Germany granted fewer spousal visas in 2024 than in 2023, partly due to the candidates’ failure to meet one of the main requirements.
Recent data from the German Foreign Office shows that in 2024, Germany issued around 72,500 spousal visas, representing a 6.1 per cent drop compared to 2023, when the country issued around 77,200 spousal visas, Schengen.News reports.
While the Foreign Office did not explicitly say so, it has been revealed that this decrease in issued spousal visas is because many of the candidates did not meet the required A1 language level, which is mandatory for all those who want to join their partner in Germany.
German government figures show that 62 per cent of the spousal visa candidates passed the language requirement in 2024. On the other hand, the pass rate for the German language requirement among spousal visa candidates stood at 65 per cent in 2023, Info Migrants explains.
Taking this into account, it has been concluded that the language requirement is one of the main hurdles that foreign nationals face when applying for a spousal visa to join their partner in Germany.
German Left-Wing Party Argues That Language Requirement Could Breach EU Law
While the language requirement is seen as a necessary step that needs to be met by spousal visa candidates in order for them to adapt and integrate in Germany, the German left-wing Die Linke party has argued that the requirement to demonstrate a certain level of language proficiency could be against European law.
Such a comment from the Die Linke party was made since the German language requirement does not apply to everyone equally. For example, foreign nationals applying for a spousal visa to join skilled workers are able to enter Germany first and then begin to learn the language.
According to data, nationals of Türkiye, India, Kosovo, Russia, and Iran are most likely to apply to bring their spouses to Germany.
The application for a spousal visa is made by the person who is in Germany and wants to bring their spouse to the country.
When applying for a spousal visa, Germany expects the person applying to have a valid residency permit, prove that they have sufficient space to accommodate the extra person, and have a guaranteed income.
Moreover, the spouse wishing to join their partner in Germany must be over the age of 18 and meet the language criteria.