The 15 Best Immigration Lawyers in Berlin (Personally Vetted)

If you have ever sat across from a German immigration officer with a stack of documents and no idea whether you have the right ones, you already know why this list exists. Immigration law in Germany is detailed, frequently updated, and unforgiving of small mistakes, and it is one of the most consistent sources of stress for foreigners living in Germany.

The immigration lawyers in Berlin featured below take that uncertainty off your plate, whether you are applying for a work permit, navigating family reunification, seeking asylum, or working toward German citizenship.

ℹ️ For career support in Germany, see our list of professional career coaches. If you are still in the process of relocating, our guide to the best relocation companies in Berlin is a good place to start. We also recommend checking out our very thorough and well thought out, moving to Berlin guide.

Contact any of the immigration lawyers in Berlin below to get started. Every lawyer on this list has been personally vetted and no one paid to be included. That is a deliberate choice. We believe that when someone is navigating something as stressful as an immigration matter, the last thing they need is a list shaped by who could afford a listing fee. If you have worked with someone on this list (good or bad), let me know so I can keep this resource accurate and useful.

One important note: The Berlin Life is not a legal service and does not provide legal advice on immigration matters. The people below do. ⬇️

1) Alexander von Engelhardt

Alexander von Engelhardt is a German-American, native English-speaking lawyer in Berlin City West who focuses on the intersection of immigration and business, making him a strong fit for founders, investors, and freelancers who need both a residence permit and company formation handled by the same person. His services cover skilled worker visas, freelancer and self-employment visas, family reunification, naturalization, the Opportunity Card, company formation, and business expansion into Germany. Fees are negotiated per case rather than fixed: €150 per hour for individuals, €200 for companies, and €250 for an immigration eligibility test for people still abroad. He also runs a quick-answer legal hotline listed on All About Berlin at €2.99 per minute, which is useful if you need fast guidance without booking a full consultation.

2) Anwaltssozietät Jurati

3) BLKR

4) Dr. Jonathan Burmeister

Dr. Jonathan Burmeister is a certified specialist lawyer who handles immigration alongside his primary practice in criminal law, bringing a depth of legal experience that goes well beyond standard visa application support. His practice is notably hands-on: he manages the full application process, communicates directly with the Ausländerbehörde, and physically accompanies clients to their immigration office appointments to represent and translate for them. He covers student, work, business, freelance, artist, and language teacher visas, family reunification, EU Blue Card, deportation, and naturalization, and his office is near Ostbahnhof at Stralauer Platz in Friedrichshain. Fees are not published on his website and are best confirmed directly, though his Google reviews sit at 4.8 out of 5 from 195 clients, with reviewers consistently praising his personalized attention and results in difficult cases.

5) Fiona Macdonald

6) Frank Ertan Ulrich

Frank Ertan Ulrich is a general practice lawyer on the Kurfürstendamm in Berlin Charlottenburg who handles immigration alongside family law, tenancy, criminal, and traffic matters, making him a practical option if you need support across more than one area of German law at once. His immigration work covers permanent residency, citizenship, deportation, marriage matters, and the specific complications that arise for Turkish nationals dealing with military service requirements, and he advises in English, German, and Turkish. Fees are not fixed on his website but are discussed transparently at the first consultation, with statutory RVG rates or individually agreed hourly rates both available depending on the case, and clients on anwalt.de consistently describe him as friendly, patient, and notably affordable, with one writing that his fees were the lowest they had encountered.

7) Kraft & Rapp

Kraft & Rapp is a women-led immigration law firm in Berlin Neukölln, run by Julia Kraft and Simone Rapp, both certified specialist lawyers in immigration law (Fachanwältin für Migrationsrecht). Julia Kraft previously worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and volunteers for Amnesty International, giving the firm a strong humanitarian and asylum focus, and she advises in English, Spanish, basic French, and Arabic in addition to German. The firm covers visas, permanent residence, business immigration, asylum, deportation, and naturalization, and states publicly that fees are kept moderate, though no specific amounts are published on their website. Clients describe the firm as exceptional and fairly priced, with one crediting Simone Rapp with securing a residence permit after a year of no response from the authorities, and another praising her for a successful citizenship outcome.

