German spouse visa for Albanian nationals
What this visa is
If you are an Albanian national married to a German citizen, you can join them in Germany under the family reunification route in section 28 of the Residence Act. You need a national visa before you move. Once your residence permit is granted, you can live and work in Germany without restriction. Fees and procedures in this guide are as at September 2026.
If your spouse lives in Germany but is not a German citizen, a different section of the law applies. That route is covered in its own section further down.
Who can apply
You can apply if you are legally married to a German citizen. Both of you must be at least 18. The marriage must be registered with the Albanian civil registry or with the authorities of the country where it took place.
Who can sponsor
Your spouse must be a German citizen. Section 28(1) of the Residence Act waives the secure livelihood test that applies to most other family reunification routes, so your spouse does not normally have to show a minimum income to sponsor you. Your spouse does need to show adequate housing for both of you in Germany and be registered at a German address.
You need a visa before you move
Albanian passport holders can visit the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180. That covers short visits only. It does not let you move to Germany and apply for a residence permit there, so you must apply for the D visa at the German Embassy in Tirana before you move.
Your application goes to the Ausländerbehörde for your intended German address for approval. The Embassy can only issue the visa once that authority has agreed.
Albanian documents and the apostille
Albania is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, and the Embassy in Tirana asks for an apostille on Albanian civil status documents. There is no separate legalisation by the German Embassy.
The Embassy states that Albanian international civil status certificates do not need a translation, but do need an apostille. Other documents not in German need a translation and an apostille, and the translation must be notarially certified.
The German language requirement
As the spouse of a German national, you must show basic German at A1 level with a current language certificate.
Some exemptions apply regardless of nationality. You do not need the certificate if your German is obvious at the appointment. Nor do you need it if an illness or disability means you cannot learn German. The same applies if particular circumstances make it impossible or unreasonable for you to learn German before you travel. You need evidence for any exemption you claim.
Documents you need
Confirm the current checklist in the Embassy’s spouse reunion information sheet before your appointment. In general you need the VIDEX application form and the Embassy’s additional declaration, your passport valid for at least six more months, biometric passport photos, and your apostilled marriage certificate. You also need a copy of your spouse’s passport or ID card and their German registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung), not older than six months. Add your A1 certificate or evidence of an exemption.
The Embassy accepts only complete applications. If documents are missing, the application is refused and you have to register again, which means waiting again for an appointment.
How to apply
Register through the Embassy’s appointment system to be given an appointment. You can also start your application on the Federal Foreign Office’s Consular Services Portal, where the Embassy checks your documents in advance of the appointment. Complete the application form in VIDEX national and bring it with you.
The Embassy warns that applications with forged or false documents are refused immediately, and the applicant is entered in a warning database that affects future applications.
Costs and processing times
The national visa fee is 75 euros, charged in lek at the Embassy’s exchange rate. German missions in several other countries, including Kosovo and Brazil, waive the fee for spouses of German citizens, so ask the Embassy whether the waiver applies to you.
The Embassy states that processing usually takes about three months, and longer in some cases, because the Ausländerbehörde in Germany must approve it. It asks applicants not to enquire about progress before 12 weeks have passed. Once you are in Germany, the Ausländerbehörde charges a separate fee to issue the residence permit.
After you arrive
Register your address at the local residents’ registration office within the deadline your city sets. Then apply for your residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde before your visa expires. Once the permit is issued, you can work in Germany without a separate work permit.
Settlement permit after three years
Section 28(2) of the Residence Act entitles you to a settlement permit, an unlimited residence title, once you have held the residence permit for three years. Your family life with your German spouse must continue in Germany, there must be no ground for your expulsion, and you need German at B1 level.
If your spouse is not a German citizen
If your spouse lives in Germany but is not a German citizen, for example an Albanian national with a German residence permit, you apply under section 30 of the Residence Act. The Embassy, the appointment process and the apostille rules are the same, but four rules differ.
Your spouse must hold a residence permit, settlement permit or EU Blue Card. They must show enough income to support you both without public benefits, plus health insurance. The income waiver for spouses of German citizens does not apply. The Embassy also asks for a copy of your spouse’s residence permit.
The A1 requirement still applies, but more exemptions are available. You do not need to prove German if your spouse holds an EU Blue Card, is a recognised refugee, or holds certain residence titles as a skilled worker, researcher or self employed person.
The visa fee of 75 euros applies.
The three year settlement route above does not apply. Permanent residence follows the general rules, which normally need five years.
FAQs
Can I travel to Germany visa free and apply for the residence permit there?
No. Visa free travel covers short visits of up to 90 days in any 180. To live with your spouse, you need the national D visa from the Embassy in Tirana before you move.
Does my Albanian international marriage certificate need translating?
No. The Embassy states that Albanian international certificates need no translation, but they do need an apostille.
What happens if I forget a document?
The Embassy refuses incomplete applications. You would have to register again and wait for a new appointment.
Can the Embassy check my documents before my appointment?
Yes, if you apply through the Consular Services Portal. The Embassy reviews documents submitted there before your appointment.
Is Albania treated like Kosovo for documents?
No. Albanian documents take an apostille, while Kosovan documents need legalisation by the German Embassy in Pristina.
Official sources
German Embassy Tirana, Visa for family reunion: tirana.diplo.de/al-de/service/visa-de/2270420-2270420
German Embassy Tirana, Information sheet on spouse reunion: tirana.diplo.de/al-de/service/visa-de/2439034-2439034
German Embassy Tirana, Apostille: tirana.diplo.de/al-de/service/-/2014646
Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), sections 27 to 31, gesetze-im-internet.de