u/Euphoric_Amphibian42

Hi all, has anyone here been through the family reunification process for a spouse from a non-EU country?

I'm a German citizen and my wife is from Macedonia. She currently lives there, and we want her to move to Germany permanently. I'm trying to understand how the process actually works in practice — things like:

Did your spouse have to apply for the national visa (D-Visa) from their home country first, or could they enter and sort it out here?

How long did the whole thing take from application to your spouse actually arriving?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience, especially from anyone who married someone from the Balkans or another non-EU country. Thanks in advance!