4EUFam and travel to Germany as a German

[ca.funke]

If you are German AND

• You have a non-EU family member who is visa required in Germany AND
• You live inside the EU but outside Schengen (UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria) AND
• You are in posession of a residence permit in accordance with 2004/38/EC (in Ireland called 4EUFam) AND
• You want to visit Germany together without having to apply for a seperate visa.

EDIT: You can now just go (details below)

This is the complaint I sent to the commission, English version a bit further down

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Christian
Date: 02nd April 2008
Subject: SG/CDC/2008/A/2462 --- Beschwerde gegen die Bundesrepublik Deutschland
To: sg-plaintes@ec.europa.eu


Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

hiermit präzisiere ich meine Beschwerde gegen die Bundesrepublik Deutschland exakt auf den relevanten Punkt:

Regulierung 2004/38/EC (link) sagt in Artikel 5 Absatz 2 folgendes:

Von Familienangehörigen, die nicht die Staatsangehörigkeit
eines Mitgliedstaats besitzen, ist gemäß der Verordnung
(EG) Nr. 539/2001 oder gegebenenfalls den einzelstaatlichen
Rechtsvorschriften lediglich ein Einreisevisum zu fordern. Für
die Zwecke dieser Richtlinie entbindet der Besitz einer gültigen
Aufenthaltskarte gemäß Artikel 10 diese Familienangehörigen
von der Visumspflicht.

Dadurch ergibt sich, wie die Kommissionswebseite (link) präzisiert, dass Familienangehörige eines EU-Bürgers, welche im Besitz einer gültigen Aufenthaltskarte aus irgendeinem Mitgliedstaat sind, in allen Mitgliedstaaten von der Visumpflicht befreit sind.

Dies sieht die BRD anders:

2004/38/EC wird in der BRD durch das FreizügG/EU (link) umgesetzt.

Unter "§ 1 Anwendungsbereich" heisst es:

Dieses Gesetz regelt die Einreise und den Aufenthalt von Staatsangehörigen anderer Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union (Unionsbürger) und ihrer Familienangehörigen.

Da hier nur "von Staatsangehörigen anderer Mitgliedstaaten" gesprochen wird, hält die BRD dieses Gesetz für Deutsche in Deutschland für grundsätzlich nicht anwendbar, selbst wenn Deutsche nur besuchsweise in die Heimat einreisen.

2004/38/EC, Artikel 3, definiert die Berechtigten wie folgt:

Berechtigte
(1) Diese Richtlinie gilt für jeden Unionsbürger, der sich in einen anderen als den Mitgliedstaat, dessen Staatsangehörigkeit er besitzt, begibt oder sich dort aufhält, sowie für seine Familienangehörigen im Sinne von Artikel 2 Nummer 2, die ihn begleiten oder ihm nachziehen

Wenn sich ein Deutscher dauerhaft in einem anderen Mitgliedsstaat als Deutschland aufhält, sollte diese Regulierung logischerweise bei Besuchsreisen nach Deutschland auch dort Anwendung finden, da sie sonst den gewollten Freiheitsgedanken für Familienangehörige nicht entfaltet.

Ich bitte Sie daher zu prüfen, ob "Artikel 3 der Regulierung 2004/38/EC" durch "§1Anwendungsbereich des FreizügG/EU" korrekt umgesetzt wird.

Die aktuelle Situation ist Kafkaesk.


Gruß aus Dublin, wo Sie mich für Rückfragen jederzeit erreichen,

Christian...

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

Fantastic that you are doing this. And you are right, the situation is Kafkaesk.

Note that Richard66 is in a similar position with respect to the UK. See http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=18379

[ca.funke]

this post has become irrelevant.

[ca.funke]

this is the complaint translated into English

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Christian
Date: 02nd April 2008
Subject: SG/CDC/2008/A/2462 --- Complaint against the Federal Republic of Germany
To: sg-plaintes@ec.europa.eu


Dear Sir or Madam,

I hereby notify you of a possible EU-law infringement by the Federal Republic of Germany against 2004/38/EC, the "free movement of persons" regulation.

Regulation 2004/38/EC (link) Article 5, paragraph 2 states:

Family members who are not nationals of a Member State
shall only be required to have an entry visa in accordance with
Regulation (EC) No 539/2001 or, where appropriate, with
national law. For the purposes of this Directive, possession of
the valid residence card referred to in Article 10 shall exempt
such family members from the visa requirement.

The website of the Commission(link) clarifies this as follows:

Possession of the valid residence card, referred to in the relevant fact sheet, issued by any Member State, exempts you from the visa obligation not only in the Member State which issued the residence card, but in all Member States.

Germany does not agree to this point of view:

In Germany, 2004/38/EC is implemented by FreizügG/EU (link).

"§ 1 Anwendungsbereich" defines the beneficiaries of the law as follows:

German Original:

Dieses Gesetz regelt die Einreise und den Aufenthalt von Staatsangehörigen anderer Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union (Unionsbürger) und ihrer Familienangehörigen.

