Master prompt
Verpflichtungserklärung (formal obligation) — German sponsor for family visit
German host's formal undertaking before the Ausländerbehörde under §§66-68 AufenthG — income / asset proof, Bonität check, scope of liability, document handover to applicant.
GermanyVerpflichtungserklärung§66§67§68 AufenthGSponsorBonität
You are advising [HOST_NAME] on issuing a Verpflichtungserklärung (formal obligation under §§66-68 AufenthG) for visiting family member [APPLICANT_NAME] applying for a Schengen C visa for Germany. Be precise about scope of liability — this is a serious legal undertaking.
HOST + APPLICANT SNAPSHOT
- Host: [HOST_NAME] — status [HOST_STATUS] — address [HOST_ADDRESS]
- Host employment / income: [HOST_EMPLOYMENT]
- Host fixed costs: [HOST_FIXED_COSTS]
- Applicant: [APPLICANT_NAME] — relationship [APPLICANT_RELATIONSHIP]
- Visit duration: [INTENDED_VISIT_DURATION]
- Ausländerbehörde: [AUSLAENDERBEHOERDE]
§1 — LEGAL BASIS (§§66-68 AufenthG)
The Verpflichtungserklärung is a written undertaking by a person resident in Germany to cover the visitor's costs. Statutory anchors:
- §66 AufenthG (Kostentragungspflicht / cost-bearing obligation):
The person who has issued the formal obligation under §68 is liable for all public expenses incurred for the visitor.
- §67 AufenthG (Scope of liability):
Costs covered include:
(a) Subsistence (Lebensunterhalt) — food, accommodation, daily needs
(b) Public health-care costs not covered by the visitor's insurance
(c) Travel within Germany related to the stay
(d) Costs of leaving Germany — voluntary return AND, if necessary, removal (Abschiebung) costs
(e) Custody / detention costs if applicable
- §68 AufenthG (Formal obligation):
The undertaking is binding and enforceable. The host must demonstrate Bonität / financial capacity sufficient to cover ALL the §67 scope items. The Ausländerbehörde verifies before stamping the document. The undertaking remains valid for up to 5 years from issuance (typical practice — depends on issuing authority) // 2026-05 — verify
§2 — BONITÄT / FINANCIAL CAPACITY CHECK
The Ausländerbehörde will verify whether [HOST_NAME]'s income covers:
(a) Host's own subsistence + household obligations
(b) Plus visitor's needs for the visit duration
(c) Plus a safety buffer for unforeseen costs
Calculation framework (German Bedarfssätze + Sozialhilfe-Regelsätze reference):
- Host's net monthly income from [HOST_EMPLOYMENT] = EUR X net
- Minus [HOST_FIXED_COSTS] = EUR Y available
- Required Bedarf for visitor for [INTENDED_VISIT_DURATION] = days x EUR 45-65 (basic Bedarfssätze) // 2026-05 — verify current consular figure
- Show: AVAILABLE EUR Y vs REQUIRED EUR Z — sufficient / insufficient / borderline
Practical thresholds (Berlin / Munich / Hamburg practice as common reference):
- Host should retain Pfändungsfreigrenze (attachment-free amount) above own basic needs after committing the Verpflichtungserklärung
- For a 21-day visit, hosts with EUR 2,000+ disposable monthly income post-fixed-costs typically clear without issue // 2026-05 — verify current
- Self-employed hosts: present 2 years Steuerbescheid + current Einnahmenüberschussrechnung — Ausländerbehörde scrutiny higher
- Hosts on probation (Probezeit) or short employment history: case-by-case; provide employer letter affirming continuation
§3 — EVIDENCE FOR THE AUSLÄNDERBEHÖRDE APPOINTMENT
[HOST_NAME] must bring to [AUSLAENDERBEHOERDE]:
(a) Valid Personalausweis (German citizens) OR passport + Aufenthaltstitel (residence permit)
(b) Meldebescheinigung (registration certificate, current — typically <3 months old) for [HOST_ADDRESS]
(c) Mietvertrag (rental contract) OR Eigentumsnachweis (proof of property ownership — Grundbuchauszug) + Wohnflächen-Berechnung
(d) Wohnraumbescheinigung (housing-space certificate) IF the Ausländerbehörde requires it (some cities do, e.g. Berlin Mitte, depending on visitor count and apartment size)
(e) Income proof:
- Employed: last 3 Lohnabrechnungen (payslips), most recent Steuerbescheid, employer letter confirming continued employment + permanent contract
- Self-employed: last 2 years Steuerbescheid + last 2 years Einkommensteuererklärung + current Einnahmenüberschussrechnung; Gewerbeanmeldung
- Pensioner: Rentenbescheid
- Mixed income: combine the above
(f) Bank statements (Kontoauszüge) last 3-6 months for primary current account
(g) Schufa Auskunft (credit report) — some Ausländerbehörden ask for it, especially for higher-Bedarf visits // 2026-05 — verify by city
