German spouse visa for British nationals
What this visa is
If you hold a British passport and are married to a German citizen, you can join them in Germany under the family reunification route in section 28 of the Residence Act. Since the UK left the EU, British nationals apply on the same third country basis as any other non EU spouse, though the UK keeps a procedural advantage that most third country nationals do not have.
You do not need a national visa to enter Germany. You can travel as a visitor and apply for your residence permit once you are there. The residence permit gives you the right to work in Germany without a separate work permit, and it counts towards a settlement permit.
Who can apply
You can apply if you are married to a German citizen or in a registered civil partnership with one. Both of you must be at least 18. Same sex marriages and civil partnerships registered in the UK are recognised by Germany on the same terms as opposite sex marriages.
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.
Whether you need a visa before you travel
British citizens are confirmed by the German Embassy in London as able to apply to their local Ausländerbehörde for a residence permit after arriving in Germany, without first obtaining a visa. This puts the UK in the same visa free category as the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and South Korea.
You have two routes. The first is to travel to Germany, register your address, and apply directly at the Ausländerbehörde for your area, usually within your 90 day visa free period. The second is to apply for the D visa before you travel, through the German Embassy in London or the Consulate General in Edinburgh, depending on where in the UK you live.
Jurisdiction is split by residence, not nationality. If you live in Scotland, you apply through the Consulate General in Edinburgh. If you live in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands, Gibraltar or the Falkland Islands, you apply through the Embassy in London. Applying at the wrong mission delays your case, since applications submitted to the wrong jurisdiction cannot be processed.
The German language requirement
As the spouse of a German national, you are normally required to prove basic German at A1 level before the residence permit is granted. This applies whichever route you use. Holding a British passport does not exempt you, since the exemption tied to section 41 of the Residence Ordinance changes where you apply, not whether you need A1.
A small set of exemptions apply regardless of nationality. You do not need to prove A1 if you can already communicate in German at your appointment, if you hold a university degree with good employment prospects in Germany, if your stay is only temporary, or if illness or disability makes learning a language impossible in the long term. You need to provide evidence if you are claiming one of these.
Accepted certificates include the Goethe-Institut Start Deutsch 1, telc Deutsch A1, and the ÖSD Zertifikat A1.
Your marriage certificate
Germany has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 1966 and accepts an apostilled UK marriage certificate without further legalisation at the Embassy. You obtain the apostille from the FCDO Legalisation Office, not from the German mission, which does not provide this service itself.
UK birth and marriage certificates are not eligible for the FCDO’s faster e-Apostille service and require the paper apostille route. Once apostilled, German authorities generally require a certified translation into German by a translator sworn in at a German regional court. Build both steps into your timeline before booking your appointment.
Documents you need
The current checklist depends on the mission or Ausländerbehörde handling your case, so confirm it before your appointment. Typically you need your valid UK passport, the completed application form, two biometric passport photos, your original apostilled and translated marriage certificate, your spouse’s German passport or ID, evidence of your spouse’s address and income in Germany, proof of adequate housing, and your A1 certificate or evidence of an exemption.
How to apply
If applying before travel, submit through the online portal to whichever of the Embassy in London or the Consulate General in Edinburgh has jurisdiction over your UK residence, then book your in person appointment. Read the mission’s published requirements closely before you start, since incorrectly uploaded documents extend processing times.
If applying after arrival in Germany, register your address at the local residents’ registration office first, then book an appointment with the Ausländerbehörde. The Embassy in London recommends contacting the immigration office as soon as possible after you arrive in Germany, since appointment availability can be a longer wait than document processing.
Costs and processing times
Spouses of German nationals are listed as exempt from the national visa fee, which is otherwise 75 euros for adults. This is confirmed only when your application is submitted, so do not assume it in advance.
Once you are in Germany, the Ausländerbehörde issuing your residence permit charges a separate fee, generally around 100 euros under section 45 of the Residence Ordinance, though this can vary by case and by authority. Check with your local Ausländerbehörde for its current fee.
Final checks under German immigration law are only completed after your appointment at the mission, so book that appointment as early as the online system allows. All figures are as at September 2026 and can change, so confirm current fees and processing times with your German mission or Ausländerbehörde before applying.
After you arrive
Register your address at the local residents’ registration office, usually within 14 days of moving in. Once the Ausländerbehörde issues your residence permit, you can take up employment 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 continues in Germany, there is no ground for your expulsion, and you have sufficient German. Sufficient means B1 level, higher than the A1 you needed to enter, so plan to continue studying German after you arrive. A settlement permit currently costs between 113 and 147 euros.
If your spouse is not a German citizen
If your spouse lives in Germany but is not a German citizen, for example a British national working in Germany, you apply under section 30 of the Residence Act. You can still use either route described above: enter visa free and apply at the Ausländerbehörde, or apply for the D visa in the UK first. 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 A1 requirement is lighter on this route, and it depends on your spouse’s nationality, not yours. You do not need to prove German if your spouse holds the nationality of a country listed in section 41 of the Residence Ordinance, which includes the UK, the US, Canada and Australia. So if your spouse is also British, the requirement falls away. You are also exempt 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.
Any fee waiver for spouses of German citizens does not apply.
The three year settlement route above does not apply. Permanent residence follows the general rules, which normally need five years.
FAQs
Can I move to Germany on a tourist stay and sort out the residence permit later?
British citizens can enter the Schengen area visa free for short stays, and the family reunification route above builds on that. Register your address and start the Ausländerbehörde process within your 90 day window rather than treating the visit as separate from the residence permit application.
Does it matter whether I apply through London or Edinburgh?
Yes. Jurisdiction depends on where you live in the UK, not where you were born or where your spouse’s German ties are. Applying to the wrong mission means your application cannot be processed.
Can my German spouse in Germany apply on my behalf while I stay in the UK?
No. The application is made by you as the person joining your spouse, either at the mission covering your UK address or at the Ausländerbehörde once you are in Germany.
Do I need to redo the apostille if my marriage certificate is more than a few years old?
No expiry applies to the apostille itself, but check with the Ausländerbehörde or mission handling your case whether they want a recently issued certified copy of the marriage certificate alongside it.
Will my time on this residence permit count towards British dual nationality rules?
This question is about German residence and settlement, and does not affect your British citizenship. If you are asking about German citizenship, the naturalisation rules changed under the 2024 reform, so confirm the current position with the BAMF or your local authority.
Official sources
German Embassy London, D-Visa: Joining my German spouse or registered partner: uk.diplo.de/uk-en/02/joining-german-spouse-2448194
Federal Foreign Office, Exemptions to the need to furnish proof of basic knowledge of German
FCDO Legalisation Office, apostille service: gov.uk
BAMF, Proof of knowledge of basic German for spousal reunification from abroad
Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), sections 27 to 31, gesetze-im-internet.de