Fent

Edit: an employment contract with adequate salary and at least 1 year duration is required and a declaration of commitment only is not sufficient.

Hello, I have been living in Thailand for about 15 years and have been married to my wife for around 7 years. We have now decided to move to Germany. I would like to describe the turbulent process of this undertaking in more detail in order to spare others who plan something similar a lot of unnecessary trouble. We already have some experience with visitor visas, since we have visited Germany twice before. Therefore, we went to the website bangkok.diplo.de and looked up the procedure for the family reunification visa/spouse reunification visa, so we could work through all the required steps. I will go through each step where there is something to note or where I have useful tips. -valid passport and 1 copy of the data page, possibly copies of previous passports (data page, earlier visas) -two biometric passport photos -a fully completed application form for national visas -data protection regulation receipt of acknowledgement -legalized Thai marriage certificate with German translation -legalized Thai marriage register extract with German translation (if the marriage/partnership took place in Germany: German marriage or partnership certificate) -proof of basic knowledge of German (usually A1 certificate from the Goethe-Institut, not older than one year) -1 copy of the passport (data page) of the spouse/partner you are joining, plus 1 copy of their residence permit if the spouse/partner is not German The first four and last two points are straightforward, so I will skip them. Legalized Thai marriage certificate with German translation / legalized Thai marriage register extract with German translation Anyone who marries in Thailand receives two documents: a marriage certificate (usually in duplicate for husband and wife) and a marriage register extract. These must be legalized and translated. The order does not matter, but the original must always be presented. Important note: For legalization, you must make an appointment with the German Embassy in Bangkok. As of September 2025, appointments are booked via the link provided on bangkok.diplo.de. My experience: At that time, ALL appointments were fully booked. You had to get up early and check the appointment page about every 30 minutes to see if new slots were released. This happens daily, as bookings are only possible one month in advance. This waiting period cannot be shortened (e.g. by paying extra). Only ORIGINAL documents can be submitted for legalization; they must not be damaged or laminated (something Thais often do). I was confused because my marriage register extract was technically a copy, but it had official red stamps. Apparently, this is normal and accepted, even though the website states that copies are not accepted. The website states that the processing time is 3–4 working days for legalization, and 6–8 weeks for the so-called “legalization substitute procedure.” The latter applies to less common documents that need additional verification. For marriage certificates, usually only the standard legalization process is required, and the stated time is correct. (It also depends on whether the embassy recognizes the signatures of the officials who issued the certificate; if you married in a less well-known district office, it may take longer.) For translation, you MUST use officially approved translators. The process was very simple and quick for me: you can usually contact them by email or phone, send a copy in advance so that translation can start, and then just present the original when collecting the translation. In my case, it took 2 working days via the Goethe-Institut. Appointment at VFS Global The German Embassy no longer accepts visa applications directly; instead, this is handled by VFS Global (several locations across Thailand). You must book an appointment there. As of September 2025, the waiting time in Bangkok was about 1 month. There is a premium option for 2300 Bath, which reduces the waiting time slightly (for us it was 3 weeks instead of 4). Whether that is worth it is debatable. Additional documents (German immigration office) The next steps concern documents required by the German immigration office after the visa application has been submitted in Thailand. In my case, I wanted to have ALL documents ready in advance, to avoid unnecessary back-and-forth between the embassy and the German authorities. My Thai visa was due to expire in about 4 months, and we had planned to move by then. Normally (just my assumption), applicants submit only the documents listed on the website, and then they are asked later to provide anything missing. That’s why official information usually states a processing time of 2–3 months. In my case, however, it was only 8 days – more on that later. Proof of financial means According to bangkok.diplo.de, the documents listed should be sufficient for the spouse reunification application. However, on the internet you often read that proof of sufficient financial means is required, showing that the husband can provide for his wife in Germany. Since nothing was mentioned on the official website, I contacted an official translator who also handles visa applications for 30+ years. He explained that the German Embassy in Bangkok makes almost no