EU court: Germany can't require Turkish immigrants' spouses to know language to get visa

Published January 08, 2015

A European Union court has ruled that Germany can't require the spouses of Turkish immigrants to show basic knowledge of the German language as a condition for being granted a visa.

Since 2007, Berlin has required spouses of long-term immigrants from outside the EU wanting to join their partners in Germany to take a language test.

The European Court of Justice ruled Thursday that, in the case of Turkish immigrants, the requirement clashes with an EU-Turkey accord from the early 1970s that prohibited "the introduction of new restrictions on the freedom of establishment."

The court ruled after considering the case of a Turkish woman refused a visa to join her husband, a businessman who has lived in Germany since 1998, because she didn't know the language well enough.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/world/eu-court-germany-cant-require-turkish-immigrants-spouses-to-know-language-to-get-visa