English translation:

This law governs entry and residence of citizens of other states of the European Union (Union citizens) and their family members.

As the German law merely refers to "citizens of other states of the European Union", Germany automatically deems it non-applicable to Germans in Germany in general, even if only visiting Germany on a short-term basis.

However, 2004/38/EC, Article 3, defines the beneficiaries as follows:

1. This Directive shall apply to all Union citizens who move
to or reside in a Member State other than that of which they
are a national, and to their family members as defined in point
2 of Article 2 who accompany or join them.

The directive outlines that it "shall apply to all Union citizens who move to or reside in a Member State other than that of which they are a national". Taking this into account, this directive shall also apply to Germans in Germany, as long as the German citizen usually resides in the EU but outside Germany.

This also makes perfect sense, as otherwise the spirit of freedom enshrined in this directive would not fully unfold.

If the German interpretation was valid, family-members of German citizens would be visa-free in all EU-countries, except Germany. The German embassies in Dublin and London maintain that this is Germany's point of view:

Embassy Dublin, Infoleaflet (link): (changed the link to an old screenshot, as this has now been changed )

If you are married to an EU-citizen but NOT to a German
citizen and your Garda Card is a "4EUFam"-type you do
not need a visa to travel to Germany, when you are
travelling together with your spouse. If you are travelling
on your own, you need a Visa to travel to Germany.

Embassy London, link: (changed the link to an old screenshot)

You DO NOT need a visa for Germany short stays if you are:

• (...)
• a family member of an EU/EEA/EFTA national (but NOT a German citizen) if you hold a British Residence Card and if you are travelling together with the EU/EEA/EFTA national.
• (...)

I therefore ask you to investigate whether "Article 3 of regulation 2004/38/CE" is compliantly implemented by "§1Anwendungsbereich" of the "FreizügG/EU".

Regards (put your full name and adderss here, and send to sg-plaintes@ec.europa.eu)

[zerosource]

Hallo,

bin Deutscher und meine Frau Russin. Wir haben sowohl in D (Schengen) als auch UK einen Wohnsitz. Meine Frau hat Aufenthalt für 2 Jahre in D und nach EU-Recht für 5 in UK.
Dennoch wurde sie trotz mehrmaliger Nachfrage mit Verweis auf EU-Recht und Intervention via SOLVIT dazu genötigt, ein Visum für einen Wochenendtrip nach Irland zu beantragen.
Wir haben der EU Kommission unsere Beschwerde im Juni per Post zukommen lassen, bisher aber noch keine Reaktion erhalten.

I am German and my wife is Russian. We both have our residence in Germany and the UK. My wife has a residence card for a duration of 2 years in Germany (and thus border-free travel there) and according to EU law for 5 years in the UK.
Despite long correspondence on our rights under EU law spanning months and an intervention by the SOLVIT service on our behalf, my wife was in the left with no option but to apply for an Irish visa to spend a weekend in Ireland.
Our complaint vis-a-vis the Republic of Ireland was sent to the European Commission in the post in June. So far there has been no reply.

[ca.funke]

Hi Zerosource,

You're better off to check this post, as it applies exactly to your situation:

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=27916

[ca.funke]

eerrgghh - mixed edit and quote sorry

[ca.funke]

Full success!!

This is only of practical interest to Germans living in Ireland:

After countless emails and a complaint to the European Commission (see thread), I was informed on August 20th 2008 by the ministry of foreign affairs that

• visa-required nationals
• with an Irish-issued 4EUFam-card
• can visit Germany
• when accompanying or joining the EU-part of the family,
• even when the EU-citizen is a German citizen
• German embassies throughout the EU will be contacted by the ministry and instructed to update their websites, which currently state "this does not apply to German citizens"
• See email received at the end of this post

This are 2 instances, where incorrect information was given:

• Dublin - this has been changed
  
  • Old document (.pdf), downloaded on August 20th 2008 from the Embassy in Dublin.

    If you are married to an EU-citizen but NOT to a German
    citizen and your Garda Card is a "4EUFam"-type you do
    not need a visa to travel to Germany, when you are
    travelling together with your spouse. If you are travelling
    on your own, you need a Visa to travel to Germany.

  • Visa-website, New direct link to .pdf at present:

    If you are married to an EU-citizen and your Garda Card
    is a “4EUFamâ€

[yankeegirl]

My goodness Christian, you've been busy!!! Hats off to you and well done!

[ca.funke]

The German embassy in Dublin (finally) updated their website. (see 2 posts earlier)

As of 06th September 2008, 11h14 Irish time, the embassy in London still did not...

In order to actually travel, you may still was to consider >>this<< thread and the practical hints >>here<<.

[EFR.IE]

you guys doing such a great job i would like to thanks for all of for usefull information i am waiting on my 4EUFAM card these hope il get soon me n my wife will first visit to germany. thanks

regards
riz