Visa Application Procedure Germany : Federal Foreign Office

Name of the Organization : Federal Foreign Office
Type of Facility : Visa Application Procedure
Country : Germany

Website : https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de

Visa Application Procedure :

EU nationals:
EU nationals do not require a visa to enter the Federal Republic of Germany.

Related : Federal Foreign Office International Marriage Germany : www.statusin.org/7873.html

Non-EU nationals:
Generally speaking, all other foreigners require a visa for stays in Germany. A visa is not required for visits of up to 90 days in an 180-day period for nationals of those countries for which the European Community has abolished the visa requirement.

Bodies responsible for issuing visas:
Under German law (section 71 (2) of the Residence Act), responsibility for issuing visas lies with the missions of the Federal Republic of Germany, i.e. its embassies and consulates-general. In principle, the Federal Foreign Office is not involved in decisions on individual visa applications, nor does it have any knowledge of the status of individual applications being processed by the missions.

Ratione loci competence (local responsibility) for issuing the visa lies with the mission responsible for the area in which the applicant has his/her ordinary residence or domicile.

Ratione materiae competence (subject-matter responsibility) lies with the mission of the Schengen state in whose territory the sole or main destination is situated.

Visa fees:
Since 14 May 2008, the fee for all types of visas has been EUR 60.

Exemptions may be possible. Please refer to our fees page for information:

Time required to process a visa application:
As a rule, missions require between two and ten working days to decide on an application for a short stay visa. Applications for visas entitling the holder to a longer stay or to take up gainful employment may take several months to process.

During the peak travel season there may be a waiting period for making an application to a German mission. Persons requiring a visa to enter Germany should therefore submit their applications in good time.

Application procedure:
As a rule, applicants must submit visa applications, together with all necessary documents, in person at the German mission responsible for their place of residence. In order to avoid time-consuming requests for additional information or documentation, applicants should consult the website of the respective mission well in advance of their departure date to find out about the visa procedure and about the documentation which has to be submitted.

Visa application forms can be obtained from the mission free of charge (in the local language). Applicants may also download the forms here (see right). The forms submitted must be original versions in the appropriate language of the mission in question. Application forms may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the competent mission.

Requirements for the issue of short stay (Schengen) visas:
Since 5 April 2010, Regulation (EC) No. 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 establishing a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code) forms the statutory basis under European law in all Schengen states for the issuing of visas for transit through the Schengen area or for short-term stays in the Schengen area not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period.

The Visa Code standardises the visa requirements which must be examined by the mission in the course of the visa procedure. The respective mission makes a decision on the visa application at its own discretion, taking into account all the circumstances in any given individual case.

There is no automatic entitlement to a Schengen visa.

The mission must ensure that the following requirements have been met in each individual case:
** The purpose of the trip to Germany must be plausible and comprehensible.
** The applicant must be in a position to finance his/her living and travel costs from his/her own funds or income.
** The visa holder must be prepared to leave the Schengen area before the visa expires.
** Documentary evidence must be provided of travel health insurance with a minimum coverage of 30,000 euros valid for the entire Schengen area.

Should an applicant be unable to prove that he/she can finance the journey and stay from his/her own funds, a third person may undertake to cover all costs associated with the trip in accordance with sections 66 and 68 of the Residence Act. This undertaking is normally to be made to the foreigners authority in the place of residence of the person making the undertaking.

Persons whose entry into the Schengen area would jeopardise security or public order in the Schengen states or who do not fulfil one or more of the above-mentioned requirements, cannot be granted a visa.

Should a visa application be rejected, the applicant will be informed of the main reasons for the rejection. Every applicant is entitled to take legal recourse against the mission’s decision.