody else, you can apply for them to join you in Germany. You will have to provide evidence that you can only care for them here in Germany. Hardship also means they do not have the financial means to look after themselves.
Keep the following in mind:
Keep in mind you will have to commit to financing their medical, accommodation and day-to-day expenses. They might be allowed to live with you, but then you need to have enough space in your home. Medical for someone who has never contributed to the system, and who is advanced in their age, is very expensive.
It is a difficult and expensive process, and we wish you all the best in this journey. Speak to your local Ausländerbörde and see how they can assist you. The applicable law is Section 36 of the “Act on the Residence, Economic Activity and Integration of Foreigners in the Federal Territory”
The English version has not been updated yet to reflect the new laws. Here is a link to the German website.
Roughly translated
“The parents of a foreigner who, on or after March 1, 2024, for the first time received an EU Blue Card, an ICT card or a Mobile ICT card or a residence permit in accordance with Sections 18a, 18b, 18c paragraph 3, Section 18d , 18f, 19c paragraph 1 for employment as a senior employee, as a manager, as a company specialist, as a scientist, as a visiting scientist, as an engineer or technician in the research team of a visiting scientist or as a teacher, according to § 19c paragraph 2 or 4 sentence 1 or § 21 a residence permit for family reunification can be issued; This also applies to the spouse’s parents if they reside permanently in Germany. The residence permit according to sentence 1 can only be issued if the requirements according to Section 5 Paragraph 1 Number 1 are met.”
Germany does not have a retirement visa, so even if your parents are financially independent they can not go the retirement route.
Depending on their age and situation they can apply for any of the normal long stay visas.
Important facts South African citizens need a visa to travel to Germany and a residence permit to stay longer than 90 days A visa allows you to enter the country, you apply for your visa at the German Embassy in South Africa. You must apply for the correct long-stay visa,
Long Term visas are seen as visits longer than 90 days and will typically be for work or study visits. If your application is approved, you will receive a visa to enter Germany. Once you are in Germany you will need to apply for your residence permit at the local
It is possible to apply for a Family & Friends visit visa. The inviting person can ask in the invitation letter that the visa be valid for longer periods e.g. one or two years. This allows the person to stay in Germany for 90 days in a 180-day cycle. It is not optimal but at least an option.
This will most likely not be granted if it is the first time the person visits you in Germany, also not if the person has a new Passport with no previous visas in the passport.
Do you want to invite friends or family to come and visit you in Germany?For their trip, they will need a tourist visa, which is one of the short stay (less than 90 days) Schengen visas. There are two types of tourist visas. One is for general tourist and the other
One of the requirements for both short-term and long-term (National) Schengen Visas is Proof of financial status and sufficient funds. When you want to sponsor someone’s visit, for example, your parents or other family members, and they cannot prove their own financial means, you need to complete a legalised letter
For more information see the following websites:
The following was shared with us by a member of our FB page. This is to be seen as a shared opinion and not as legal or immigration advice. You are responsible for your own legal clarifications. No liability accepted.
“Below is a summary of what my in-laws were told by an immigration lawyer here in DE. This will obviously differ from person to person as each case is assessed individually. These were the options given to them. The costs for each option are different, depending on paperwork etc (it’s not cheap 😯).
If anyone is interested I would suggest they book a meeting with the attorneys (they do Zoom meetings) and get the correct information relevant to them. There is a fee for the initial consultation but it’s well worth it.
Option 1 – Family reunification.
Option 2 – Retirement as a pensioner in Germany.
Option 3 – Culture exchange.
Option 4 – Work permit, including Blue card for professionals.
Option 5 – Freelance work Long process time of about 18 months.
We are not immigration agents, and your first point of contact should always be the German embassy or consulate in South Africa.Most of the information
According to the German Embassy in South Africa, “South African passport holders require a visa to enter Germany. It is important to note that if you
Health insurance is mandatory for everyone visiting or living in Germany.When living in Germany you can either take our private (privaten Krankenversicherung – PKV) or
The Leben in Deutschland tests your knowledge of the legal and social order and the living conditions in Germany. If you apply for Permanent residence, you must use the test to demonstrate knowledge of the legal and social system and living conditions in Germany.
You need a minimum of Level A2 to B1 to understand the test questions.
