Family Reunification Visa in Europe: 2026 Requirements

A family reunification visa lets your spouse, children and sometimes your parents join you if you are a non-EU national living legally in a European country. There is no single EU-wide visa. You always apply to the country where you live, and that country's national law sets the income, housing, waiting period and language rules.

The EU Family Reunification Directive sets minimum rules for 25 of the 27 EU countries. Several countries tightened their rules in 2025 and 2026, including Sweden (1 October 2026), Germany for people with subsidiary protection and the Netherlands for asylum-status holders (June 2026). This guide explains who qualifies, what you need and how long it takes, with worked examples.

Key facts at a glance

Question	Short answer (as of October 2026)
Is there one EU family reunification visa?	No. Each country runs its own process under minimum EU rules.
Where do you apply?	To the authorities of the EU country where the sponsor already lives.
Countries outside the EU Directive	Denmark and Ireland.
Legal maximum decision time	9 months under the Directive.
Typical core requirements	Valid residence permit, enough stable income, adequate housing, health insurance, proof of relationship.
Netherlands partner income (from 1 July 2026)	€2,337.00 gross per month, excluding holiday allowance.
Sweden maintenance (from 1 October 2026)	SEK 13,408 a month left after tax and housing for a couple, plus a set amount per child.
Germany, subsidiary protection	Suspended from 24 July 2025 to 23 July 2027, with rare hardship exceptions.
Married to an EU citizen?	Different rules. The Family Reunification Directive does not cover you.

What is a family reunification visa and who does it cover?

Family reunification is the legal route for a non-EU national who already lives in an EU country (the "sponsor") to bring close relatives from outside the EU. The EU Family Reunification Directive (2003/86/EC) has applied since 3 October 2003, and member states had to put it into national law by 3 October 2005, according to EUR-Lex.

The Directive only sets minimum common rules. Countries may offer more favorable and broader rules, so national law decides the details, as the European Commission explains. The general EU rules apply in 25 countries. Denmark and Ireland are excluded and use their own national systems.

In practice, "family reunification visa" usually means two steps: a national long-stay entry visa for your relative, then a residence permit after arrival. In Italy, for example, family members get an entry visa and then apply for a residence permit once they arrive, according to the EU Immigration Portal (Italy).

Immigration rules change often and depend on your exact status, so confirm your own case with the official immigration authority or a qualified adviser before you apply.

You usually need a residence permit valid for at least one year, and many countries also want you to have lived there for a minimum period first. The exact waiting time depends on the country and your permit type.

France: at least 18 months of legal residence, plus a permit valid for at least one year, a ten-year permit or an EU long-term resident permit (EU Immigration Portal (France)).
Italy: a long-term permit or a permit of at least one year, for example for work, study, protection, family or research.
Spain: the sponsor generally needs one year of residence and a renewal application filed.
Croatia: one year of lawful residence for some work-and-stay permit holders. Seasonal workers are excluded (EU Immigration Portal (Croatia)).
Malta: the policy letter requires two years of residence under the main regulations (EU Immigration Portal (Malta)).
Sweden: since 1 October 2026, a two-year residence period applies to some temporary permit holders (Swedish Migration Agency).

Sometimes. Italy accepts study permits of at least one year. Croatia excludes seasonal workers. Short or temporary permits are where you are most likely to hit a waiting period or an outright exclusion. If your student permit is close to expiring, read our guide to student visa extension rules in Europe first, because a permit with less than a year left can disqualify you in some countries.

Which relatives qualify for family reunification?

Spouses and minor children qualify almost everywhere. Unmarried partners, adult children and parents depend heavily on the country.

Italy: spouse, unmarried minor children, dependent adult children with serious health difficulties, and certain dependent parents.
France: spouse aged 18 or over and minor children. Registered partners are excluded from this procedure.
Spain: spouse or partner and children under 18 (Wise). Dependent parents over 65 only if the sponsor is a long-term resident.
Netherlands: both partners must generally be 21 or older. For asylum-status holders, new rules apply since the EU Pact applied on 12 June 2026, and the IND has temporarily stopped deciding some applications (IND). Reports indicate it is now limited to a married partner and minor children; check ind.nl for your case.

If you want to bring parents, look closely at the dependency rules. "Dependent" usually means you must prove they rely on you financially, and conditions like Spain's age limit and long-term residence rule are strict.

