Turkish nationals top Germany’s family unification visas in 2025

Germany approved more than 100,000 family reunification visas this year despite recent measures that have made the regime more restrictive, with Turkish nationals topping the list, the official data has shown.

Figures released by the German Foreign Ministry for 2025 showed that 101,756 family reunification visa applications submitted by nationals of the five leading countries were approved by the end of November. Turks ranked first among all applicants.

Between January and November, 14,907 Turkish citizens were granted family reunification visas, followed by 13,148 Syrians, 9,286 Indians, 7,143 Kosovars and 4,426 Albanians.

More than one-third of all visas — 37,227 in total — were issued to enable children to join their parents in Germany. Around 3,500 visas were granted for parents seeking to reunite with their children.

The most frequently issued visas were for spouses of foreign nationals living in Germany, with 44,426 visas granted under this category. In addition, 16,298 visas were issued to individuals joining spouses who hold German citizenship.

Family reunification rights generally apply only to the nuclear family, namely spouses and minor children, with a limited number of exceptions in cases of hardship.

Under a coalition reform adopted in March 2024, parents as well as parents-in-law of highly qualified workers were also brought within the scope of family reunification.

However, in July, the government suspended family reunification for two years for individuals holding subsidiary protection status, a group largely composed of Syrian refugees.

Meanwhile, the German government announced that around 1,600 people whose entry was denied following tighter border controls later went on to apply for asylum.