Route: joining family in Germany
Residence permits for family reunification are in §§ 27 to 36 AufenthG. You apply for a national visa at the mission for your state: Visa application. Consulate pages: spouse, child, marriage in Germany. Spouses and children of Germans pay no visa fee (§ 52 AufenthV).
Spouse
- Spouse of a German (§ 28) or of a foreign resident (§ 30): both adults, the marriage must be valid in Germany, and the joining spouse must show German at A1 (§ 28 (1) sentence 5 with § 30 (1) sentence 1 no. 2). Exceptions: § 30 (1) sentence 3 nos. 2, 3 and 6, unreasonableness, and no. 5 if the partner in Germany is a skilled worker with a permit under § 18a or § 18b, a Blue Card and the like. No A1 is needed only if the partner living in Germany is Brazilian (no. 4 turns on the partner's nationality, not on the joining spouse's); for partners from EU states, free-movement law applies. Sources: § 30 AufenthG, exceptions to the language proof.
- According to the consulate, no visa is needed for the spouse: enter visa-free and apply for the permit at the Ausländerbehörde (LEA Berlin) within 90 days. This does not replace the A1 proof if the partner is German. A união estável (stable union) is not enough. Sponsor income and housing conditions: read the statute and the consulate page; we did not check every case.
- Marriage documents: the Brazilian marriage certificate (certidão de casamento) with an apostille, see Documents. Whether a recent issue date is required: not confirmed.
- Marriage in Germany with a fiancé(e) visa: see the consulate page above. Not checked here.
Children and parents
- Minor children can join a parent with a residence permit (§§ 32, 33). Age and German-language conditions depend on the child's age and the parent's permit; not checked in detail. Visa fee for minors €37.50 (§ 46 (2) no. 1 with § 50 (1) AufenthV).
- Parents of adults: under § 36 (2) AufenthG only in cases of exceptional hardship. Under § 36 (3), parents and parents-in-law of skilled workers can join if the skilled worker's permit was first issued on or after 1 March 2024.
Benefits for children left in Brazil: Social security agreement.
Family cases are individual. Use a lawyer for migration law or a recognised advice centre; this page does not assess your case.
A question this page does not answer? Contact us. Free orientation only, no legal advice for individual cases.