Family reunification visa Europe requirements: income, housing and language

Most countries check the same core items: a valid sponsor permit, enough stable income, adequate housing, health insurance and proof of the family relationship. Some add a language test for the spouse.

Family reunification income requirement in 2026

Income rules differ the most between countries. Germany asks for a secured livelihood, and Italy asks for adequate yearly gross income. The Netherlands publishes an exact figure: from 1 July 2026, the sponsor of a partner needs €2,337.00 gross per month excluding holiday allowance, or €2,523.96 including it (Law & More). The IND updates this figure every January and July. The income must also be sustainable, for example an employment contract valid for at least one year after you apply.

Sweden sets a "left over" amount instead of a gross salary. For a couple, Migrationsverket now requires SEK 13,408 a month left after tax and housing costs, plus a set amount per child (Migrationsverket: maintenance requirement).

Worked example: do you meet the Dutch income test?

Say you apply in November 2026 to bring your wife.

Your salary is €2,400 gross per month, excluding holiday allowance. That is €63 above the €2,337 threshold.
Your contract runs until 31 January 2028, so it is valid for more than a year after you apply. You pass both tests.
If your salary were €2,300, you would fall €37 short each month. If your contract ended in June 2027, you would have a sustainability problem even with enough salary.

If you apply in December, check whether the January 2027 update changes the figure before your file is assessed.

Housing and health insurance

Germany (except for Blue Card, ICT and § 18b holders) and Italy require adequate housing, and Germany also requires health insurance (VisaRight). "Adequate" often means enough space for the number of people, so a studio lease may not work for a family of four.

Language and integration tests

Germany: spouses joining a foreign national generally need A1 German. Exemptions: spouses of EU Blue Card, ICT card, researcher and § 18b skilled-worker permit holders do not need A1, and the housing check is waived for Blue Card, ICT and § 18b holders. Refugees recognized under the Geneva Convention are exempt from the income and language rules under privileged family reunification, usually only if the application is made within three months of recognition.
Netherlands: partners generally must pass the civic integration exam abroad before the MVV (entry visa) application. The exam fee is €150 (NLCompass).

How much are the fees?

In the Netherlands, the 2026 IND fee is reported as €254 for a partner or adult family member and €85 for a child, plus €150 for the integration exam (NLCompass). In Germany, Italy and Spain, fees are set nationally and charged by the embassy, consulate or local immigration office, so take the current figure from the official government or consulate page for your case.

How long does a family reunification visa take?

The legal maximum under the Directive is 9 months, according to the EUAA. National periods are often shorter on paper:

Netherlands: 90 days for a partner permit. The IND can extend the 90 days, and requests for missing documents pause the clock.
Spain: a legal period after which silence counts as refusal (check the current period on the official extranjeros.inclusion.gob.es page).
Italy: raised from 90 to 150 days.
Belgium: extended from 6 to 9 months.

Backlogs matter as much as legal deadlines. Finland reported a backlog of more than 15,000 family-ties applications. Of nearly 50,000 applications submitted in 2024, about 65% were resolved in under three months, and a missing valid national passport made processing longer (EUAA Development Information Platform).

Worked example: counting the deadlines

You submit a complete application on 1 November 2026:

Netherlands (90 days): 29 days to 30 November, 31 in December, then 30 in January. The decision is due by 30 January 2027, unless the IND extends the period or pauses the clock to ask for missing documents.
Italy (150 days): 29 days in November, 31 in December, 31 in January, 28 in February (2027 is not a leap year) and 31 in March. The decision is due by 31 March 2027.
EU maximum (9 months): 1 August 2027.

Plan travel, school enrollment and lease dates around the national deadline, not the most optimistic forum report.

