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CompareLast checked Oct 20, 2026

Family visas compared

Routes to join a spouse, partner, parent or child who lives abroad, in every country we cover.
  • 86 routes
  • 81 countries
  • 36 can lead to permanent residence

Fees, processing times, documents and the full requirements are on each route's page.

Albania

  • Residence Permit for Family Reunification

    Foreign spouses, civil partners (cohabiting over 1 year), minor or adult children and parents of Albanian citizens or of foreigners with a valid Albanian…

    Main conditions

    • Family member of an Albanian citizen
    • Family member of a foreign resident
    • Civil partners

    6 requirements · 10 documents · 1 fees

    Length of stay

    e-Albania lists permit validities of 3-6 months, 1, 2, 3 or 5 years, or permanent…

Algeria

Andorra

Austria

  • Family reunification

    Spouses/registered partners aged 21+ and unmarried minor children of Austrian citizens or of qualifying residence title holders.

    Main conditions

    • Family relationship
    • Qualifying sponsor
    • Income (2026)

    6 requirements · 7 documents · 1 fees

    Length of stay

    Generally 12 months; 3 years in some cases; RWR Plus for family of Blue Card/RWR holders…

    Can lead to permanent residence

    Oct 17, 2026

    Migration.gv.at - Family reunification

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bangladesh

Belgium

Bhutan

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Botswana

Bulgaria

Cambodia

Cameroon

Canada

Côte d’Ivoire

Cuba

Cyprus

Czechia

Denmark

Dominican Republic

Eswatini

Ethiopia

Fiji

Finland

  • Residence permit for a spouse

    Married spouses (and, under separate pages, cohabiting partners) of Finnish citizens or of foreign nationals with a Finnish residence permit.

    Main conditions

    • Family relationship
    • Minimum age
    • Income requirement (sponsor holds a residence permit)

    4 requirements · 4 documents · 2 fees

    Length of stay

    Usually tied to the sponsor's permit validity; renewable.

    May lead to permanent residence

    Oct 17, 2026

    Migri - Spouse in Finland with a residence permit

France

  • Family reunification

    Non-EU spouses (aged 18 or over) and minor children of a non-EU national who has lived legally in France for at least 18 months.

    Main conditions

    • Sponsor's status
    • Sponsor's prior residence
    • Family members

    5 requirements · 5 documents · 2 fees

    Length of stay

    A long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS) for the first year, then a…

Germany

Ghana

Greece

Greenland

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

Kenya

Kosovo

Kuwait

Latvia

Lesotho

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Maldives

  • Dependent Visa

    Spouses, children below 18 and parents of foreign nationals holding a professional category Work Visa in the Maldives.

    Main conditions

    • Sponsor
    • Family members
    • Sponsorship first

    3 requirements · 8 documents · 1 fees

    Length of stay

    Not stated

    Temporary only

    Oct 17, 2026

    Maldives Immigration - Dependent Visa
  • Marriage Visa

    Foreign nationals legally married to a Maldivian citizen. Resident Visas can also go to some former spouses with a Maldivian child and to widows or widowers of…

    Main conditions

    • Legal marriage
    • Sponsorship Declaration before arrival
    • Other resident visa cases

    3 requirements · 8 documents · 1 fees

    Length of stay

    Initial visa for one year.

    Temporary only

    Oct 17, 2026

    Maldives Immigration - Marriage Visa

Malta

Mauritius

Moldova

Monaco

Mongolia

Morocco

Nepal

Netherlands

  • Residence permit to stay with a partner

    Non-EU nationals who are married to, or in a registered partnership with, a Dutch citizen or a person holding a valid Dutch residence permit, and who will live…

    Main conditions

    • Sponsor's status
    • Age
    • Relationship

    7 requirements · 6 documents · 1 fees

    Length of stay

    Temporary regular residence permit (type I).

    Can lead to permanent residence

    Oct 19, 2026

    IND - Residence permit for partner

Nigeria

North Macedonia

Norway

Pakistan

Paraguay

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Rwanda

  • Dependant permits

    Spouses, children and close relatives of Rwandan citizens or of foreign residence permit holders.

    Main conditions

    • Dependant of a Rwandan
    • Dependant of a temporary resident
    • Relative of a permanent resident

    4 requirements · 5 documents · 1 fees

    Length of stay

    M1: 3 years.

    May lead to permanent residence

    Oct 19, 2026

    Dependants permits - DGIE Rwanda

San Marino

Seychelles

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

Sri Lanka

Sweden

Switzerland

Tanzania

Tunisia

Tuvalu

Uganda

Ukraine

  • Family reunification

    Spouses, children and parents of Ukrainian citizens, and family members of foreign residents.

    Main conditions

    • Spouse of a Ukrainian citizen
    • Family of foreign residents
    • Immigration outside the quota

    4 requirements · 5 documents · 4 fees

    Length of stay

    Temporary residence: up to the sponsor's permit term or one year; immigration leads to…

    Can lead to permanent residence

    Oct 17, 2026

    State Migration Service: issuance of temporary residence permit

United Kingdom

  • Family visa: partner or spouse

    Spouses, civil partners, unmarried partners (2+ years living together) and fiancé(e)s or proposed civil partners of British or Irish citizens, settled people…

    Main conditions

    • Age
    • Partner's status
    • Relationship

    9 requirements · 9 documents · 6 fees

    Length of stay

    Up to 2 years 9 months from outside the UK; 6 months for fiancé(e)s or proposed civil…

    Can lead to permanent residence

    Oct 16, 2026

    Family visa: partner or spouse (GOV.UK)

United States

Zambia

Zimbabwe

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General information from official government sources, not legal advice. Rules change: check the official page, or ask a licensed advisor, before you apply.