8) Laura Aulmann

9) Law Office Grueneberg

Ernesto Grueneberg is a certified specialist lawyer for immigration law based on the Kurfürstendamm in Berlin Charlottenburg, with a legal background that includes studies in Argentina, making him a particularly strong option for Spanish-speaking clients since his website is available in English, German, and Spanish. He works exclusively in immigration law, covering visas, permanent residency, family reunification, citizenship, and asylum, with appointments available within 24 hours. An initial consultation of up to 30 minutes costs €180, and full representation is handled through a written flat-fee agreement with the option to pay in monthly installments, so you know the full cost before anything begins. Clients on anwalt.de describe him as transparent and genuinely attentive, with one crediting him with securing German citizenship in under 12 months while keeping them fully informed throughout.

10) legal links

11) SCHLUN & ELSEVEN

Schlun & Elseven is a full-service law firm covering the full range of immigration matters in Berlin including work visas, EU Blue Cards, citizenship, family reunification, and business immigration, alongside broader legal areas such as employment, family, and corporate law should you need them. They operate dedicated international desks for clients from the USA, UK, Canada, Turkey, France, the Middle East, and several other regions, making them a practical option for internationals who want a firm that understands where they are coming from. They hold over 900 highly rated reviews on ProvenExpert, where the firm carries a top recommendation status, and clients consistently highlight clear communication and structured guidance, with one describing how the firm resolved a family reunion visa that had been stuck in processing for over a year.

12) SERS RA

SERS RA is the practice of Attorney Surin Ersöz, established in 2012 and based on the Kurfürstendamm in Berlin Charlottenburg, covering the full range of immigration matters including work and Blue Card permits, student and training visas, self-employment, family reunification, naturalization, and asylum. The firm is notably multilingual, with the website available in English, French, and Spanish, and a 30-minute consultation starts at €125 plus VAT, making it one of the more accessible entry points on this list for getting a quick professional assessment of your case. Clients have described Attorney Ersöz as well-prepared and clear in her explanations, with one noting that she managed to turn around what had seemed like a hopeless visa case after joining the process at an advanced stage.

13) Stefan Gräbner 

14) VISAGUARD.Berlin

VISAGUARD.Berlin is an immigration-only practice, meaning every lawyer on their platform specializes exclusively in German visa and residence law rather than splitting their focus across multiple legal areas. All consultations take place online via video call, the initial session costs €190 for up to 60 minutes, and they operate on a fixed-fee basis throughout, so there are no surprise invoices after the fact. Clients have described the firm as a practical solution for cases that feel stuck, with one client crediting their lawyer with finally securing a permanent residence permit after the immigration authorities had gone silent for months, and another praising the consistent availability of their contact person across a Blue Card application and subsequent naturalization process.

15) vpmk Attorneys at Law

Additional Resources for LGBTQI+ Refugees and Refugee Women

The lawyers listed above can represent you in asylum and immigration proceedings, but if you are seeking protection in Germany on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, or if you are a refugee woman looking for a safe and appropriate space to get advice, the free resources below are worth knowing about before booking a paid legal consultation.

1) Schwulenberatung Berlin’s Queer Refugees Program offers free legal counseling on asylum procedures, the Dublin Regulation, and how to present LGBTQI+ identity as grounds for protection, with LGBTQI+-sensitive interpreters available in many languages. Beyond legal support, they also provide housing, psychological counseling, and social and medical integration assistance.

2) Refugee Law Clinic Berlin is not a law firm but a free and independent legal advice service staffed by trained law students under the supervision of qualified lawyers. It covers the full range of asylum and immigration matters, with specialist teams dedicated to LGBTQI+ rights, women and FLINTA rights, and family reunification, across ten locations throughout Berlin.

3) Women in Exile is a Berlin-based initiative founded by refugee women in 2002 that campaigns for the rights of migrant and refugee women in Germany. It hosts free legal consultations in partnership with the Refugee Law Clinic Berlin and runs empowerment trainings for refugee women.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about immigration lawyers in Berlin. 

This list is kept up to date so you always have a reliable starting point when you need legal help in Berlin. If you have worked with a lawyer who belongs here, tell us about them.