{"id":1923,"date":"2012-09-15T07:14:56","date_gmt":"2012-09-15T07:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mth-partner.de\/rechtsanwaltsblog\/?p=1923"},"modified":"2026-01-02T07:18:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T07:18:23","slug":"auslanderrecht-die-voraussetzung-ausreichender-deutschkenntnisse-beim-ehegattennachzug-zu-deutschen-ist-eingeschrankt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mth-partner.de\/en\/immigration-law-the-requirement-for-sufficient-german-language-skills-for-spouses-joining-german-nationals-has-been-restricted\/","title":{"rendered":"Immigration Law: The requirement for sufficient German language skills for spouses joining German nationals has been restricted."},"content":{"rendered":"

Federal Administrative Court, September 4, 2012, Case No.: 10 C 12.12<\/strong><\/p>\n

The requirements for family reunification of spouses with German citizens or foreign nationals are frequently the subject of judicial decisions.<\/p>\n

We have therefore previously reported on relevant court cases:<\/p>\n

Effects of legal uncertainty regarding language requirements in preliminary injunction proceedings for family reunification with German citizens<\/a><\/p>\n

Basic German language skills requirement for family reunification with foreign nationals deemed constitutional<\/a><\/p>\n

Family reunification unlawful due to lack of secured livelihood of the family<\/a><\/p>\n

No family reunification due to false information on Schengen visa<\/a><\/p>\n

In the above-mentioned decision, the Federal Administrative Court ruled that the statutory requirement to provide proof of German language skills when foreign spouses join German citizens applies only in a limited manner.<\/p>\n

\"Procedure<\/p>\n

<\/span>Facts of the Case:<\/span><\/h2>\n

<\/span>Afghan woman married German citizen<\/span><\/h3>\n

The plaintiff in this case is an Afghan national. She married a compatriot who had entered Germany in 1999 and held both Afghan and German citizenship.<\/p>\n

In May 2008, the plaintiff applied for a visa for family reunification with her husband at the German Embassy in Kabul.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Embassy denied visa due to lack of language skills<\/span><\/h3>\n

The embassy rejected this application on the grounds that the plaintiff had not provided sufficient proof of language skills. The plaintiff argued that she was illiterate.<\/p>\n

The administrative court initially rejected the case, reasoning that the Federal Administrative Court\u2019s jurisprudence, which upheld the language requirement for family reunification with a foreign spouse as constitutional, could also be applied to family reunification with a German citizen.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Administrative Court: Feasibility of living together in Afghanistan<\/span><\/h3>\n

The administrative court was of the opinion that it was not apparent why it would be unreasonable for the naturalized husband to temporarily return to Afghanistan to live with his wife.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Decision of the Federal Administrative Court<\/span><\/h2>\n

<\/span>Federal Administrative Court did not agree with the administrative court<\/span><\/h3>\n

The Federal Administrative Court did not follow the administrative court\u2019s view. According to the Residence Act, the language requirement that applies to the reunification with a foreign spouse only applies correspondingly to reunification with a German spouse (\u00a7 28 Abs. 1 Sentence 5 Residence Act in conjunction with \u00a7 30 Abs. 1 Sentence 1 No. 2 Residence Act).<\/p>\n

While the legislator generally requires proof of basic German language skills for a spouse seeking reunification with a German citizen before entering the country (to promote integration and prevent forced marriages),<\/p>\n

the protection of marriage and family under Article 6 of the Basic Law requires a careful balance between these public interests and the private interests of those concerned in living together as a family in Germany.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Living together abroad unreasonable for German citizens<\/span><\/h3>\n

In this balancing of interests, it is particularly significant that a German citizen cannot generally be expected to live abroad to maintain the marriage.<\/p>\n

Unlike a foreigner, a German citizen is granted the fundamental right to reside in Germany under Article 11 of the Basic Law.<\/p>\n

Therefore, a constitutionally appropriate application of the legal rules on the language requirement is necessary.<\/p>\n

The merely \u201ecorresponding\u201c application requires that only reasonable efforts to learn the language be expected from the foreign spouse, which should not exceed a period of one year.<\/p>\n

If such efforts are unreasonably impossible in the country of origin or do not lead to success within one year, the foreign spouse must be granted an entry visa.<\/p>\n

The necessary language skills must then be acquired after entry into Germany to enable the spouse to obtain a residence permit in Germany.<\/p>\n

Source:<\/strong> Source: Federal Administrative CourtSource: Federal Administrative Court<\/p>\n

Important Note: The content of this article has been prepared to the best of our knowledge and belief. However, due to the complexity and constant evolution of the subject matter, we must exclude liability and warranty.<\/b> Important Notice: The content of this article has been created to the best of our knowledge and understanding. However, due to the complexity and constant changes in the subject matter, we must exclude any liability and warranty.<\/p>\n

If you need legal advice, feel free to call us at 0221 \u2013 80187670 or email us at info@mth-partner.de.<\/p>\n

Lawyers in Cologne advise and represent you in immigration law.<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Foreign applicants for reunification with a German spouse must submit their application to the relevant embassy in their home country. One of the most controversial prerequisites for spouse reunification is the requirement of sufficient German language skills.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3667],"tags":[609],"class_list":["post-1923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-familiennachzug","tag-bundesverwaltungsgericht-ehegattennachzug"],"yoast_head":"\nAusl\u00e4nderrecht: Die Voraussetzung ausreichender Deutschkenntnisse beim Ehegattennachzug zu Deutschen ist eingeschr\u00e4nkt<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Von dem ausl\u00e4ndischen Ehepartner eines Deutschen d\u00fcrfen nur zumutbare Bem\u00fchungen zum Spracherwerb verlangt werden.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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