There are several German visa types. Your choice of any type of Visa to enter Germany depends on your purpose for entering the country. In this article, we will be providing you with all German visa types and all you need to know about them.
If you are interested in visiting Germany, you can browse through this article to know the type of visa that will suit the purpose of your visit.
German Visa-Free Countries
According to Germany’s short-stay entry rules, the residents of 62 countries are permitted to enter Germany without a visa and remain there for a period of 90 days within 6 months. This is because Germany is a member state of the Schengen Area.
Visitors are not permitted to work, but they can engage in business during the stipulated period.
The countries that fall under the visa-free program are the following:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- El Salvador
- Georgia
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Israel
- Japan
- Kiribati
- Macao
- Malaysia
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- New Zealand
- North Macedonia
- Nicaragua
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Timor Leste
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirate
- United States of America
- Uruguay
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
If you are not from the above-listed countries but from countries from which the nationals need to obtain a short-stay visa to enter Germany, there are still chances that you may not need a visa, in case you also belong to one of the following categories:
- You are also a citizen of the EU/EEA/EFTA countries
- You are the partner or the child of an EU/EEA/EFTA national with who you are traveling together
- You are the holder of a Diplomatic, Service, or Special Passport from Chad, Ghana, Philippines, Thailand, and Turkey
- You are the holder of a Diplomatic passport from Algeria, Georgia, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, South Africa, and Tunisia.
German Visa Types
There are both visas for short-term visits and long-term visits. The German visa type you need depends on your purpose for visiting and how long you plan to stay.
Visa for Short-Term Visit
If you are planning to visit Germany for a short-stay trip (up to 90 days), then you have to apply for a Schengen short-stay visa to Germany, also known as a C-type visa.
You can apply for one of the following short-stay visa types for Germany:
- Germany Airport Transit Visa: You apply for this visa if you need to land at one of the German airports to take a flight to your non-Schengen destinations.
- Germany Transit Visa: You can apply for this visa if you need to embark on one of the German harbors, to take a vessel that will take you to your non-Schengen destination.
- Germany Tourist Visa: You can apply for this visa if you wish to visit Germany for vacations, sightseeing, exploring, or similar.
- Visa for Visiting Family or Friends in Germany: This visa is for people who wish to visit relatives or friends living in Germany.
- Germany Business Visa: This visa is for people who need to enter Germany for business purposes.
- Visa for Official Visit in Germany: This visa is for people who wish to enter Germany for an official visit.
- Germany Medical Visa: This visa is for people who wish to receive medical care in Germany.
- Germany Visa for Cultural, Sports, and Film Crews: This visa is for those who wish to attend an activity related to culture, sport, or religion, or as a part of a film crew in Germany.
- Germany Trade Fair and Exhibitions Visa: You can apply for this visa if you are planning to participate in a trade fair or exhibition taking place in Germany.
- Germany Training/Internship Visa: You can apply for this visa if you want to attend training or do an internship in Germany.
Visa Requirements
The following is the list of documents required for any short-term German Schengen visa application:
- A Visa Application Form: complete the form with the correct information in compliance with the information in the documents.
- Declaration: This is a form issued by the German authorities in your country of residence that you need to sign. Through this paper, you confirm that you have provided all required information to the best of your knowledge.
- Two passport photos: These photos must be identical and taken within the last three months.
- Your passport/Travel document: must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure date from Germany, must not be older than 10 years, and should contain at least two blank pages.
- Copies of your previous visas (if you have any).Round-trip Flight Itinerary: A copy of the round-trip airline reservation with passenger details and dates that prove the stay in Schengen does not exceed 90 days.
- Proof of accommodation: A document through which you prove to the German embassy/consulate where you will be staying during your trip in Germany, i.e. A hotel booking. (Check Booking.com)
- Proof of financial funds for your trip to Germany: According to the European Commission information, a foreign applicant applying for a German visa must be able to attest possessing €45/day to the German Embassy or Consulate for the period of stay in German territory.
- A cover letter: Explain in this letter the reason why you are applying to visit Germany, how long you wish to stay, and other details regarding your trip.
- Proof of civil status: This could be a marriage certificate, birth certificate of children, death certificate of spouse, etc.
- Germany Travel Health Insurance: Prior to your application, you should obtain travel health insurance for the whole territory of Germany and all the other Schengen states. Your insurance must cover medical emergencies with a minimum of €30,000.
Additional German Visa Requirements
The additional requirements are based on your working status and they are thus:
If Employed:
- Employment contract
- Current bank statement for the latest 6 months
- Leave permission from the employer
- Income Tax Return (ITR)
If Sel-employed:
- A copy of your business license
- Company bank statement for the latest 6 months
- Income Tax Return
If You are a Student:
- proof of enrolment
- No-objection certificate from your school
- advertisements
If Retired:
- pension statement of the latest 6 months
If applicable:
- proof of regular income generated by the property for the last 6 months
Additional Germany Visa Requirements for Minors
The additional Germany visa requirements for children applying to get a short-stay visa are as follows:
- Birth certificate of the minor traveling to Germany.