(h) Visitor's passport details (copy) — for the form fields
(i) Visitor's relationship evidence — for family visits, birth certificates linking host to applicant (e.g. both share parent X — chain via two birth certificates)
(j) Application form for the Verpflichtungserklärung (standard form available from the issuing authority)
(k) Fee — EUR 29 typical (varies by Land + city) // 2026-05 — verify
§4 — APPOINTMENT FLOW AT [AUSLAENDERBEHOERDE]
(a) Book appointment via the city's online system (e.g. service.berlin.de, München Termin) — wait times 2-6 weeks in major cities
(b) Arrive 15 minutes early with all originals + photocopies of every document
(c) Officer reviews documents in-person; may ask clarifying questions
(d) Officer either:
- STAMPS the Verpflichtungserklärung on the spot — host receives original
- WITHHOLDS pending additional evidence — second appointment required
- DECLINES if financial capacity insufficient (rare but possible — host has no appeal here; visitor can apply with own funds instead)
(e) Original document handed to host — host must deliver original (NOT photocopy) to applicant in India via courier OR scanned + original carried by next traveller
§5 — INDIA-SIDE DELIVERY + USE IN THE VISA APPLICATION
[HOST_NAME] sends the stamped original to [APPLICANT_NAME] in India:
- Use trackable international courier (DHL / FedEx / Aramex)
- Photocopy + scan retained by host before posting
- Applicant submits the original at VFS Global Germany India during the visa appointment
- Original is retained by the German consulate; applicant gets it back ONLY with the visa decision
§6 — SCOPE LIMITS THE HOST MUST UNDERSTAND
[HOST_NAME] is bound, even if the visitor:
- Stays beyond the visa expiry (overstay)
- Falls seriously ill and needs hospital care exceeding insurance
- Is detained, fined, or removed at public expense
Common host misconceptions to correct:
- "I'm only covering food and rent" — NO. §67 covers ALL costs including removal.
- "If she overstays, that's her problem" — NO. The host's signature commits to overstay-related public costs.
- "I can cancel the Verpflichtungserklärung if she behaves badly" — NO. The undertaking is binding for the stated period (typically up to 5 years).
- "It's not a big deal — friends issue them all the time" — Issuing one to a non-family applicant who later overstays creates direct host liability AND a record at the Ausländerbehörde affecting future invitations.
§7 — IF THE HOST CANNOT MEET THE BONITÄT THRESHOLD
Alternatives:
(a) Joint Verpflichtungserklärung — second host (e.g. host's German spouse, host's other family member) co-signs, combining capacity
(b) Visitor self-funds — drop the Verpflichtungserklärung entirely, apply with own bank statements + ITR + employer letter
(c) Partial sponsorship — host commits to accommodation only (Beherbergungsbescheinigung — not a full §68 undertaking; less weight with consulate but possible for short visits)
(d) Delay visit until host's finances strengthen (probation ended, debt cleared, etc.)
§8 — RELATIONSHIP-SCRUTINY GRADIENT
Consular officer scrutiny scales with relationship distance:
- Spouse, parent, child of host — minimal scrutiny on relationship
- Sibling — birth-certificate chain expected
- Cousin, uncle, aunt, in-laws — more scrutiny; explain why this specific host
- Friend — heaviest scrutiny; document history of relationship (years of friendship, prior visits, communication evidence); high refusal risk
For [APPLICANT_RELATIONSHIP], note the scrutiny level and recommend supplementary evidence accordingly.
§9 — POST-VISIT OBLIGATION CLOSURE
After [APPLICANT_NAME] returns to India:
- Keep proof of return (boarding pass copy, passport entry stamp into India)
- This is not legally required, but useful if the Ausländerbehörde later queries an apparent overstay (false records, system mismatch)
- The host's exposure under §66 closes practically on confirmed departure
End with: "DRAFT Verpflichtungserklärung guidance — for Rechtsanwalt für Migrationsrecht review and the host's local Ausländerbehörde verification. Confirm current local Bonität thresholds, current fee, and current Wohnflächen-Anforderungen for [AUSLAENDERBEHOERDE] before the host's appointment. The host should retain photocopies of every document submitted AND the stamped Verpflichtungserklärung."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt