Bringing Family to Germany with a Student Visa — 2026 Turkish Student Guide

It is possible to go to Germany with your spouse and children or to bring them to you later. But deciding which process to start from Turkey is critical — joint application (41.f) and family reunification (Familiennachzug) are two different paths. This guide explains which one...

Bringing Family to Germany with a Student Visa

30-second summary: It is possible to bring your spouse and children under 18 to Germany with a student visa. There are two separate paths:

• Joint application (41.f): You apply simultaneously from Turkey, a single process
• Family reunification (Familiennachzug): You go first, your family joins you 6+ months later

Your spouse must have an A1 German certificate (Goethe/telc/ÖSD) and be 18+ years old. Visa fee is €75 for adults, €37.50 for children. Approximately 12 m² per person is required for accommodation. Practically, it is necessary to add additional amounts for each family member to your Sperrkonto (blocked account).

#Two Confused Processes — Decide on This First

This is the most confused topic in our Telegram community. A Turkish student wrote exactly this:

"My spouse and I are considering applying for a master's degree, and we have an 8-year-old daughter. How much blocked account (Sperrkonto) would be needed for family reunification (Familiennachzug), do you think?"

The answer might actually be, "you don't need family reunification, you need a joint application." Let's clearly see the difference:

Important: Entering Germany with a tourist visa and then switching to family reunification is not accepted. Consulates are very strict about this — it is mandatory to start the process from the German consulate in Turkey.

#Who can be brought?

Easily approved:

• Legally married spouse (marital status "married")
• Children under 16 (biological, step, adopted)
• Children aged 16-18 — if they arrive within 6 months of your departure, unconditionally; if later, C1 German or "proof of integration" may be required

Difficult — individual assessment:

• Parents (only in exceptional cases like "severely ill, in need of care")
• Children aged 18+, siblings, extended family (almost impossible)

Unofficial partner: Only officially registered partnerships (Lebenspartnerschaft for same-sex partners) are recognized. Unmarried partners cannot come.

#Mandatory Requirements for Spouse

#🇩🇪 A1 German certificate — mandatory for TR citizens

Only "Start Deutsch 1" obtained from Goethe-Institut, telc GmbH, or ÖSD is valid. The original + notarized Turkish translation must be submitted to the consulate.

Real question from the community: "I need to take the Goethe A1 exam, I have no German at all, where can I find an intensive course in Istanbul?"

Practical advice: Istanbul Goethe + telc partner schools offer 4-8 week intensive courses (€350-600). The exam is separate (€90-110). 0 → A1 typically takes 8-12 weeks.

#Age and marriage date

• Both spouses must be 18+
• Marriage must have occurred before your German visa application (if you marry later, it will be assessed solely for visa purposes)

#Proof from previous marriage

Divorce decree or former spouse's death certificate is required — Turkish court approved + translation.

#Requirements for Children

If coming with a single parent: The other parent either signs the consent letter at the German consulate or sends a notarized document + Apostille from Turkey.

#Accommodation and Money — Real Numbers

#Accommodation (Wohnraum)

The Ausländerbehörde (Foreigners' Office) expects you to have sufficient living space:

• ~12 m² for each adult
• ~10 m² for children under 6

So, for a family of 4 (2 adults + 2 small children), approximately 44 m². A single-room student dormitory is not sufficient — you need to move into a suitable apartment where you can obtain a city registration certificate (Anmeldebescheinigung) before your family joins you.

#Sperrkonto (Blocked Account) — How much more in practice?

This is the most common misunderstanding in the community. There is no official fixed legal amount — the Ausländerbehörde assesses each situation individually.

What happens in practice:

• For the student themselves: According to our Blocked Account Finder tool, €11,904/year (2026)
• Additional for spouse: Generally, an additional €5,000-8,000 is reported to be requested (case-by-case)
• Per child: ~€3,000-5,000 additional

These figures are not definitive — they vary by city and official. The safest way is to contact your consulate and obtain their document list.

#Step-by-step process from Turkey

#If it's a joint application (41.f)

1. You apply for a student D visa via VIDEX
2. In the form, select spouse/child under "Who will you bring with you?"
3. All family members go to the consulate for a single appointment
4. Processed in a single file, visas are issued simultaneously

#If it's family reunification (Familiennachzug)

1. You go to Germany, obtain a residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel), and register (Anmeldung)
2. Move into a sufficiently sized apartment (12 m²/person)
3. Your spouse/children make a separate appointment at the consulate in Turkey
4. Send your residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel), registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung), rental contract, and proof of income
5. Spouse comes with A1 certificate, passes the visa interview
6. After arriving in Germany, apply for a residence card at the Ausländerbehörde within 3 months

Appointment waiting time: 3-9 months waiting is normal for Turkish consulates. A community member said, "my sisters waited 6 months for family reunification" — this is still common.

#Timelines + Fees — in a single table

#Can the spouse work in Germany?

Yes — no restrictions. With a family reunification/joint application residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel), the spouse can work full-time + in any sector. The 120/240-day limitation of your student visa does not apply to the spouse.

From the community: "If my spouse gets accepted for a master's degree, can I go with my spouse? And when I go, will I have a full-time work permit?" — Answer: Yes and yes.

#Frequently Asked Questions

"My spouse works in Turkey, will an A1 certificate make things easier?" A1 is already mandatory. The certificate means "the requirement is met" — it's a prerequisite, not a bonus.

"We are not married yet but plan to go together, what should we do?" Only official marriage is accepted. Get married in Turkey before departure. Otherwise, your partner will have to obtain their own visa (tourist or job-seeker).

"My child's passport was issued 2 years ago, is that a problem?" No. It's sufficient for the passport to have been issued within the last 10 years + be valid for at least 1 year.

"How does the spouse live alone in Turkey during the waiting period?" Common practice: you settle first (1-2 months), apply for family reunification, and when your spouse arrives, you do their registration (Anmeldung) together. The entire process averages 6-9 months.

"Can one come with a Schengen visa and switch to a D visa internally?" No. Consulates reject this path — a D visa application must be made from outside the country.

#Next Steps

• 🏦 Sperrkonto (Blocked Account) Finder — Compare additional deposits for the family
• 💸 Visa Cost Calculator — Total budget for the entire family
• 📅 Application Calendar — Track consulate appointments + university deadlines

What is this guide based on? This guide is based on document lists from German consulates in Turkey (updated as of 2026), the official guide from the Auswärtiges Amt (German Federal Foreign Office), the Familiennachzug (family reunification) law (AufenthG § 27-36), and a pool of 14,793 real questions from the ApplyToGerman (AlmanyaUni) community (Telegram + Forum, 2021-2026). Specific figures may vary per consulate — always verify the current list from your own consulate before applying.