Written under our editorial standards.
Targeted correction from official sources: 12 October 2026. Checked jurisdiction, registration routes, the stated operational details, suspension and language. This is not a complete legal review or a test of telephone responsiveness or appointment availability.
Start with actual residence, the sponsor’s current status and the application category. Current Damascus instructions direct new applications by residents of Syria from 1 June 2026 to Amman, Beirut or Erbil, preserving specified existing appointments. Syrian nationality alone does not require those missions: residence outside Syria has its own rule below. The section 36a suspension concerns subsidiary protection through the end of 23 July 2027, with statutory exceptions unaffected.
The rules in force today
- Where to file
- New applications from residents or habitual residents of Syria from 1 June 2026: Amman, Beirut or Erbil under the category-specific mission instructions.
- Damascus
- Current Damascus instructions direct new visa applications by residents of Syria to the three missions. Other consular services are separate; this does not establish availability of a service or appointment in Damascus.
- The Beirut visa section
- In Rabieh (Maghzal building), specifically responsible for Syrian applicants — not the embassy building in Dekwaneh.
- Existing appointments
- Appointments already assigned or booked by 31 May 2026 at former competent missions remain valid. Open registration without a specific attendance appointment does not provide that exception.
- Later registrations
- Open registrations after the stated cut-off with no specific attendance appointment follow current re-registration, booking or portal instructions for the category.
- Transferring
- Not possible — neither registrations nor appointments move between missions.
- Living outside Syria
- At least six months’ residence outside Syria with a valid local permit means applying at the mission in the residence country. That can be Beirut or Amman itself; living outside Syria does not automatically exclude all three missions.
The decisive question: subsidiary protection or refugee status?
Refugee status and subsidiary protection are different statuses in the decision and residence permit. Nationality alone does not settle the suspension or family requirements; the sponsor may also hold a work permit oranother status requiring its own route assessment.
Refugee status is outside the specific subsidiary-protection suspension, but family requirements, deadlines and exemptions still depend on the case. Residence and application category determine the mission, not refugee status alone.
Family reunification under section 36a to subsidiary-protection beneficiaries is suspended through the end of 23 July 2027; sections 22 and 23 remain unaffected. Refugee status alone is outside this particular suspension, but the route retains its requirements and individual assessment.
Check the decision and current residence permit. One line does not establish eligibility or a guaranteed waiting period. Changes of residence status and family circumstances can affect the route.
What to do now, step by step
- Check the relative’s current status in GermanyRead the current residence permit and, for protection cases, the BAMF decision. Status is one element of eligibility, not approval; the specific suspension concerns section 36a and subsidiary protection.
- Establish actual residenceInside Syria: follow new-application and existing-appointment rules. Outside Syria for at least six months with a valid permit: check the residence-country mission, which may be one of the three. No faster processing is promised.
- Choose registration by mission and categoryBeirut uses the portal for ordinary spouse/child reunification and categoryA waiting lists for refugee-family cases. Amman directs ordinary categories to the portal but other-EU-citizen family cases to direct contact. Erbil separates portal categories from humanitarian RK-Termin categories. Read the relevant page before registering; a waiting-list entry guarantees no appointment.
- Check the specific appointment, not registration date aloneAppointments already assigned or booked by 31 May 2026 remain at the former mission. Open registration without a specific appointment is not the same exception; follow current instructions instead of expecting an automatic transfer.
- Check exceptions for subsidiary protectionSections 22 and 23 remain unaffected. The Foreign Office explains reasoned hardship reports to [email protected] and individual assessment. Reporting orshowing humanitarian reasons is not approval.
- Check category-specific language and translation rulesSimple German on the spouse route legally means A1 under section 2(9), read with section 30, with conditional exemptions. Check the category checklist before buying a certificate or translation; requirements depend on the route and mission.
Dated jurisdiction update: Cairo’s 6 October 2026 national-visa page agrees with current Damascus instructions for new applications by Syrian residents. A Cairo page dated 24 May 2023 remains available with an older remit including Syria; its exclusion concerns protection-family cases from Sudan, not a general exclusion of Syrian applications. Use current category-specific instructions and check existing appointments before travel costs.
Official sources
The official notice — German Embassy Damascus · Notice on the suspension of reunification with beneficiaries of subsidiary protection · The Beirut visa section (Rabieh) · The Amman visa section · Current Damascus instructions · Cairo national visas — 6 October 2026 · Older Cairo remit — 24 May 2023 · Beirut Rabieh address · Beirut national visas for Syrian applicants · Amman family registration · Erbil national visas · Scope of section 36a suspension · Statutory language definition · Spouse conditions and language exemptions · Hardship reporting, individual review and route limits
Please note: this page is general guidance, not legal advice. Reunification cases are assessed individually — consult a lawyer specialising in immigration law or a migration advice centre before any decision concerning your family.
Frequently asked questions
Where do Syrians file a reunification application now?
New applications from residents or habitual residents of Syria from 1 June 2026: Amman, Beirut or Erbil under the category-specific mission instructions. For filing in Beirut, follow the Rabieh (Maghzal building) address and appointment confirmation. Rabieh is not the address for Amman or Erbil.
Has reunification for Syrians stopped?
Family reunification under section 36a to subsidiary-protection beneficiaries is suspended through the end of 23 July 2027; sections 22 and 23 remain unaffected. Refugee status alone is outside this particular suspension, but the route retains its requirements and individual assessment.
Does an old appointment at a former competent mission lapse?
Appointments already assigned or booked by 31 May 2026 at former competent missions remain valid. Open registration without a specific attendance appointment does not provide that exception.
Will my appointment be transferred?
There is no automatic transfer between missions. An appointment already assigned or booked by 31 May 2026 remains at the former mission; do not re-register solely because jurisdiction changed before checking that exception.
I am Syrian living in a third country — where do I file?
At least six months’ residence outside Syria with a valid local permit means applying at the mission in the residence country. That can be Beirut or Amman itself; living outside Syria does not automatically exclude all three missions.
How do I find out my relative's status?
Check the BAMF decision and current residence permit for protection status and route. Status alone does not test every family-reunification requirement; get specialised advice where the permit or family circumstances changed.