Country comparison: Germany, Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden

Country	Sponsor rule	Key requirements	Decision period	Notes
Germany	Valid residence permit (subsidiary protection suspended until 23 July 2027)	Secured livelihood, adequate housing, health insurance, A1 German for spouses	9-month EU cap	No A1 for spouses of Blue Card, ICT, researcher and § 18b holders; no housing check for Blue Card, ICT and § 18b. Geneva refugees exempt from income and language rules, usually if applying within three months of recognition
Netherlands	Residence permit with sustainable income	€2,337 gross per month for a partner; both partners generally 21+; civic integration exam abroad	90 days (partner), can be extended	Reported fees: €254 adult, €85 child
France	18 months' residence and a permit of at least 1 year	Spouse 18+, minor children; registered partners excluded	Not stated in our sources	Talent passport families use a separate route with work rights
Italy	Long-term permit or permit of at least 1 year	Adequate yearly gross income and accommodation	150 days	Permit allows employment
Spain	Generally one year of residence and a renewal filed; apply first at the Oficina de Extranjería	Spouse or partner, children under 18; parents over 65 only for long-term residents	Legal period, then silence = refusal (check official page)	Visa at a Spanish consulate only after approval
Sweden	Two-year residence for some temporary permit holders	SEK 13,408 a month after tax and housing for a couple, plus per child	Not stated in our sources	Check Migrationsverket before applying

For Portugal, see our step-by-step guide to Portugal TRC family reunification.

Can your family work on a family reunification permit?

Often yes, but confirm it per country. Italy's family permit allows employment. In France, family members of "passport talent" holders get a "family passport talent" permit with the right to work. If your spouse plans to work in a field that needs its own permit, our Europe work visa guide explains the separate routes.

What changed in 2025 and 2026?

Sweden: new rules from 1 October 2026

Sweden's stricter family-immigration rules raise the maintenance (income) amount for the person in Sweden and extend that requirement to permit extensions. They also add stricter conditions for the person being joined and a two-year residence period for some temporary permit holders (Swedish Migration Agency).

The higher amount applies to new applications from 1 October 2026. Extensions of permits granted before 1 October 2026 keep the old amount if filed by 1 October 2027. For a couple, Migrationsverket now requires SEK 13,408 a month left after tax and housing costs, plus a set amount per child. The Local Sweden reports that the higher requirements appear not to apply to work-permit holders, students, researchers or EU long-term residents, though this was awaiting confirmation from the Migration Agency. Check the current amount on Migrationsverket's maintenance requirement page. Further changes are possible, so check Migrationsverket before applying.

EU Pact on Migration and Asylum (12 June 2026)

The Pact changed asylum-related family reunification, and the IND says it is temporarily not deciding on certain family reunification applications. The Pact does not govern legal migration, so it does not change the ordinary route for workers, students and other permit holders (Eurodiaconia).

Germany: subsidiary protection suspended

Germany suspended family reunification under § 36a AufenthG for subsidiary-protection holders from 24 July 2025 to 23 July 2027. Only extreme hardship cases are possible, and the suspension covers pending cases. It does not apply to Geneva Convention refugees or other residence-permit holders (Asylum Information Database).

For skilled workers, the route stays open and busy. Germany issued more than 53,000 family reunification visas in the first half of 2026. Of 177,382 national family-visa decisions between January 2025 and 23 April 2026, only about 13% (23,273) involved relatives of refugees, asylum seekers or subsidiary-protection holders (Brussels Signal). If you are moving to Germany for work, our Germany work visa requirements guide covers your own permit.

Belgium, Finland, Italy and Spain

Belgium's parliament adopted stricter rules in July 2025, including a 2-year waiting period for subsidiary-protection holders, higher income requirements and a higher age limit. The text still needed royal assent when the EUAA recorded it, so check the current Belgian rules on dofi.ibz.be. Finland tightened spouse age and financial rules in June 2025. Italy lengthened its processing time to 150 days. Spain's new immigration regulation (RD 1155/2024) has been in force since 20 May 2025, so older guides on Spanish reunification may be out of date.

How to apply for a family reunification visa, step by step

Confirm your eligibility. Check that your permit type qualifies, how long it is still valid, and whether you have completed any waiting period (for example 18 months in France).
Check which relatives qualify. Confirm the rules for partners, adult children and parents in your country, including age limits.
Gather proof. Collect income evidence (contract, payslips), a lease or property deed, health insurance, and marriage and birth certificates. Documents issued abroad often need legalization or an apostille plus a certified translation, so ask the authority exactly what it accepts.
Complete any pre-entry test. For example, the Dutch civic integration exam abroad, or A1 German if you are not in an exempt skilled-worker category in Germany.
Submit to the right authority. In Spain, you apply first at the Oficina de Extranjería inside Spain. Elsewhere your relative may apply at the consulate. In every case, the application goes to the country where you live.
Track the deadline. Note the national decision period. In Spain, silence after the legal period counts as a refusal (check the current period on the official page), which matters for any challenge.
Travel and register. Family reunification entry visas are national long-stay (D) visas, so your relative is not registered in the EU Entry/Exit System, which only covers short stays. Carry the visa and passport together at the border. Then apply for or collect the residence permit locally, as in Italy.

