Who is exempt from the German language requirement for family reunification?

The language requirement does not apply to everyone. The main exemptions:

• Spouses of holders of an EU Blue Card, ICT Card, researcher or skilled-worker permit
• Spouses of EU/EEA citizens
• Applicants whose German is already evidently sufficient at the time of application
• University graduates with good employment prospects
• Marriages that existed before the spouse came to Germany as a refugee
• Hardship: where particular circumstances make it impossible or unreasonable to make efforts to learn basic German before entry (§ 30 (1) sentence 3 no. 6 Residence Act)
• Spouses of German citizens: the requirement cannot be enforced if genuine efforts have remained unsuccessful for a year

One thing to note: most exemptions depend on the residence status of the spouse already in Germany, not on the applicant's own situation. So the first question to answer is: on which permit is my spouse living in Germany?

Sources: Federal Foreign Office — language requirement and exceptions · BAMF

This is general information, not legal advice.