Hello everybody,

I am a guest scientist at Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research at Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany. I joined the institute recently on 02 July, 2012 and my duration of stay in Germany would be two years from the date of joining. Now my wife  (currently in India) wish to come to Germany on dependent visa to stay with me for the remaining period of my stay, which would be few months less than two years. She has visa interview appointment at the German Embassy in New Delhi on 01 August, 2012 (Wednesday). I have few questions regarding the required documents for her dependent visa application.

1. RATION CARD: Before joining Max Planck institute in Germany, I lived in USA for five years. After marriage, my wife was also living with me in USA. We left USA on 26 February, 2012 and came to India for a short visit to spend some time with my other family members before joining Max Planck Institute in Germany. Since we stayed in India temporarily between leaving USA and joining the institute in Germany and lived in USA before that, we do not have current ration card.  Can the requirement of the ration card be waived in this case? The only ration card that she can show is her parent's ration card on which she is listed as one of the family member before marriage.

2. BIRTH CERTIFICATE: The birth of my wife was not registered as it was not mandatory then (in 70's). So she does not have the birth certificate. But she does have other documents (Passport and High School certificate) which can support her date and place of birth. Can these other documents be used in place of the birth certificate?

3.  DOCUMENT VERIFICATION FEES (Rs. 20000.00): Is document verification fees waived if the permanent residence in Germany is not intended. My wife's dependent visa is only for less than two years and is not for permanent residence in Germany.

4.  GERMAN LANGUAGE CERTIFICATE:  Is German language certificate not required for the candidates with Master degree. My wife does not have German language certificate but does have a Master degree.

I would highly appreciate if anybody can provide answers to these questions.

Thank you all.

Hi,
Ther German embassies in India demands different papers at different locations. I can share my wife's expereince at German embassy in Delhi:

1. Ration card was not mentioned in the list of docs she had to hand over to the German consulate, but after travelling 300 kms with tons of papers (without Ration card), she was asked to produce my (not hers) ration card at the embassy. On telling the lady at counter that it was not mentioned in their checklist and showing the print out of the same to her, the lady at counter simply took the check list from my wife, wrote in her hand writing "Ration card", stamped it and said "now it is mentioned". There were others who did not have to produce ration card. So it's about luck, but yes if now it is mentioned on their website then you got to get it somehow. BTW SHE WAS NOT ASKED TO PRODUCE HER'S RATION CARD.
2. From the local (the place where she was born) registrar office, she can still get a birth certificate. It will state that she was born on xxx in xxx. Although the particulars are correct but the birth can not be registered....etc. etc. This is standard format. She will need some efforts to get this certificate especially if she was born in North India (I have heard that registrar offices in South India are less corrupt than those in North)
3. NO IDEA
4. In Delhi in 2010, the person was excempted from taking German course in case she/he had a Masters. Tell them that she intends to gain visa only for 2 years.

Ciao
Tony

the ration card of parents should work. ( although cant be 100%  sure with  german embassy but worth trying.)

You can also try to get non availability of birth certificate from your concerned birth registrar. It is not tough to get....but again depends on place.

Document verification fees depends on if your local office in Germany asks for verification or not.....Normally they will not ask for fees in beginning but will request later if local office asks for verification which is really a long process .