This series aims to help everybody looking for information on Germany visa appointment, fees and more. We’re interviewing immigrants from all over the world, and we’re asking them to share their visa stories. All this to help you with all the information needed for your visa process in Germany. It is important to say that every case is a case and these series doesn’t substitute proper research. And in anyway, we’re stating that what you read here is the norm for the visa you’re looking for. Nothing replaces good research. Our goal here is to just shad a light over the dark and make you a bit more prepared for your visa interview.
“How to get my visa?” shares stories from different people, from different countries applying for various permits. A way to get the edge out of your anxiety on your next trip to the Ausländerbehörde.

WELCOME TO “HOW TO GET MY VISA?”, HERE YOU’LL READ ABOUT GERMANY VISA APPOINTMENT, FEES, DOCUMENTS, TYPES OF VISAS, STORIES AND MORE

In this series of posts, we will tell individual stories about all sorts of visas and their outcome. To access the full series check “How to get my Visa?” and if you want to tell your story, just give us your answers here.

We’re in the second episode of our series. Today we’re bringing you a male, Brazilian, married with an Italian woman, applying for a family reunion visa in Germany.

What kind of visa did you apply to? Student? Artist? Freelancer? Marriage/Family member? Other?

Family Reunion, it’s the one where you are married to a person that has European citizenship. I was married to an Italian girl, but we wanted to live in Berlin.

Where in Germany did you apply? Which city/state?

In Berlin.

What were the documents you needed? And for how long is your visa for?

I had to prove that we are married, proof of health insurance, that I had money to live here without asking for assistance and I think that was it. Ah! One important thing you must do before you get the Germany visa appointment: Since we got married in Brazil, the marriage license we had to translate into Italian AND German. And before going to the immigration, I had previously I recognized it in the Italian Embassy. Bring all versions and make sure an official translator does your translations.

Were you accepted or denied?

I got my visa. It is pretty impossible for them to deny this kind of visa as far as I know.

How easy was the whole process? Did you apply for more than one time?

The only hard part of the process was how long did it take and how the German Embassy in Brazil didn’t care enough about the visa process since my wife is Italian. They kept saying they would help if she were German. The Italian Embassy said something similar: they would help if we were moving to Italy but not to Germany. So we moved here without a visa for me, and I had to apply for it here.

In other words, trust your research and not necessarily what the embassy or consulate says. Or at least get it written by them with their names to avoid any future problems. Once you have your Germany visa appointment, you’ll need all the documents I needed (and maybe more). Never less.

Where are you from? And how old are you? If you are comfortable, can you share your gender too?

Brazil, 37 and male. I applied for this visa the first time in 2012.

Can you tell us a little bit of your experience with the Ausländerbehörde?

I remember that the guy that gave me my Visa had pictures of trains around his office. And that he didn’t speak to me in English until I showed him I had all the documents he needed. Before that, everything was in German, and I had a friend with me to help with the translations. Besides that, everything kind of worked out. If you can, bring a German-speaking friend to the Germany visa appointment just in case. The immigration’s office has no obligation to talk to you in any other language besides German. I know, it is stupid but that how it is.

From 1-10, ten being entirely comfortable and great, how would you rate the overall experience of applying to your visa and dealing with paperwork and bureaucracy?

I would give 8.

And why you are evaluating the process the way you did?

The process was painful because it was hard for me to get the information I needed to apply for the visa. But, after everything was set up, it was easy to get the visa, and I even renewed it once, and it worked out without any issue.

 

Any piece of advice you would give to others applying for the same visa?

Do your research, try to find people that applied for the same visa as you and get your documents and papers organized and bring a German friend along if you can, you will need it.

“How to get my Visa?” is a series of interviews that we are doing with people had to apply for a visa in Germany. You can read more interviews filled with tips here. And if you want to be featured here, this link will tell you how. We also have a great Facebook Group where you can connect with people facing the same challenges as you and more.