Spataussiedler (German Ethnic Descent)
🇩🇪 Germany visas · Ancestry
What it is
Admission procedure for ethnic Germans from former Soviet states and other regions to resettle in Germany based on German descent.
Key facts
- Category
- Ancestry
- Duration
- Permanent residence on admission and acquisition of German citizenship
- Application fee
- No fee for the admission application
- Processing time
- Varies; processing handled by the Federal Office of Administration
- Extendable
- No
- Path to permanent residence
- Direct route
- Dependants
- Yes
- How to apply
- Online
- Health insurance
- Not required
Standard figures for this route. Some applicants pay a reduced fee or none at all, so confirm your own case on the official page.
Key requirements
- Descended from Germans
- Born up to the end of 1992 (for the applicant themselves)
- Profession of belonging to the German nationality
- Basic knowledge of the German language
- Spouses and direct descendants may join if they demonstrate basic German language skills
Working on this visa
Unrestricted: a Spätaussiedler is a German within the meaning of Article 116(1) of the Basic Law and, together with included family members, acquires German citizenship, hence full, unrestricted labour-market access (no residence-title…
Facts checked against the official source. Last updated 27 July 2026.