Family reunification vs EU citizen family member visa

If your partner is an EU citizen, you are probably on a different route. Article 3(3) of the Directive excludes non-EU family members of EU citizens. If the EU citizen lives in an EU country other than their own, Directive 2004/38/EC (free movement) applies instead. If they live in their own country of nationality, national law decides (European Commission report COM(2019) 162).

For example, a Pakistani spouse of an Italian citizen living in Germany uses the free movement rules. The same spouse joining a Pakistani skilled worker in Germany uses family reunification.

Common mistakes

Quoting an old income figure. The Dutch amount changes every January and July, and outdated lower figures still circulate online.
Applying before your waiting period ends. France's 18 months and Malta's two years are counted strictly.
A contract that ends too soon. Enough salary is not enough if the contract does not show sustainable income.
Assuming EU-wide rules. Denmark and Ireland are outside the Directive, and every other country adds its own conditions.
Booking an A1 course you do not need. Spouses of Blue Card, ICT, researcher and § 18b holders in Germany are exempt.
Missing passports. In Finland, a missing valid national passport prolongs processing.
Waiting out silence in Spain. After the legal period without an answer, treat it as a refusal and act.
Using the wrong route. Spouses of EU citizens often apply under the wrong rules and lose months.

Once your family is settled, the time you all spend there can count toward long-term status. See our guide to permanent residency in Europe after a work permit.

Frequently asked questions

Is there one family reunification visa for all of Europe?

No. The EU Family Reunification Directive sets minimum common rules, but each country runs its own application, fees, income test and processing times. You must apply to the authorities of the EU country where the sponsor already lives. Denmark and Ireland are not covered by the Directive and use national rules. Countries outside the EU, such as the UK, have completely separate systems.

How much income do I need to bring my spouse to the Netherlands?

From 1 July 2026, the sponsor needs €2,337.00 gross per month excluding holiday allowance, or €2,523.96 including it. The income must be sustainable, which usually means an employment contract valid for at least one year after you apply. Both partners must generally be 21 or older. The IND updates the income figure every January and July, so check ind.nl before you apply.

Is family reunification suspended in Germany?

Only for people with subsidiary protection. Germany suspended their family reunification from 24 July 2025 to 23 July 2027, including pending cases, with only extreme hardship exceptions. Geneva Convention refugees and other residence-permit holders, such as skilled workers, are not affected. Refugees get easier income and language rules, usually only if they apply within three months of recognition.

What happens if the authority does not answer?

It depends on the country. In Spain, silence after the legal decision period counts as a refusal, so treat it as a decision you can challenge, and check the current period on the official extranjeros.inclusion.gob.es page. Under the EU Directive, the maximum decision period is 9 months. Keep proof of your submission date and read any decision letter carefully, since it explains how to challenge a refusal.

Can my parents join me through family reunification?

Sometimes, but rules are strict. Spain allows dependent parents over 65 only if the sponsor is a long-term resident. Italy allows certain dependent parents. France's standard procedure covers only the spouse and minor children. For Dutch asylum-status holders, reports indicate reunification is now limited to a married partner and minor children, so check ind.nl. Expect to prove financial dependency.

What changed in Sweden on 1 October 2026?

Sweden raised the maintenance amount and applied it to extensions too. The higher amount applies to new applications from 1 October 2026: SEK 13,408 a month left after tax and housing for a couple, plus a set amount per child. Extensions of permits granted before 1 October 2026 keep the old amount if filed by 1 October 2027. Some temporary permit holders also face a two-year residence period.

References

Filed under Visa & Immigration Family Reunification

Muhammad Sahil

Founder and editor of EU Info Hub. Digital marketer with over seven years of freelance experience, now studying economics and business in Europe. He has been through the residence permit process himself. This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Always confirm details with the relevant consulate or authority.