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Visa for reunification of children with the parent living in Germany
The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Dakar processes all applications for a national visa from nationals who require a visa and have their habitual residence in Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau (proof required).
Nationals of Cabo Verde also require a visa to enter Germany. The Embassy in Dakar has temporarily taken over responsibility for processing visa applications from Cabo Verde nationals.
The visa process
- Book an appointment: Please book an appointment to apply for a visa via the Embassy's online appointment system.
- Personal Appearance: All applicants must appear in person at the embassy.
- Processing of the application: The embassy will process your application. Information on the duration of the visa procedure can be found here.
- Collection
Please do not send any documents to the embassy in advance. The applicant must bring all documents with him/her when submitting the application.
If you are asked to submit additional documents when submitting your application or afterwards by e-mail, always indicate the file reference (five-digit number). This can be found on the receipt under the barcode.
Required documents
All listed documents must be submitted in the original as well as a good quality photocopy.
The Embassy reserves the right to request additional documents.
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A fully completed application form signed by the applicant (application forms are free of charge).
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You can fill out the application form online in VIDEX and print it out or download it here, print it out and fill it out by hand.
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Note: Applications from minors under the age of 18 must be signed by all persons with parental authority.
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If the legal guardians do not attend the visa interview, their signatures on the application forms must be officially certified by a competent authority.
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- Underage travellers:
- Minors require written consent from all the persons with custody. In addition, copies of the passports of all persons with custody must be submitted
- Underage Gambian nationals require a “Travel Clearance”. This is issued by the Gambian police.
The following are required: a copy of the family register or birth certificate and copies of both parents' identity documents
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a current biometric passport photo with a white background (do not attach to the application form)
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Birth certificate of the applicant and, if applicable, marriage certificate and birth certificates of the children
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Important note: When applying for a visa for family reunification, formal proof of authenticity is mandatory.
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You need legalisation for Senegalese documents.
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For documents from the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, the embassy will perform a document verification procedure after the visa application has been submitted.
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For documents from Cabo Verde, a Hague Apostille is required.
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For applicants from Guinea-Bissau additionally:
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Copy of the front page of the register book
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Copy of the register extract page
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- Valid passport (valid for at least 3 months after expiry of the visa) as well as a copy of the photo page and a copy of all visas in this passport
- Copy of old passports with (already expired) German visas and copy of entry and exit stamps, if applicable
- ID card
- only for applicants without Gambian or Senegalese citizenship residing in Senegal or Gambia: a valid residence permit for one of the countries.
- For foreign parents: copy of the residence permit
- A passport photo of the parent
- Copy of the parent's passport (all pages with entries (data page, pages with visas, entry and exit stamps, etc.))
- Recent registration certificate (“Meldebescheinigung”) (not older than six months)
- If applicable, a court order on custody (in the case of German judgements with a note of legal force (“Rechtskraftvermerk”))
- Language skills:
- Children, who wish to join their German parent do not need to provide proof of German language skills.
- Children who are moving to Germany to live with a foreign parent and have reached the age of 16 at the time of application must provide proof of German language skills at C1 level (more information on language test providers and recognised certificates can be found here; a FAQ on language certificates can be found here).
Duration
Senegal and Cabo Verde
Almost all applications for family reunification are forwarded to the local Aliens' Authority once all documents have been submitted. The processing time depends heavily on the capacity utilisation of the local Aliens' Authority and can often take several months.
The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau
As soon as the application documents are complete, the embassy will initiate a document verification process. This takes six to twelve months (in some cases even longer). The long processing time is mainly due to hesitant or non-response from local authorities to authenticity enquiries and cannot be accelerated by the embassy.
Once the document check has been completed, the embassy informs the Aliens' Authority of the result, which then also checks the application. The processing time in this constellation also depends on the capacity utilisation of the locally responsible Aliens' Authority and can take several months.
In total, the procedure can therefore be expected to take more than a year.
Gebühren
Die Bearbeitungsgebühr beträgt 50.000 FCFA für Erwachsene und 25.000 FCFA für Kinder.
Anträge von Ehegatten oder Kindern deutscher oder anderer EU-Staatsangehöriger sind gebührenfrei.
Bei Ablehnung des Visums oder bei Rückzug des Antrags erfolgt keine Erstattung der Gebühr.
Fees
The processing fee is FCFA 50,000 for adults and FCFA 25,000 for children.
Applications from spouses or children of German or other EU nationals are free of charge.
For Gambian documents, an additional 230,000 FCFA is charged for document verification upon application. This security deposit must be paid in cash and in FCFA (not GMD or Euro). After verification and final calculation of fees for the individual case, any overpaid fees will be refunded.
If the visa is refused or the application is withdrawn, the fee will not be refunded.
Further information
Information on visa processing can only be provided by embassy staff, not by security personnel or third parties. The Embassy does not work with agents, travel agencies or middlemen. Persons who claim to do so are usually acting fraudulently. Information from third parties is often incorrect. Please refer to the official information on the embassy website.
Languages spoken at the Counter
At the counter, we speak German, French, English, and Wolof. If the applicant does not speak any of these four languages, it is advisable to bring a third person for interpretation.
Translation of documents
All documents that are not in German, French or English must be submitted together with an officially certified translation.
Retention of certain documents
Original documents will be returned after processing has been completed if you submitted a copy when you submitted your application. Application forms and passport photos will be retained by the embassy.
Submitting an application does not guarantee a visa
A visa appointment and complete application documents do not guarantee that a visa will be issued.
Refusal / “Remonstration”
If a visa is refused, you or a third party authorised by you in writing have the option of requesting a reconsideration of the application (“Remonstration”) in writing within 4 weeks, stating the reference number and a postal address suitable for delivery. Please enclose further documents. The processing time for remonstrations is at least 4 weeks, often several months.
Collection
As soon as the embassy has made a decision on your visa application, you will be contacted by phone/SMS or email.
You can then collect your passport and documents at the following times:
| Embassy Dakar |
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 13:30 |
| Embassy Banjul |
Collection is also possible at the Embassy in Banjul. When sending documents to Banjul, a two-week longer processing time is to be expected. Please allow sufficient time for this. You can find the opening hours of the German Embassy in Banjul here. |
Check your visa sticker!
When you collect your passport, check that the visa sticker is correct and complete. Any errors must be reported immediately.
Your visa contains your full name, your passport number and your photo. The validity period of the visa and the number of authorised days of stay are stated.
As a rule, the visa is initially issued for 90 days. After entering the country, you should immediately make an appointment with your local Aliens' Authority. You must then apply for a residence permit at the Aliens' Authority.
Entering the country
Please carry all original documents submitted in the visa procedure in your hand luggage when travelling. The border authorities may require you to present these documents again at immigration control.
These documents must also be presented again when applying for a residence permit at the Aliens' Authority.
The border authorities may refuse entry to visa holders even if they are in possession of a valid visa.
Data protection in the national visa procedure
Your personal data is processed and stored in the visa procedure. You can find information on this on our page on data protection in the visa procedure.
