Family reunification for Blue Card holders: no language test, no wait, no housing proof

Last checked against the official sources: 29 August 2026

Most of what is said about reunification — a two-year wait, an A1 certificate, proof of sufficient living space — does not apply to the family of an EU Blue Card holder. These are not administrative courtesies but express provisions of Sections 29 and 30 of the Residence Act. This page sets out each one and where it sits in the text.

Why the language condition falls away here specifically

Section 30 sets three requirements in its first paragraph: both spouses must be 18; the arriving spouse must be able to communicate in German “at least in a simple manner”; and the person in Germany must hold one of the listed permits. The third sentence of the same paragraph then provides that the second requirement “is disregarded” in seven cases — the fifth being possession of an EU Blue Card.

The wording matters in practice: the text does not say an exemption “may be granted”, it says the requirement is disregarded. It is not an official’s discretion, and you are not required to persuade anyone. If a language certificate is nevertheless asked of you, the answer is to point at the provision itself.

That same provision is not limited to the Blue Card: it covers the ICT and Mobile ICT cards, the skilled-worker and researcher permits, permits for executives, managers, company specialists, scientists, guest scientists, engineers and technicians in a guest scientist’s research team and teachers, and the self-employment permit.

The strongest case: arriving from another EU state

If the Blue Card holder in Germany held, immediately beforehand, a Blue Card issued by another EU member state, and the family life already existed in that state, Section 29(1) sentence 2 removes three requirements at once:

• sufficient living space,
• the secured-livelihood requirement in Section 5 — except adequate health insurance, which remains,
• and the requirement in Section 27(3) sentence 1 concerning reliance on public funds.

Note the exception inside the exception: adequate health insurance is still required even in this facilitated case. The arrangement is designed so that skilled workers can move within the Union without the family rebuilding its file from scratch in each state.

And one rare case that is almost always missed: Section 30(5) provides that where the person in Germany is present under short-term researcher mobility, the spouse needs no residence title at all, provided it is shown that they lawfully resided as their family member in the other EU state.

How to use these exemptions in practice

1. Check the permit type, not the job titleThe exemptions hang on the EU Blue Card itself, not on your relative being “an engineer” or “a doctor”. Read the permit and know which provision it was issued under.
2. Cite the provision expressly in your applicationAdd a line pointing to Section 30(1) sentence 3 no. 5 for the language exemption and Section 29(5) for the accommodation requirement. It saves an entire round of correspondence.
3. If your relative now holds a settlement permit, do not assume the exemption is goneNumber 7 keeps the language exemption for anyone who held a Blue Card immediately before the upgrade. Many people give up this right for no reason.
4. Arrange health insurance even in the facilitated routeIt is the one requirement that does not fall away when moving between EU states.
5. Remember the age requirement staysEighteen for both spouses, set aside only to avoid particular hardship and only as a discretionary decision.
6. File a complete application the first timeSince remonstration was abolished in July 2025, correcting a refusal runs through the Berlin Administrative Court or a fresh application.

Frequently asked questions

Is an A1 certificate required of a Blue Card holder’s spouse?

No. Section 30(1) sentence 3 no. 5 provides that the language requirement is disregarded for holders of the EU Blue Card and the ICT and Mobile ICT cards. The wording is not “an exemption may be granted” but that the requirement is disregarded.

Must we wait two years before reunification?

No. The two-year condition sits in letter (d) of Section 30 and concerns other residence permits. Blue Card holders appear in letter (g), with no waiting period.

Must sufficient living space be proved?

No. Section 29(5) provides that this requirement is dispensed with for the spouse and the minor unmarried child of a Blue Card holder.

My relative moved from a Blue Card to a settlement permit — is the exemption lost?

No. Section 30(1) sentence 3 no. 7 keeps the language exemption for anyone who held a Blue Card immediately before receiving a settlement permit or an EU long-term residence permit.

What changes if my relative arrived on a Blue Card from another EU state?

Three requirements fall away at once under Section 29(1) sentence 2: sufficient living space, secured livelihood, and Section 27(3). Adequate health insurance is still required, and the family life must already have existed in that state.

Does the suspension until 2027 apply to us?

No. It concerns holders of subsidiary protection only, and a Blue Card holder is not one of them.

Which requirement remains despite all these exemptions?

Both spouses must have reached 18, under Section 30(1) no. 1. It can be set aside by a discretionary decision to avoid particular hardship.