The following documents must always be submitted when applying for a visa:

• Fill in the application form here and bring two printouts with you to your appointment.
• Information sheet on data protection here
• 2 recent biometric passport photos
• passport that is valid for at least 6 more months, has at least 2 blank pages and does not exceed a total validity period of 10 years (photocopies of all pages with entries are required);
• valid Finnish residence permit
• Your up-to-date Finnish residence certificate (original document) : Residence certificate for Finland or an EU authority in English at the Digi- ja väestötietovirasto (DVV)
• Admission to statutory health insurance is only possible after entry and registration of a place of residence in Germany. Therefore, the following proof must be submitted for the visa application: Valid travel health insurance for all Schengen countries, which covers the costs of repatriation in the event of illness or death as well as the costs of emergency medical assistance and/or an emergency admission to a hospital (minimum coverage amount €30,000). Please make sure that your travel health insurance does not exclude insurance cover if a longer-term or permanent stay is planned. Only health insurance policies concluded within the EU are accepted
  

​​​​​​Additional documents required for family reunification with German family members

• Relevant civil status certificate(s) (e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificate) with a translation into the German language. Here you will find a translator database of the Landesjustizverwaltungen;
• if the civil status certificate was not issued in an EU country: legalization/ apostille;
• passport copy of the family member in Germany (reference person);
• photocopy of the family member's German residence permit;
• registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) of the family member (not older than 6 months)
• Proof of basic knowledge of German, e.g. by submitting one of the following language certificates: “Start Deutsch 1” from the Goethe-Institut or telc GmbH, “Grundstufe 1” from the Austrian Language Diploma (ÖSD), “TestDaF” from the TestDaF-Institut eV. You can find information on exceptions from the proof of basic knowledge of  German here 
• If you are parent to a German child no proof of basic knowledge of German is required;
• If the parents are not married, a proof of joint custody is required.

The purpose of this checklist only is to check and prepare the documents for the application. Please print the list two times. Please sort all of your application documents in the order given into two complete sets (one set of originals and one set of copies). Please note: Originals are handwritten (not digitally) signed documents. The originals will be returned to you immediately after they have been checked by the visa department.