Family & Other
Family members of EU citizens (EU free movement, FreizügG/EU)
For non-EU family members of EU citizens living in Germany. Learn how the process differs from other permits.
- 6 monthslegal maximum for issuing the residence cardSource: 6 months legal maximum for issuing the residence card (opens in new tab)
- 3 monthsafter entry, the office may ask you to show the conditions are metSource: 3 months after entry, the office may ask you to show the conditions are met (opens in new tab)
Your local offices
City not listed? Find your Bürgeramt with the federal service search and your Ausländerbehörde with BAMF-NAvI, or see the guide for your state.
General information only. Check with your Ausländerbehörde.
Your local office: documents, fees, booking and waiting times are set by each Ausländerbehörde and differ from city to city. Pick your situation and city in the step finder to get a direct link to your own office, or see the local office guide for your state. You can also find your office with BAMF-NAvI or the federal service finder.
Who it's for
Non-EU family members (e.g. spouse, partner, children) who accompany or join an EU citizen living in Germany under EU free-movement rules. The law also covers EEA citizens, eligible UK citizens under the Withdrawal Agreement, and family of Germans who made lasting use of EU free movement. (§ 1(1) FreizügG/EU, checked 2026-11-04) Family of Germans who did not use free movement: not covered by this law (inferred from § 1(1); confirm with your Ausländerbehörde).
Requirements
- Family members of a free-movement EU citizen have the right of residence if they accompany or join that EU citizen. (§ 3(1) FreizügG/EU, checked 2026-11-04)
- "Family members" = spouse; registered partner; children/grandchildren (of the EU citizen or spouse/partner) under 21 or supported by them; parents/grandparents supported by them. (§ 1(2) Nr. 3 FreizügG/EU, checked 2026-11-04)
- Other "close persons" (e.g. other relatives, unmarried long-term partners) are a separate category with different rules. (§ 1(2) Nr. 4, checked 2026-11-04)
- The Ausländerbehörde may ask you to show, three months after entry, that the conditions of the right are met. (§ 5(2) FreizügG/EU, checked 2026-11-04)
- Rights can continue after death of the EU citizen (after at least one year here as a family member) or after divorce in certain cases (e.g. marriage lasted 3+ years, 1+ in Germany). (§ 3(2)–(4) FreizügG/EU, checked 2026-11-04)
Documents
Documents, fees and steps at your local office
Each Ausländerbehörde publishes its own document checklist, fees and booking or online-application process, so this guide doesn't copy one city's list. Pick your situation and city in the step finder for a direct link to your office's page, or open the local office guide for your state. Fees for residence permits are set nationwide in § 45 AufenthV; your office tells you the exact amount.
Fees
- Residence card / permanent residence card: same fee as a German ID card (Personalausweis); the under-24 rate applies if you are under 24. (§ 47(3) AufenthV, checked 2026-11-04). The ID-card fee is €46, or €27.60 if under 24 (§ 1(1) PAuswGebV, checked 2026-11-04).
- Certificate of permanent residence for EU citizens: €10. (same source)
Processing notes
- Card is issued "von Amts wegen" (ex officio); legal maximum is six months. (§ 5(1), checked 2026-11-04)
- The authority can re-check conditions for special reasons, and may withdraw the card if conditions lapse within the first five years. (§ 5(3)–(4), checked 2026-11-04)
- No outcome is guaranteed.