decisions – these are made by the immigration office in Germany. And indeed, the immigration office usually requires proof of sufficient income: an employment contract with adequate salary and at least 1 year duration and a declaration of commitment is not sufficient. This shocked me, because I thought that our savings in a German bank account plus a declaration of commitment from my parents would be enough. Especially since this had worked for the Schengen visa in the past. I then called my local immigration office in Germany. They confirmed that savings in a bank account are NOT accepted, but a declaration of commitment(Verpflichtungserklärung) is indeed sufficient. Another option is to deposit around €6,000 (without children) into the immigration office’s account as a financial guarantee until you earn an income. So be very careful whom you believe and always get your information directly from the source. My parents were able to make such a declaration of commitment with their pension of €2,500. We had the document sent to Thailand – regular DHL (€3.50, 5 days delivery) was enough, no need for express. When I asked why there is no mention of financial proof on the official websites, I was told that legally German citizens do not have to provide it when applying for a spouse visa. However, many offices have decided to check financial stability already at the visa stage, to ensure that there are no problems later when applying for long-term residence. Health insurance I was also informed that my wife needs health insurance for at least 3 months (with coverage of at least €30,000 and repatriation included) until she can enter my family insurance. (THIS IS FALSE INFORMATION AGAIN MORE LATER) I assumed this was the same as for the visitor visa, and the immigration office in Germany even confirmed this. But later it turned out: while the immigration office accepts that type of insurance, the German Embassy in Bangkok does NOT. They require a so-called “incoming insurance,” which must be taken out in Germany. Additional documents requested After we had submitted all required documents plus health insurance and the declaration of commitment, I received an email from the immigration office just 2 working days later. (I strongly recommend contacting your local immigration office directly, if possible, instead of going through the embassy every time – this saves time.) The immigration office asked for additional documents, such as: -copy of my valid residence permit (at least 4 months remaining) or my German ID/passport -rental contract stating the size of the apartment, or a confirmation from the landlord -landlord’s written consent for my wife to move in, OR property deed/notary contract -income statements for the last 3 months, or a statement from the tax advisor (if self-employed) -employment contract; if still in probation, confirmation of continuation after probation -proof of health insurance (certificate or copy of insurance card) -confirmation from the health insurance provider about inclusion in family insurance after entry OR travel health insurance Additional depending on the case: -registration certificates of other household members -divorce decree -proof of alimony obligations -loan contracts -income tax assessments for the last 2 years. In my case, I only had to provide points 1–3. Points 4 and 5 were covered by the declaration of commitment, and points 6 and 7 were not applicable (except that an incoming insurance was required). I submitted the documents on the same day. The next day I was informed that the application would be processed and the embassy in Bangkok would be notified. Two days later, I received confirmation that my visa application was approved, but that I still had to provide: -expected date of entry or flight reservation -proof of valid health insurance for a long-term stay (incoming insurance, family insurance, or private insurance) At that point, I realized that the insurance requested by the German immigration office was not accepted by the embassy in Bangkok. My attempt to send the same insurance that was accepted by the immigration office in Germany failed. I then received the following response: 'We hereby confirm receipt. However, the health insurance will only be accepted if it is from Germany, not from Thailand, and must be in the form of an Incoming health insurance valid for 3 months. I immediately took out such an insurance with ADAC, received the certificate the same day, and sent it to the embassy. They confirmed that everything was now fine, and said the visa would take 1–2 weeks to be issued. In fact, just 2 working days later, I received notice that we could collect the passport. The total processing time after submission was only 8 days (including a weekend), not 2–3 months as often stated. Conclusion In my opinion, if you plan without time pressure, you should allow about 5 months for the whole process. If you are under time pressure, you should complete the time-consuming steps (legalization, appointments) as early as possible and establish direct contact with the immigration office in Germany. I hope this report gives more clarity to those in a similar situation and helps to set realistic expectations. The official website bangkok.diplo.de, in my opinion, does not provide a full picture – especially regarding timelines and additional required documents.