Germany is top 10 most visited countries in the world. It has many of the same beautiful sights without being as expensive. Germany has a unique mix of nature and urban life, a ancient past, and a culture that is different everywhere. This means that any traveler will find a lot to discover in Germany. But before you travel, it is important to get an Germany Schengen visa .
Visa is always required to enter Germany for some specific nationalities based on your travel whether its short stay or long stay and based on your purpose of travel, so you need to apply for the Germany Schengen visa by keeping these 2 points on your mind.
If you are a citizen of a country that need to get an German Schengen visa, then this article is for you.
In short, the easiest way to get your Germany visa approved is to follow the below steps in order:
- Choose an appropriate visa type and the right consulate
- Book an Appointment at the consulate (or VFS office)
- Collate all the documents you need for your visa.
- For tourist & business visa, create a day wise travel plan (travel itinerary).
- Create a cover letter with the travel itinerary, purpose of travel, documents you will submit for your visa.
- Get Flight itinerary or ticket and proof that you have a place to stay (proof of accommodation)
- Get Schengen-approved travel insurance.
- Fill German Schengen visa Application form.
- Reach the consulate at the time of your appointment.
- Submit your documents and wait for your visa approval.
At any point if you need help, then you can use our Germany visa consultation service to help you.
Since we give advice on Schengen visas every day, we are always up-to-date on the visa process. This gives us the unique benefit of knowing the latest visa process, which will make it much faster and less likely to have mistakes that cause the visa to be rejected.
Do I need a Schengen visa from the Germany Consulate itself?
No, this is not a silly question. If you are visiting Germany, Spain & Italy all the other Schengen countries, so where will you apply for your Schengen visa ?. The answer would be :
- Which country are you spending most of your time in?
- If equal number of days, then which country are you entering first?
If the answer to any of the above is Germany, then you need to get an Germany Schengen visa.
What are the types of Germany Schengen visa that I need to apply for ?
The type of visa you need depends on your purpose of travel & duration. These can be categorized as :
- German Transit Visa : If you are having a layover in one of the airports of Germany, then you may need to get a transit visa.
- German Tourist Visa : Want to backpack across the Alps of Germany? Then you can get a tourist visa for a maximum period of 90 days.
- German Visitor visa : This visa if for those who have a relative or friend who is living in Germany.
- German Business visa : If you are attending any trade fair, meeting clients or engaging in any business related activity you need a business visa.
- German Diplomat visa : for official visits of national delegations or government officials.
- German Medical visa : If you want to get some surgery or medical treatment in Germany.
- German Student Visa : Enrolling in a university in Germany. Then you can get a student visa or study visa.
- German visa for Sports, Film Crew : If you are attending any football event or shooting a movie ? then you need to get a culture visa.
- German Spouse Visa : If you want to join your spouse who either is a citizen or has a work permit for
So look at the list and determine the type of Germany Schengen visa you must get . The next section we will book a Schengen visa appointment, so keep yours and your co-applicants passports ready.
How do I book an appointment for Germany Schengen Visa?
It is very important that you book your visa appointment ASAP for Germany fast without booking an appointment your whole travel plan can be ruined.
Since German visa appointments can be booked with respective Germany consulate or embassy, So you need to take help from designated external visa application center who will assign you to get an appointment with application and they will forward it to the concerned German consulates in your respective country/nation.
All your flight, hotel and travel itinerary is going to be useless if you don’t get an appointment for your German visa.
The consulate releases appointments for the next 3 months at a time, you can schedule your German visa appointment at that time itself. Also you need to book a separate appointment for each co-applicant, That’s why you better keep their details ready.
Note: In case, if there are no Schengen visa appointments available, then get in touch with us and we will help you with alternative methods.
Where to book an appointment for Germany Schengen visa ?
You can book your German visa appointment online. But based on your location only you will get the link to book an appointment for your German visa, we cannot share a common link therefore you need to check yourself.
You will need to get an appointment with either the Schengen consulate or with any of the third party visa processing companies such as VFGlobal or TLS or BLS Germany. Or you can use other 3rd party services to get appointments for you.
