Last checked against the official sources: 29 August 2026
A Syrian reunification file today turns on two questions, and everything else is detail: where you file — since 1 June 2026 Damascus is no longer an option and Amman, Beirut and Erbil have replaced it — and what status your relative in Germany holds, because reunification with beneficiaries of subsidiary protection is suspended by law until 24 July 2027. Answer both before you spend a euro.
The rules in force today
- Where to file
- The visa sections in Amman or Beirut, or the Consulate General in Erbil — as of 1 June 2026.
- Damascus
- The mission is officially described as of limited capacity and is supported by the mission in Lebanon in legal and consular matters.
- The Beirut visa section
- In Rabieh (Maghzal building), specifically responsible for Syrian applicants — not the embassy building in Dekwaneh.
- Existing appointments
- Those allocated or booked before 31 May 2026 remain valid at the mission that is no longer responsible.
- Later registrations
- Anyone who registered after that without a personal appointment must re-register with one of the three.
- Transferring
- Not possible — neither registrations nor appointments move between missions.
- Living outside Syria
- Anyone resident abroad for at least six months with a valid permit files in their country of residence, not with the three.
The decisive question: subsidiary protection or refugee status?
Many Syrians in Germany hold subsidiary protection rather than refugee status. The difference decides your entire file:
If your relative has refugee status — recognition under Section 25 (2) sentence 1 — your route is open under the usual rules, and you file in Amman, Beirut or Erbil.
If they hold subsidiary protection, reunification with them is suspended by law until 24 July 2027, and what remains is the hardship route through the International Organization for Migration.
Ask for a copy of the decision of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees before any step. Two years of waiting or an entirely different route are separated by one line in that decision.
What to do now, step by step
- Get the BAMF decision from your relativeA clear copy of the decision of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. The status recorded in it — refugee or subsidiary protection — decides which of the two paths below is yours.
- Establish where you actually liveInside Syria? Then your mission is one of the three. Outside it for at least six months with a valid permit? Then your mission is the one in your country of residence — often far faster.
- Choose deliberately between Amman, Beirut and ErbilEach runs a different booking system: Amman manages its own appointments through a free electronic system, and Beirut handles Syrian files in Rabieh. Read each page before registering, and do not register with two.
- If you have an old registration, check its dateBooked before 31 May 2026 with an appointment? It is preserved. Registered after that with no personal appointment? Re-register from scratch with the competent mission — and do not wait for a transfer that will not happen.
- If the status is subsidiary protection: use the hardship routeReport by email to info.fap.hardship@iom.int stating the reasons. Do not wait silently for 2027 if your case carries an urgent humanitarian ground.
- Prepare translations and the language certificate in parallelThey are the two longest items and neither depends on the mission. Start them on the day you register, not the day of your appointment.
⚠️ A conflict between two official sources — we publish it and do not adjudicate: the Cairo embassy page states it is “currently also” competent for residents of Syria, while the Damascus page restricts filing to Amman, Beirut and Erbil as of 1 June 2026 — and Cairo’s own extension excludes family reunification. Both are official. Have the mission’s competence for your case confirmed in writing before paying fees or booking travel.
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
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?
At the visa sections of the German embassies in Amman or Beirut, or the Consulate General in Erbil, as of 1 June 2026. The Beirut visa section sits in Rabieh and is specifically responsible for Syrian applicants.
Has reunification for Syrians stopped?
Not for everyone. The statutory suspension concerns beneficiaries of subsidiary protection until 24 July 2027. If your relative has refugee status, the route is open under the usual rules.
I have an old appointment in Damascus — does it lapse?
If it was allocated or booked before 31 May 2026 it is preserved at the mission that is no longer responsible. A registration after that without a personal appointment requires re-registering with one of the three missions.
Will my appointment be transferred?
No. The official text is explicit that registrations and appointments are not transferred between missions. Re-register from scratch with the competent mission.
I am Syrian living in a third country — where do I file?
If you have lived outside Syria for at least six months and hold a valid residence permit there, you file with the German mission in your country of residence, not with the three missions.
How do I find out my relative’s status?
From the decision of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees itself. Ask them for a clear copy — one line in it decides whether your route is open or suspended until 2027.