What documents do you need for a German spouse visa in Lagos or Accra?

Lagos: the document list, in order (June 2026)

The Consulate General in Lagos publishes a sorting list for family reunion with a spouse. Bring every document as a copy and as the original, in this order:

1. 01Application form (VIDEX), completely filled out and signed with place and date.
2. 02Declaration under section 54 AufenthG (the German Residence Act), signed with place and date.
3. 03General Data Protection Regulation declaration, signed with place and date.
4. 04Copies of your spouse's documents: current German residence permit if they have one, passport data page, registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung, proof of address in Germany), Nigerian entry and exit stamps or entry visa, and proof of income only where it applies.
5. 05Copies of your documents: passport data page, Nigerian residence permit if you are not Nigerian, birth certificate, declaration of spinsterhood or bachelorhood, marriage certificates, affidavit of change of name if you have one, other affidavits (reconciliation of names, of facts), other old documents such as a baptism certificate or immunization record, school results in date order (primary, secondary, WAEC, national diploma, bachelor, masters), and birth certificates of any children you have.
6. 06Divorce decrees of earlier marriages, if any.
7. 07Copy of your language certificate.
8. 08Copies of wedding photos and other photos of the two of you.
9. 09All originals of the copies above, in date order.
10. 10Biometric photographs of you and of your spouse.
11. 11A prepaid courier envelope.

Sources for this part12

Extra rules from the Lagos visa page

The Nigeria missions' spouse visa page gives more detail on some items:

• Your spouse's registration certificate must not be older than 6 months.
• Proof of income: the page says it is only needed if your spouse is a DAAD scholarship holder. The June 2026 sorting list also names spouses who are citizens of an EU country other than Germany.
• Your passport must be issued within the last 10 years, valid for at least 6 more months, and have at least two free pages.
• The language test must not be older than one year. The page links to a separate page for the level you need.
• Photos: the page asks for two biometric photos of you and one of your spouse, 3.5 x 4.5 cm, white background, not older than 6 months. The sorting list says one of each.
• If you only had a traditional marriage, the page advises civil registration before you apply. Otherwise your documents go through verification, and that fee is asked for at the interview.
• The courier envelope must be self-addressed, prepaid and from a major courier service.

Sources for this part21

How should you copy and sort the papers for Lagos?

The consulate says it can ask for more documents.

• Copies on A4 paper (DIN A4), in black and white. Colour copies are not accepted.
• No staples on any document.
• Everything sorted in the order of the list.
• Incomplete and unsorted applications are not accepted.
• Bring everything to the appointment. Documents sent in advance cannot be considered.

Sources for this part21

Accra: upload your documents first, then book

In Accra you apply in the Consular Service Portal (digital.diplo.de/visa) and upload your documents there. The embassy checks them for completeness and tells you if they went through. You then get a link to book your appointment.

The Accra page lists some items Lagos does not:

• School leaving certificates: WAEC BECE and WASSCE.
• Marriage certificate plus the registrar's certificate. For a church wedding, also the Ghana Gazette notice showing the church's licence to celebrate marriages.
• Your spouse's full passport copy, all pages.
• Your spouse's Meldebescheinigung, issued within the past six months.
• A recent A1 German certificate from an ALTE-certified language school.
• Your passport valid for at least 6 more months, with at least two blank pages.
• Divorce certificates with a legal note of validity, if you were married before.

Sources for this part4

How much is the spouse visa fee?

The national visa fee is EUR 75 at both missions. In Nigeria you pay in naira at the current exchange rate, in cash or by POS. In Accra you pay in cash in cedis at the embassy's rate, or by credit card.

The Nigeria fees page waives the fee for spouses of German citizens. The Accra page says processing is free for family reunification with a German or EU citizen. The Nigeria fees page says the fee is not refunded if the visa is refused. The Accra page does not say.

The Lagos list is dated June 2026. Check the current version on the mission's site before your appointment.

Sources for this part341

People also ask

Related questions

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Sources

1. 1Sorting of application: family reunification to a spouse, Lagos (status June 2026)OfficialGerman Missions in Nigeria · checked 23 Oct 2026
2. 2Family reunification: spouse visaOfficialGerman Missions in Nigeria · checked 23 Oct 2026
3. 3Visa feesOfficialGerman Missions in Nigeria · checked 23 Oct 2026
4. 4Family reunion visa for spousesOfficialGerman Embassy Accra · checked 23 Oct 2026

Official is the embassy or a German government page. Applicant reports are what applicants say happened at their appointment. Secondary is everything else we checked.

General information, not legal advice. VisaRoom isn't connected to any embassy or government, and only the embassy decides on your visa. Something out of date? Tell us.