Can I get one appointment for my whole family ?
No, If you have planned for family trip to Germany, then each individual applicant should have one single appointment for each family member . On the third party visa service center (VAC) portal, one account can book up to 5 Schengen visa Appointments. But dates for everyone to get the appointment on the same day might not be possible.
What details should I enter book the appointment for Germany Schengen Visa?
You need to enter following details:
- Your name
- Passport number, expiration date passport issue date, etc:
Note: You can either type this information in or you can send us a photo of your passport, later we will take care of your visa appointment for you. From one country to the next country, the consulate requires different information. That’s why we will be in touch with you for additional information.
Whenever you book an appointment, you suppose to get an ARN (appointment reference number ) take a printout of it to submit it as part of your visa documentation.
To know more about Schengen visa appointments, visit here.
Documents needed for German Schengen visa
Gather all the necessary documents which is important for your Germany Schengen visa and It depends on lot of other factors such as type of visa, age of the applicant & work status.
The important Required documents that you need for Schengen visa are:
- Schengen visa application form to visit Germany.
- Covid Vaccination Certificate
- Two Photographs as per Schengen visa specifications
- Passport
- Travel Itinerary
- RoundTrip Flight Itinerary
- Schengen Approved Travel Insurance
- Proof of accommodation
- Proof of Sustenance
- Proof of civil status
- Financial Status for your Germany trip
- Travel Health Insurance
The required documents based on the applicant work status:
Are you employed ?
- Employment contract
- Copy of latest bank statements of atleast 6 months. These needs to be signed by the bank.
- Leave approval letter from your company.
- Income tax Returns (ITR ) forms.
Are you self-employed ?
- A copy of your business registration like Tax or Company TIN or PAN
- Copy of latest bank statements of atleast 6 months. These needs to be signed by the bank
- Latest Income tax Proofs (ITR)
Are you a Student ?
- Proof of Enrollment
- No objection certificate from School or college.
Are you retired ?
- A copy of your pension order for last 6 months
- Bank statements signed by the bank.
Is the visa applicant a minor ?
* Birth certificate of the minor travelling to Spain.
* German Visa application form signed by both parents.
* Family court order. In cases where minor has single parent who has full custody of the child.
* Certified copies of ID/passport of both parents
* Consent from the Guardianship Authority. If the minor will be travelling with only one parent, or alone with another person
If your main income is from a different source ?
- Any other proof of regular income such as rental certificate.
You need to submit additional documents based on the type of visa that you are applying for.
Additional Documents for German Tourist Visa
- A Travel itinerary explaining your day wise travel plan.
- Proof of accommodation such as hotel, hostel or an invitation letter.
- Flight itinerary for visa or a fully refundable flight ticket.
Additional Documents for German Business Visa
- An invitation letter from the company that is inviting you to Germany.
- A leave approval letter from your current employer stating both the approval of your leave/travel as well as reason for your travel.
- Business Bank Statement of the last 6 months.
- Business references
- If you are staying for only 30 days then need detailed schedules of your business meetings
- Memorandum of Association (MOA) copy of the original certificate.
- Trade licensing Approval (if any)
- Proof of Trip Sustenance : A clear letter from the employer stating who is responsible of the expenses of the trip. If the payment is done to the employee and the employee will be reimbursed later. It needs to be mentioned in the letter.
- Covering letter of company along with your entire travel plan. Which states that your position in the company, duration of your trip, purpose of your trip
- Certificate of your incorporation of the company.
Additional documents for German Medical Visa
- Evidence of advance payment for therapy (if any)
- A letter from your own nation’s hospital declaring the necessity for treatment in the visiting country.
- Recent Medical Report
- Letter of support for the treatment (if any)
- Appointment with a hospital in a foreign country (if any)
- A letter from the Ministry of Health indicating that they would cover your costs (if any)
- Correspondence between sending and receiving medical doctor.
- Proof of confirmed accommodation at the medical clinic.
