German spouse visa for Brazilian nationals
What this visa is
If you are a Brazilian national married to a German citizen, you can join them in Germany under the family reunification route in section 28 of the Residence Act. Brazilian citizens do not need a visa before travelling for this purpose. You can enter Germany and apply for your residence permit there, or apply for a national visa in Brazil first. Once your residence permit is granted, you can live and work in Germany without restriction. Fees and procedures in this guide are as at September 2026.
If your spouse lives in Germany but is not a German citizen, a different section of the law applies. That route is covered in its own section further down.
Who can apply
You can apply if you are legally married to a German citizen. Both of you must be at least 18. Your marriage certificate needs a Hague apostille and a German translation, covered below.
Who can sponsor
Your spouse must be a German citizen. Section 28(1) of the Residence Act waives the secure livelihood test that applies to most other family reunification routes, so your spouse does not normally have to show a minimum income to sponsor you. Your spouse does need to show adequate housing for both of you in Germany.
Whether you need a visa before you travel
The German missions in Brazil state that Brazilian citizens do not need to apply for a visa in Brazil to join a spouse in Germany. What you must do is apply for the residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde for your place of residence in Germany within three months of arriving.
You therefore have two routes. The first is to travel to Germany, register your address, and apply at the Ausländerbehörde within three months. The second is to apply for a national visa in Brazil before you travel. The second route lets the mission and the Ausländerbehörde check your case before you move.
The marriage certificate
Brazil is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, and Germany accepts Brazilian apostilles. The German missions in Brazil ask for your marriage certificate with a Hague apostille, together with a German translation by a sworn translator.
If you married in Brazil, your German spouse can also have the marriage registered in the German civil register. The German missions in Brazil publish separate guidance on this. It is not required for the visa.
The German language requirement
As the spouse of a German national, you must show basic German at A1 level, with a certificate from an ALTE accredited provider. This applies whichever route you use. The German missions in Brazil list the certificate as not required only for spouses of EU citizens who are not German.
Some exemptions apply regardless of nationality. You do not need the certificate if your German is obvious at the appointment. Nor do you need it if an illness or disability means you cannot learn German. The same applies if particular circumstances make it impossible or unreasonable for you to learn German before you travel. You need evidence for any exemption you claim.
Documents you need
Confirm the current checklist with your mission before your appointment. In general you need a valid passport with at least two blank pages, a biometric photo of 3.5 by 4.5 cm, and your apostilled marriage certificate with its sworn German translation. You also need proof of health insurance, proof of your residence in Brazil, your A1 certificate or evidence of an exemption, and evidence of your spouse’s German citizenship and address in Germany.
If you apply in Germany instead, the Ausländerbehörde sets its own checklist. Ask it before you travel.
How to apply for the visa in Brazil
Applications are made only online, through the Federal Foreign Office’s Consular Services Portal. Once your documents have been checked online, you book an interview at one of five German missions: the Embassy in Brasília or the Consulates General in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre or Recife.
Costs and processing times
The national visa fee is 75 euros, payable in cash or by international credit card. The German missions in Brazil state that processing is free of charge for spouses of German citizens and of citizens of the European Economic Area.
The missions give an average processing time of six weeks from the date your complete documents are submitted. Once you are in Germany, the Ausländerbehörde charges a separate fee to issue the residence permit. All figures are as at September 2026.
After you arrive
Register your address at the local residents’ registration office within the deadline your city sets. If you entered without a visa, apply for your residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde within three months of arrival. Once the permit is issued, you can work in Germany without a separate work permit.
Settlement permit after three years
Section 28(2) of the Residence Act entitles you to a settlement permit, an unlimited residence title, once you have held the residence permit for three years. Your family life with your German spouse must continue in Germany, there must be no ground for your expulsion, and you need German at B1 level.
If your spouse is not a German citizen
If your spouse lives in Germany but is not a German citizen, for example a Brazilian national with a German residence permit, you apply under section 30 of the Residence Act. The portal, the missions and the document rules are the same, but four rules differ.
Your spouse must hold a residence permit, settlement permit or EU Blue Card. They must show enough income to support you both without public benefits, plus health insurance. The income waiver for spouses of German citizens does not apply. The missions also ask for a copy of your spouse’s German residence permit.
The A1 requirement still applies, but more exemptions are available. You do not need to prove German if your spouse holds an EU Blue Card, is a recognised refugee, or holds certain residence titles as a skilled worker, researcher or self employed person. If your spouse is a citizen of an EU country other than Germany, different free movement rules apply and no German is required.
The visa fee of 75 euros applies unless your spouse is an EEA citizen.
The three year settlement route above does not apply. Permanent residence follows the general rules, which normally need five years.
FAQs
Can I fly to Germany and sort out the residence permit there?
Yes. The German missions in Brazil state that Brazilians do not need a visa for spouse reunion. You must apply for the residence permit at the Ausländerbehörde within three months of arrival.
Do I still need A1 if I apply in Germany?
Yes. The A1 requirement for spouses of German citizens applies whichever route you use, unless you qualify for an exemption.
Which translator can translate my marriage certificate?
The missions ask for a translation into German by a sworn translator. Confirm with your mission or the Ausländerbehörde which sworn translators they accept.
Can I book an interview without applying online first?
No. Applications are made only through the Consular Services Portal, and you book the interview after your documents have been checked there.
My spouse is Portuguese and lives in Germany. Which route applies?
Not this one. As the spouse of an EU citizen other than a German, you fall under EU free movement rules. The missions do not require A1, and the visa is free of charge.
Official sources
German Missions in Brazil, Visa for family reunion with a spouse: brasil.diplo.de/br-pt/servicos/vistos/vistoreuniaofamiliar-1010114
German Missions in Brazil, Registration of a marriage performed in Brazil: brasil.diplo.de/br-pt/servicos/familia/casamento/casamentobrasil-2632624
Federal Foreign Office, Consular Services Portal: digital.diplo.de
Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz), sections 27 to 31, gesetze-im-internet.de