Hey there! Are you a Kenyan & would like to marry a German partner? Would you like a step by step procedure of how the whole process works? Then this is the right place for you!

This information is as of January 2026.

INTRODUCTION STEPS

  1. You need patience first! You need lots of money too (500~3000 € depending on how complicated the whole process might be). 

  2. Once you both decide to get married in Germany, the partner living in Germany must contact the Standesamt where: 

    • He/she is registered as a resident

    Contacting the Standesamt is done by either email, filling an online form or in-person appointment where you request for “Anmeldung der Eheschließung”. 

  3. The Standesamt in return: 

    • Confirm which documents are required 

    • Explain special requirements for a Kenyan national 

    • Advise on translations, legalization, and timelines 

    • Inform you about fees 

  4. The Standesamt shall ask the German partner to provide the below documents:

    • Valid German ID or passport 

    • Current Meldebescheinigung (proof of residence) 

    • Beglaubigte Abschrift aus dem Geburtenregister (certified birth certificate from German registry) 

    • Proof of marital status, if previously married: 

    • Divorce decree (Scheidungsurteil) or 

    • Death certificate of former spouse 

    • Other documents depending on the town/city 

  5. The German partner registers the marriage at the Standesamt. The Standesamt then tells the German partner to ask the Kenyan partner to send the following Kenyan documents to the German partner who forwards them to Standesamt:

    • Original Kenyan birth certificate-please ensure it's as good as new, all writings are legible and it has not been tampered with since contrary to this will lead to the document rejection by the Germany embassy. 

    • Notarized copies of the Kenyan partner passport 

    • Original signed Standesamt form by the Kenyan partner (the German partner can send this to the Kenyan partner via email, printed & signed).

    • Original certificate of Kenyan Residency-this is not a requirement by all Standesamts. It can be gotten from the Chief/sub-chief from the Kenyan partner´s area of residency. The document should have a Kenyan emblem.

    • Original certificate of no impediment to marriage. this can be applied from the E-citizen website. This document is valid for 6 months. In the online application process, the documents required for uploading include: 

      • A filled online form 

      • Certified passport copies of the German partner, certification is done in Germany using a lawyer or Notary Public.

      • Copy of birth certificate of Kenyan partner.

      • Copy of bio-page Kenyan Partner passport . 

      • Colored passport photos of both partners 

      • Pay fee ≈ 100 € 

        The whole process of Impediment to marriage certificate takes about a month. Once you submit your application, verification of application is done by Kenyan authorities. Keep checking your application on E-citizen website to see if you need to correct any mistakes called out. Once application is approved, you shall be able to pay a fee and book an appointment on E-Citizen.

        On the day of the interview, present yourself at Sheria House Nairobi, carry your original birth certificate, original passport, certified passport copies of the German partner. All required documents are usually listed on the 1st page of E-Citizen website when applying for the Impediment Certificate.

VERIFICATION PROCESS

  1. The documents from Kenya shall be sent to the German partner using a courier service preferably DHL which is faster and safer. Depending on the Standesamt, the German partner may have to use a certified translator to translate the Kenyan documents to German.

  2. The German partner makes an appointment with the Standesamt to submit the documents. If the Kenyan partner can't be in Germany to sign more forms, the German partner will need the Power of Attorney, to sign these forms on behalf of the Kenyan partner. 

  3. Once the Standesamt is satisfied that all the requirements are met, they open a marriage application file and start assessing the marriage eligibility by sending all documents from both partners + filled forms to the Berlin Foreign Federal office who then sends them to the Germany Embassy in Kenya for verification.  

  4. IMPORTANT! At this time, please book an interview appointment on the German Embassy in Kenya website. The waiting time for the family reunification visa interview (for marriage to a German partner) usually fluctuates between 3-9 months. 

  5. Register and attend a German teaching institution to learn German since a Goethe A1 language certificate is one of the documents required for the embassy visa interview. A1 German classes take approximately 3 months. Book an appointment in advance for the A1 exam from the Kenyan Goethe Institut website . These slots are usually filled very quickly, so booking for the A1 exam months prior is highly advised. When booking for the exam, pick a date that is approximately 1 month prior to the Visa interview date.  

  6. The documents verification process begins at the German Embassy in Kenya. This process takes between 4-6 months. During this time, the embassy contacts lawyers to verify the authenticity of the Kenyan partner´s passport, original birth certificate, original certificate of no impediment to marriage and on rare occasions, the original certificate of residency. Do not contact the embassy or the Standesamt before the 6 months lapses!

    • N/B: the further you live from Nairobi or the further you were born from Nairobi, the longer the waiting time can be. For example, the verification process of a Kenyan partner born or living in Nairobi can take 4 months while that of a one born or living in Mandera or Mombasa can take the whole 6 months.  

