My family is visiting Germany. What documents should they have at passport control?

The most important document at passport control is a printout of the return ticket. Officers sometimes ask questions and sometimes ask none. Even so, a small folder of documents will put your family's minds at ease.

Put a short letter in English or German in the folder. It should say where they are staying, when they are going back and which phone number reaches you. If you like, add a copy of your Anmeldung (address registration) or your residence card.

With a green (hususi) passport, they do not need a visa for a short visit. Other passports need a Schengen visa, and then the travel health insurance certificate goes in the folder too.

If they travel with a relative who lives here, that relative can answer the questions at the border.

They can carry the documents on paper or as PDFs on a phone, as long as they are easy to find.

In the Schengen area you can stay at most 90 days in any 180-day period. Make sure they do not go over this.