- German application form signed by both parents.
- Family court order. In cases where only one parent has full custody of the child.
- Certified copies of ID/passport of both parents.
- A notarized parental authorization to travel to Germany, signed by both parents/guardians if the minor will be traveling alone.
Additional Germany Visa Requirements for Minors
The additional Germany visa requirements for children applying to get a short-stay visa are as follows:
- Birth certificate of the minor traveling to Germany.
- German application form signed by both parents.
- Family court order. In cases where only one parent has full custody of the child.
- Certified copies of ID/passport of both parents.
- A notarized parental authorization to travel to Germany, signed by both parents/guardians if the minor will be traveling alone.
Documents Needed for a German Schengen Visa for a German Citizen’s Wife or Husband
You must submit the following extra paperwork when applying for a German visa as the spouse of a German native or citizen:
- Proof of German citizenship of your spouse (ID card or consular card or certification of German nationality or naturalization order).
- German marriage certificate.
- German family record book.
German Schengen Visa for Official Delegation Members
As an official delegation member, you must submit the following extra paperwork when applying for a German visa:
- The official invitation copy.
- Evidence about the purpose of the journey (negotiations, meetings, events by intergovernmental organizations, consultations).
Where to Apply for a German Short-Stay Visa?
- The German Embassy
- A German Consulate
- A Visa Application Center to which Germany has outsourced visa submission
- The Embassy / Consulate of another Schengen country to which Germany has outsourced visa submission
Who Can Apply for a Schengen Visa at the German Embassy/Consulate/VAC?
If you are planning to visit only the Federal Republic of Germany, and no other Schengen country during this trip, submit your Schengen visa application at the German Embassy/Consulate/VAC.
On the other hand, the Schengen states have created rules on where to apply in case you are planning to visit more than one country. If Germany is not your only destination in the Schengen territory, submit your application at the German Embassy / Consulate / VAC only if:
- You will be spending more days in Germany than in other countries.
- You will be spending an equal amount of days in each country, but you will enter the Schengen Zone through Germany.
Please note that you cannot apply for a short-stay German visa from a country where you are currently on a visa. You need to be a citizen of that country or on a residence permit there in order to be eligible to file your Germany Visa application.
Duration of the German Visa Process
The processing time for your Germany short-stay visa may take up to 15 days. If you file your visa application during peak seasons when the German embassies receive too many applications, you may have to wait up to 30 days to process your visa, or even up to 60 days in extraordinary cases.
That is why you should submit your application for a German visa as soon as possible in order to avoid any delay in the issuance of your German short-stay visa. The earliest you can apply is three months before your trip, and the latest is 15 days.
The Cost of a German Visa
The German Schengen Visa fees are as follows:
- €80 for adults applying for a short-stay visa
- €75 for adults applying for a long-stay visa
- €40 for children under the age of 12
- Free of charge for children under 6
In addition, there are some categories of applicants exempt from paying the fee and others that need to pay a lower amount as well.
Click here to check the list of the German Schengen Visa fees, to see if you belong to any of these categories!
`Extension of German Schengen Visa
German Schengen visa can be extended, but only in exceptional cases where new facts and special reasons arise after entry into Germany, i.e. Humanitarian reasons or force majeure. You should submit your extension to the Foreigners Authority (BAMF).
Click this link for more information about how to extend a Schengen visa in Germany.
The revocation of the German Schengen visa
If the German authorities determine that the requirements for issuing the visa are no longer met, they have the authority to revoke your visa.
If the decision on the revocation of your visa arises while you are still in the German territory or in another Schengen member state, you will be given a deadline to leave. You will be regarded as an illegal residence if you do not depart the Schengen region within this time frame.
Please be aware that, although not automatically, the decision to cancel or revoke the visa may result from the visa holder’s failure to inform the border official of the entrance criteria.
German Visa for Long-term Stay
- Visa to Study in Germany: This visa is for students who wish to attend a course of study at a German university.
- Germany Family Reunion Visa: This visa is for family members of German residents who wish to join them in Germany.
- Germany Employment Visa: This visa is issued to persons that have a job offer in Germany.
- Germany Job Seeker Visa: This visa is for people who want to enter Germany for the purpose of seeking a job.
- Germany Visa for Guest Scientists & Researchers: scientists or researchers who have been invited by a German institution to carry out a study or research must apply for this visa.
Note: If a person intends to live in Germany, they must purchase statutory or private health insurance. This is a requirement for those with a mandatory visa to enter the Schengen region. Student, temporary worker, and immigrant health insurance requirements range greatly.