  7. Once the verification is finished, the embassy will send feedback and all verified documents back to the Standesamt who will reach out to the German partner. If all documents are approved by the embassy, you can continue with the next steps but if one or more of the documents are not approved, then the Kenyan partner must get new original Kenyan documents from Kenyan Authorities i.e., passport, birth certificate, impediment certificate etc. and start the whole process again through the Standesamt. 

VISA INTERVIEW PREPARATION

  1. The Kenyan partner at this point shall take the German A1 exams at Goethe Institut (Nairobi, Eldoret, Mombasa etc).

  2. The Standesamt always keeps the original copies of the birth certificate and certificate of no impediment to marriage until the wedding in Germany is done.  

  3. The German partner shall use the following steps if all the Kenyan partner documents were approved by the Germany Embassy in Kenya: 

    • Sign more forms to register the actual wedding. The Standesamt shall issue a notification of the wedding document that states the intention to marry + the deadline to marriage which is usually based on the certificate of no impediment to marriage that is valid for 6 months. 

  4. For the German Embassy visa interview, the Kenyan partner should present themselves with the following documents listed at the German Embassy in Kenya website: 

    • Original Verpflichtungserklärung which is a formal obligation letter obtained from Ausländerbehörde at the Rathaus (Mayors office).  

    • Original Meldebescheinigung  (Certificate of registration of the fiancée in Germany) obtained from Rathaus. It should not be older than 6 moths.

    • Original certificate of notification of wedding from the Standesamt.

    • Original passport + Passport copies of the biodata page of the Kenyan partner which shall be valid for longer than 3 months. 

    • Two completed application forms, unfilled forms can be found on the embassy website. 

    • Up to date biometric colored passport photos with a preferably white background.

    • Notarised copies of the German partner passport or identity card 

    • Certificate of no impediment to marriage for the Kenyan partner. This can be confusing as the Standesamt in Germany retains it. Just tell the German Embassy in Kenya to contact the respective Standesamt should they need it. 

    • Birth Certificate of the Kenyan Partner. This can as well be confusing as the Standesamt in Germany retains it. Just tell the German Embassy in Kenya to contact the respective Standesamt should they need it.

    • Proof of German language skills. The Kenyan partner obtains the German A1 Certificate from Goethe Institut. The minimum pass mark is 60%. 

    • Proof or health Insurance. The validity if the insurance should be from the date you intend to travel to Germany to the date of the intended wedding. Most medical insurances covers in Germany cover spouses of Germans as soon as they are married. 

    • Visa fee ≈ 100 €.  

  5. Please note that the German Embassy in Kenya will retain your original Kenyan passport for visa processing which takes between 1~2 months after all documents are submitted in full. The embassy will also ask you to provide a postal address where the visa, passport, and other documents are sent by a courier service provider. 

    N/B: Should you not have all the documents at the date of the visa interview, go for the interview and submit what is available. You can submit the rest of the documents ASAP physically using the Embassy´s mailbox at Riverside, Nairobi. 

MARRIAGE & LIFE IN GERMANY

  1. Once get your Family Reunification visa (usually valid for 3 months), book a flight to Germany ASAP, the German partner shall book an appointment with the Standesamt for the Kenyan partner to sign official documents indicating his/her willingness to marry. For this meeting with both partners + Standesamt officials, an English-German interpreter is needed. The Standesamt can give recommendations where these interpreters can be found.  

  2. The German partner shall also book an appointment for the wedding date. The English-German interpreter has to be present on the wedding date to take part in the ceremony where he/she translates the marriage registrar documents & speech .  

  3. Once the wedding is complete and the marriage certificate issued, the Kenyan partner shall immediately: 

    • Register with the city/town they live in (Meldebescheinigung). 

    • Go to your town/city´s Ausländerbehörde  website and fill a residency permit application form (Aufenthaltserlaubnis au familiären Gründen) and submit it after which you will get issued with an appointment to apply for a residency permit. 

    • If the Kenyan partner is unemployed, the German partner shall include him/her in his/her medical insurance cover. This is usually free of charge and shall be done by booking an appointment with the medical insurance company, e.g., AOK. 

  4. During the Ausländerbehörde residency permit interview, ask for a Fiktionsbescheinigung (temporary residence permit) in case you need to leave Germany due to an emergency or planned visits to other countries outside the European Union.  

    • The residency permit shall be sent to the mail box registered under the German partner´s name. If the Kenyan partner decides not to change his/her name after marriage, ensure his/her name is also included on the mail box otherwise the residency permit delivery might fail.

    • N/B: Never leave the European Union without the elektronische Aufenthaltstitel (Residency permit card) or a valid Fiktionsbescheinigung as you might not be allowed back into Germany or the EU & might have to restart the whole process of immigration in Kenya.  

  5. If you are not proficient in German, the Ausländerbehörde may require you to attend a compulsory German language course that takes approximately 3-9 months based on your understanding of the language. They shall provide you with a list of accredited schools where you shall choose one to enrol. Completing and passing the B1 German language + Integration Course help you in getting a residency permit valid for 2 years or more.

  6. Enjoy your life in Germany!