Family Reunification

The German Federal Government has released data on family reunification visas granted in the previous and current year in response to a parliamentary inquiry from the AfD parliamentary group.

The statistics provide information on the number of approved applications for family reunification in Germany and offer an overview of the development in this visa category.

On 9 July 2026, the Bundestag adopted the government's bill to modernize the Verpflichtungsgesetz (Declaration of Obligation Act), originally enacted on 2 March 1974. This law governs formal declarations of obligation by private individuals who assume financial responsibility for migrants, particularly in family reunification contexts.

The modernization was approved by a broad majority. The bill received support from CDU/CSU, SPD, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, and Die Linke, while the AfD faction voted against it.

The reforms aim to adapt the over-50-year-old legislation to current legal and administrative standards and include amendments to the European Public Prosecutor's Office Act.

The German federal government plans to introduce child benefits without requiring an application. Experts and the Federal Employment Agency have welcomed this measure in a public hearing before the Finance Committee.

In a first stage, child benefits are to be paid automatically starting with the second child. The Family Fund can use already-known data from previous child benefit determinations, reducing administrative effort.

The Federal Employment Agency views this initiative as an important step toward a modern, service-oriented, and digital administration. Simultaneously, families benefit from the elimination of application procedures.

The German Federal Parliament has passed legislation designed to more effectively prevent fraudulent paternity recognitions. This law addresses the misuse of paternity recognition procedures, which have commonly been used to circumvent immigration regulations.

Going forward, approval from the immigration authority will be required before a paternity can be recognized. This measure ensures that authorities can verify whether the recognition genuinely serves the child's best interests or whether it is motivated by immigration fraud.

The law also strengthens the obligations of involved parties to cooperate. Individuals must now provide more comprehensive support to investigations and disclose complete information. These provisions take effect with parliamentary passage and will significantly impact family reunification procedures.

On 23 July 2025 the German federal cabinet passed a law suspending family reunification for persons with subsidiary protection status for two years. This temporarily overrides the unlimited rule that had been in place since August 2020. The reason given: to relieve pressure on reception capacities in federal states and municipalities. Existing hardship provisions remain in place. The Residence Act was also amended to explicitly enshrine limitation of immigration as a statutory objective. A similar suspension was already in place from 2016 to 2018.