German spouse visa for Nigerian nationals
What this visa is
If you are a Nigerian 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. Nigerian documents cannot be legalised for use in Germany, so how you married affects how long your case takes. 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 married before, the German missions accept only divorce decrees issued by the locally competent court.
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
Nigeria is not on the list of nationalities that can enter Germany without a visa and apply for the residence permit after arrival. You must apply for the D visa at the German mission responsible for where you live, the Embassy in Abuja or the Consulate General in Lagos, before you travel. You also need to show that you are legally resident in Nigeria.
Your application goes to the Ausländerbehörde for your intended German address for approval. The mission can only issue the visa once that authority has agreed.
Nigerian documents and verification
The German missions stopped legalising Nigerian public documents in May 2000. Nigeria is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so there is no apostille route either.
Instead, a Nigerian document can be checked through a verification procedure. Only a German authority, such as a registry office, a court or the Ausländerbehörde, can request it. You cannot start it yourself. The missions ask applicants not to enquire about progress while a verification is under way.
Traditional and civil marriages
If your marriage has so far been concluded only under customary or traditional law, the German missions in Nigeria advise you to conclude a civil marriage before you apply. Otherwise a document verification must usually be carried out, which adds time to your case.
A civil marriage in Nigeria is conducted at a marriage registry under the Marriage Act. If you married in Germany or another country, submit the marriage certificate from that country instead.
The German language requirement
As the spouse of a German national, you must show basic German at A1 level. The German missions in Nigeria ask for a recognised language certificate, for example from the Goethe-Institut. The certificate must be no older than one year at the time the visa is issued. You can submit it while your application is being processed.
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 your mission before your appointment. In general you need your original passport, valid for at least six more months with two free pages, and a copy of the data page. You also need your birth certificate, proof of legal residence in Nigeria and your marriage certificate. For your spouse, bring their German passport or ID card and evidence of their address in Germany. Add your A1 certificate or evidence of an exemption, and court divorce decrees or death certificates for any previous marriage.
For your birth certificate, the missions accept a certified copy or an affidavit, depending on when you were born. Check which applies to you. All documents are submitted at your personal interview.
How to apply
Book an appointment with the mission responsible for where you live and attend in person with the full set of documents. The mission must involve the Ausländerbehörde in Germany, which can extend processing.
Costs and processing times
The national visa fee is 75 euros for adults. The German missions in Nigeria state that applications from people married to a German or EU citizen are free of charge.
The missions state that they cannot answer enquiries about an application’s status within the first 12 weeks after submission. If your documents need verification, allow further time. Once you are in Germany, the Ausländerbehörde charges a separate fee to issue the residence permit. All figures are as at September 2026, so confirm them with your mission before applying.
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 Nigerian national with a German residence permit, you apply under section 30 of the Residence Act. The missions, the documents and the verification 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 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 unless your spouse is an EU citizen.
The three year settlement route above does not apply. Permanent residence follows the general rules, which normally need five years.
FAQs
Can I get my marriage certificate legalised at the German Embassy?
No. The German missions stopped legalising Nigerian documents in May 2000. A verification procedure, requested by a German authority, is used instead.
Can I pay for a verification myself to speed things up?
No. Only a German authority, such as a registry office or court, can start a verification.
We had a traditional wedding. Is that enough?
The German missions in Nigeria advise concluding a civil marriage before you apply. Without one, a verification must usually be carried out.
Can I apply before I have my A1 certificate?
Yes. You can submit the certificate while your application is being processed. It must be no older than one year when the visa is issued.
Will the mission update me on progress?
The missions state that they cannot answer status enquiries within the first 12 weeks after you apply.
Official sources
German Missions in Nigeria, Family reunion to a spouse: nigeria.diplo.de/ng-en/2691066-2691066
German Missions in Nigeria, Verification of Nigerian documents: nigeria.diplo.de/ng-en/verification-of-nigerian-documents-1015552
Hague Conference on Private International Law, Apostille Convention status table
Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), sections 27 to 31, gesetze-im-internet.de