German spouse visa for Kosovan nationals
What this visa is
If you are a Kosovan 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 travel, and your Kosovan civil status documents must be legalised by the German Embassy. 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. If either of you was under 18 at the time of the marriage, the Embassy asks for the court approval of that marriage.
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.
You need a visa before you travel
Kosovo is not on the list of nationalities that can enter Germany without a visa and apply for the residence permit after arrival. Visa free travel to the Schengen area covers short stays only, so you must apply for the D visa at the German Embassy in Pristina 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.
Legalising Kosovan documents
The Apostille Convention does not apply between Kosovo and Germany, so an apostille is not accepted. Kosovan civil status documents are instead legalised by the German Embassy in Pristina.
Before the Embassy legalises a document, it must carry a certification from the Civil Registration Agency of Kosovo’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. The certification must be no older than six months and must carry a handwritten signature and an original seal. The Embassy rejects scanned or printed signatures and seals. The legalisation fee is 32 euros per document, as at September 2026.
The Embassy’s family reunion page states that from 1 September 2026, all Kosovan civil status documents must be legalised. Before that date, some older records could be accepted with the Ministry’s certification alone. That concession no longer applies, so allow time to legalise every Kosovan document you rely on.
The German language requirement
As the spouse of a German national, you must show basic German at A1 level when you apply.
Exemptions exist 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 with the Embassy before your appointment. In general you need two biometric photos and a residence certificate, both no older than six months, and a passport valid for at least six more months. You also need your birth certificate and your marriage certificate from the country where you married. You also need a copy of your spouse’s German passport or ID card, your A1 certificate or evidence of an exemption, and divorce decrees or death certificates for any previous marriage.
Kosovan documents must carry the Ministry of Internal Affairs certification and the Embassy’s legalisation.
How to apply
Prepare your documents first. Then register for an appointment through the Embassy’s online appointment system, using a computer rather than a smartphone. Complete the electronic application in VIDEX national, print it and bring it to your appointment. You must attend in person.
The Embassy returns documents by DHL courier. You buy a prepaid return envelope at the Embassy on the day you apply.
Costs and processing times
The national visa fee is 75 euros for adults. The Embassy in Pristina states that applications from spouses of German citizens are free of charge. Payment is in exact cash, and the Embassy does not accept coins below 50 cents.
The Embassy advises that processing can take up to three months, and in some cases considerably longer. If the Ausländerbehörde in Germany gives its approval in advance, the Embassy states that processing can take a few weeks. Once you are in Germany, the Ausländerbehörde charges a separate fee to issue the residence permit. All figures are as at September 2026.
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 a Kosovan national with a German residence permit, you apply under section 30 of the Residence Act. The Embassy, the appointment process and the legalisation 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 current 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, because the fee waiver covers only spouses of German citizens.
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 visa free travel and apply there?
No. Visa free travel lets you stay up to 90 days in any 180 for short visits. To live with your spouse, you need the national D visa from the Embassy in Pristina before you move.
My documents only have the Ministry certification. Is that enough?
Not from 1 September 2026. The Embassy states that all Kosovan civil status documents must now be legalised.
How old can the Ministry certification be?
No older than six months when you apply for legalisation, with a handwritten signature and original seal.
Can I get my legalised documents back by post?
Yes. The Embassy returns documents by DHL, using a prepaid envelope you buy on the day you apply.
We married in Germany. Which marriage certificate do I submit?
Submit the marriage certificate from the country where the marriage took place, which in this case is the German certificate. It does not need Kosovan legalisation.
Official sources
German Embassy Pristina, Family reunion: pristina.diplo.de/xk-de/service/visa-einreise/familiennachzug-2314576
German Embassy Pristina, Legalisation of Kosovan civil status documents: pristina.diplo.de/xk-de/service/konsularisches/legalisation-2255098
German Embassy Pristina, Verification of documents from the Republic of Kosovo
Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), sections 27 to 31, gesetze-im-internet.de