The Einbürgerungstest tests your knowledge of the legal and social order and the living conditions in Germany. If you apply for German citizenship, you must use the test to demonstrate knowledge of the legal and social system and living conditions in Germany. You need a minimum of Level B1 to understand the questions.
Note – Some indications are that you need to have certificates for both tests to apply for your Citizenship. Please confirm this with your local Ausländerbehörde. It is advisable that you schedule an “Information” session with your local authority before submitting your application
You can contact your local foreigners office (Ausländerbehörde) or register at the local VHS.
The official list of possible questions (310) is available as a download on the BAMF website.
The above link is for the Einbürgerungstest and Leben in Deutschland questions. The list of questions is the same for both tests, but for Leben in Deutschland you will get Klasse 1 questions and for the Einbürgerungstest you will get Klasse 2 questions. There is no way of knowing which questions are Klasse 1 or Klasse 2, so you need to know all of them.
You can enrol for the “Leben in Deutschland” course at the VHS, and write the “Test zum Orientierungskurs Leben in Deutschland“ exam. This test is needed for permanent residence in Germany.
There is no course requirement for the Einbürgerungstest, but if you would like to enrol for a course, consider the Leben in Deutschland option, or contact the VHS or Ausländerbehörde.
Apps and websites
During the exam you will receive a test booklet with 33 questions. You have 60 minutes to answer the questions. Each question requires you to choose the correct answer from four possible answers.
If you answer at least 17 questions correctly, you have passed the test. You will then receive a certificate of your personal test result from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.
30 questions belong to the subject areas “Life in a democracy”, “History and responsibility” as well as “People and society”.
Three test questions are asked about the federal state in which you are registered as your primary residence for example Baden-Württemberg
Permanent residence in Germany is called a Niederlassungserlaubnis and may be granted in the form of a Settlement permit or Permanent EC residence permit. Very important!! The card has an expiry date which corresponds to that of your passport. See the remarks section on the card as well as nr 7
Please note: Although the information on this website has been prepared with the utmost care, we cannot accept any responsibility for inaccuracies contained herein. Always refer to the official websites for up-to-date information. The German Cabinet approved the new legislation to allow Dual Citizenship. The new law comes into effect
A Visa allows you to enter Germany, but your stay is limited to no more than 90 days in a 180-day cycle.
If you want to stay in Germany for longer than 90 days, you will need to apply for the correct visa in your home country and once you are in Germany, apply for the subsequent residence permit (Aufenhaltstitel) at the competent Aliens Authority in Germany.
It will also regulate what you are allowed to do in Germany, for example doing weekend work while on a study visa.
A temporary residence title (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) is granted for a limited time and for a specific purpose.
Blue cards and an ICT cards are also seen as a temporary residence permit in accordance with Section 18c AufenthG (German Residence Act)
According to the BMI,
Possible purposes for a temporary residence title can be:
The granting of a residence permit for each of these purposes is subject to its own requirements. These are also mentioned in the Residence Act – partly for all purposes in the general part of the Residence Act and partly for the respective purpose.
An extension of the residence permit is only possible if the requirements that were required when it was first issued continue to be met. However, the competent authority can rule out an extension if the stay is intended to be only temporary. When extending the permit, it must also be taken into account whether a foreigner has complied with their obligation to attend an integration course properly. If the foreigner was or is obliged to take part in the integration course, the residence permit is generally only extended by one year until the foreigner has successfully completed the integration course or proves that his or her integration into society and social life has taken place elsewhere.
There is only an entitlement to gainful employment if this entitlement is expressly included in the residence permit (in the form of an electronic residence permit or in the form of an adhesive label).
The scope of a permit for gainful employment is entered in the residence permit or it is documented on a supplementary sheet (Zusatzblatt)
If there is no limitations on the amount of entries in and out of Germany, you can use the permit to travel to and from Germany into the Schengen area.
To stay in Germany longer than 90 days in a 180 period, you will need a residence permit. Qualifying for a residence permit will depend,
Permanent residence in Germany is called a Niederlassungserlaubnis and may be granted in the form of a Settlement permit or Permanent EC residence permit. Very important!!
Long Term visas are seen as visits longer than 90 days and will typically be for work or study visits. If your application is approved,
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