Hi all!
I'm new to expat.com and plan on hopefully offering help in the future and using this great service! I'm a 24 year old American Citizen.
I've spent a total of 3ish years living in Germany when I was a teenager (military child) and in my early twenties. I've been wanting to go back ever since and recently discovered the freelancer artist visa. Everything checks out and it seems like I can go forth with making it happen, but I have 1 hang up that I can't seem to find the answer to. I plan on being married to my current partner of 7 years sometime this year (before I plan to move to Germany). Does having the freelance visa cover a spouse or will they have to apply for their own visa? If so, what options do they have?
If it seems like I may be missing some important info on this visa, please feel free to let me know or drop a link!
Does the German Freelancer Visa cover spouses?
Firstly, Tominstuttgart is another forum member who is Anerican and freelance artist in Germany. He may be able to give you further advice.
Regarding your spouse: She can apply for a family reunion visa ("Familiennachzugsvisum") to join you in German if you can cover her basic living costs and accommodation. In detail this means:
- Income or financial reserves at the official survival minimum (poverty line) of currently €9000/year per person
- Rented (or owned) apartment of around 30sqm
- German health insurance (she can be covered by yours if you join the public scheme and she has no income)
Thank you so much! That information is very helpful!
Hi @robbiec, I was just wondering if you ever moved to Germany on a freelancer visa, and if so, were you able to get a family reunion visa for your spouse while you were on this visa? It seems to be very hard to find any other information about this online. Thanks!
I am a freelancer but married to a German so I was not personally confronted with this issue.
But the German immigration site gives the conditions for a family reunification visa. I am giving a link (in English) below.
Seems you (the original poster) would have to fulfill conditions of having enough income to support both of you if she is not coming with a job lined up and a visa that allows it. There are also minimum living space requirements in your accommodation as well as passing a German language exam. I think it is just A1 or A2 which are the lowest levels.
Don't necessarily count on it but some regulations are actually relaxed for some non-EU countries like the US so it is always best to ask the German Immigration authority directly. It surprises me that many people on this site seem to go to any effort possible to get information second hand rather than simply asking the people in charge. One has to eventually deal with the immigration authorities anyway. I always recommend people inform themselves the best they can beforehand but one always has to verify their specific personal situation with the immigration office.
http://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/E … hland.html
TominStuttgart wrote:It surprises me that many people on this site seem to go to any effort possible to get information second hand rather than simply asking the people in charge. One has to eventually deal with the immigration authorities anyway.
You are right in principle, but it is a sad fact that German missions abroad, as well as local foreigners offices in Germany, are severely understaffed and too overworked to handle such tasks as answering questions or assisting people who have difficulties to understand the (complicated) formal procedures and rules. Therefore, more often than not you get nobody on the phone, no answer to your emails or, if anything at all, an answer that does not really help.
Thus it is understandable that many desperate souls try their luck on the forum. However, that does not always help, because
- we also don't know everything
- German embassies in different countries do handle things differently (so what is true in A might not be so in B)
- as Tom said, you'll have to deal with them anyways later.
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