Apply for admission as a late repatriate

Source: BUS Rheinland-Pfalz

In order to be admitted to Germany as an ethnic German resettler, you must submit an application from the resettlement area. You must submit the application in writing or online to the Federal Office of Administration (BVA) before leaving for Germany. If you receive a notice of admission, you must apply for a visa at the German diplomatic mission abroad before leaving for the Federal Republic of Germany. You must organize and pay for your departure to Germany yourself.

Family members

At your request, your spouse, children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren can be included in the admission decision and enter Germany together with you as part of the ethnic German repatriate admission procedure.

These persons must prove that they have a basic knowledge of the German language when they come of age, i.e. from the age of 18.

The application to include your spouse in the admission decision can only be approved if the marriage has existed for at least 3 years.

If your family members are included in the admission decision, they can enter Germany together with you after receiving a visa as part of the ethnic German repatriate admission procedure.

You can also apply separately for the inclusion of your family members remaining in the area of origin after your own departure.

You can apply for admission under the Federal Expellees Act in writing or online.

Written application:

Download the application form from the BVA website and print it out.
Alternatively, you can also request the application form in writing from the BVA.
Complete the application form and attach the necessary supporting documents.
Submit the application documents to the BVA.
You will receive the current processing status and the BVA's decision by post without being asked.

Online application:

Call up the online form on the federal portal verwaltung.bund.de. This will guide you step by step through the necessary information.
- Note: To use the online function, you will need your ID card with PIN number and a smartphone with the ID card app or a card reader.
Attach the other required documents as a digital copy.
Send off your application.
The BVA will check your application.
Once your application has been reviewed, you will receive an unsolicited update on the processing status and the BVA's decision.

If your application is approved:

you can apply for a visa at the German diplomatic mission abroad and enter the Federal Republic of Germany.
After entering the country, you will go to the Federal Reception Center in Friedland, a branch office of the BVA. Your identity will be checked there.
The distribution procedure will then be initiated.
You will be allocated to a federal state, whereby family ties will be taken into account where possible.
If you wish, you can submit a name declaration during the distribution procedure to adapt your first name and surname to the German language.
After sending the registration confirmation of your new place of residence, the branch office of the BVA in Friedland will issue you with a certificate to prove your status as an ethnic German repatriate.

You must meet the following requirements:

You were born before 01.01.1993.
You have resided continuously in
- a successor state of the former Soviet Union or
- another region such as the eastern German territories formerly under foreign administration, Gdansk, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Albania or China.
They are descended from a German national or a member of the German ethnic group.
They can prove their commitment to German nationality by means of a declaration of nationality or in some other way.
You have German language skills that are sufficient for a simple conversation.
You fulfill the requirements of the Federal Expellees Act (BVFG). Please also pay attention to the exclusions set out in § 5 of the Federal Expellees Act.

Your family members (spouse, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren) must meet the following requirements:

The marriage with the non-German spouse has existed for at least 3 years.

Your spouse and your adult children have a basic knowledge of German corresponding to level A 1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

You must submit the following with your application

Birth certificates for all persons wishing to resettle,
if applicable, marriage certificates, adoption certificates and divorce certificates for all persons wishing to resettle,
Proof of German nationality, for example the following can serve as evidence
- Domestic passport with entry of nationality,
- Military passport with entry of nationality,
- Birth certificates of children with entry of the parents' nationality,
- court judgments.
Employment records of persons willing to resettle who were born before 01.01.1974,
Certificates of good conduct for all persons aged 16 and over who wish to resettle.

Nature of the documents and papers:

Please note the information on the nature of the documents to be submitted on the website of the Federal Office of Administration in the Late Resettlers section. You will find the link under "Further information".

Apply for admission as a late repatriate

Process flow

Requirements

Which documents are required?

What are the fees?

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

Processing duration

Legal basis

Applications / forms

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