Additional documents for German Student Visa
- Evidence of enrollment in the institution
- Certificate of no objection from your current college
- Proof of admittance to the study course/preparatory college along with the information on the language of instruction
- Should have the proof of language skill for the study course on the language of instruction
- 2Copies of your previously studied certifications of all academic qualifications
- Proof of financial – Who is going to cover your costs at the time of your study. You should have one of these document
- Copy of your stipend or scholarship (if any)
- If any body sponsoring who lives in Germany, for the need formal obligation letter.
- a holding account in the amount of 11,208 Euros for the first year of your stay.
Additional Documents for German Visitor Visa
The visitor visa format will be as follows:
- An invitation letter is now required in the German visa requirements section.
- If visiting and staying with friends or family in Germany (without financial sponsorship): Invitation letter from the host, the letter must clearly identify the host and the invitee (name, address, birth date, official identification number, occupations and permanent residence); the purpose of the visit; length of stay and accommodation status (where the invitee stays and who pays for it).
- Copy of the host’s passport
- proof of residence
- If visiting and staying with friends or family in Germany (with financial sponsorship):If your visit is supported and paid for by a sponsor residing in Austria, an electronic affidavit which can be obtained by the host from the nearest aliens police in Germany is required.
- In some cases you might be asked to provide an “Electronic Guarantee Letter“ This service is free of charge and provided by the local aliens police.
Additional Documents for German Transit Visa
- Flight ticket to the ultimate destination.
- A visa to the target country is necessary (if required)
Additional Documents for German Sports, Culture Visa
- Event Information. As:
- Invitation letter from the relevant body in Germany with details upon the nature of events or activities that are to be held in Germany.
- Entry tickets to the event.
- Enrolment conditions.
- Detailed program of the event in Germany.
- Other documents that present the Names of the applicants (crew members) and other relevant information about the event.
- Proof of previous performances. Participation in previous festivals and ceremonies (cultural, religious), sports competitions, winners certificates, proof of world/international ranking (sports).
Additional Documents for German Spouse Visa
When applying to get an German visa as the spouse of an German citizen, you must provide the following additional documents:
- Proof of German citizenship (ID card or consular card or certification of Austrian nationality or naturalization order).
- German marriage certificate.
- German family record book.
You must include the following information in the German visa requirements part of the letter:
- There are two application forms.
- Marriage certificate copy
- Copy of Spouse’s Passport and Residence Permit
- should have proof for having basic German language skills.
Do you need a flight ticket to apply for Germany Visa ? Can you use a flight itinerary ?
When you are applying for German Schengen visa, it is not safe to have a fully paid flight ticket because there will be a visa rejection possibilities. If visa get reject means we will not get refund for whatever we have paid for flight booking. Therefore you can have a temporary booking or use a flight itinerary for visa purposes. Once your visa is approved, you can book your flight ticket.
The way we create flight itinerary for our customers is using FlightGen App and you can use the app. To know more about using flight itinerary for visa.
What does a travel itinerary mean when applying for Germany Schengen visa ?
A travel itinerary is a day-wise travel plan of what you would like to do in Germany, if your German visa is approved. This travel itinerary information will be added in your cover letter or German visa letter which will be used by the German consulate to decide on your visa approval for Germany.
To know more about creating cover letter or visa letter for Germany Schengen visa.
Is a cover letter needed when applying for German visa ?
Yes. A cover letter is a mandatory document when applying for Schengen visa. As per the VFS website you need to bring a cover letter during your Schengen visa appointment.
Since you are asking for a Germany Schengen Visa, your cover letter must contain information about all of the Schengen countries you will visit on your trip, as well as a day-by-day trip plan for your entire stay in the Schengen region.
Based on the visa applications the cover letter differs, so it must be personalized. It’s not that much easy to use someone’s cover letter for your German visa application.
Note: We help you to create your personalized cover letter. Just you need to click here
Is the travel insurance mandatory for Germany Schengen visa application ?
Yes. A travel insurance is very mandatory for any Schengen visa application and the insurance must cover your whole travel duration.
As of 2022, this insurance must cover COVID and provide medical coverage of at least $50,000 and return of about $1 million. Also, the insurance must have no cost. You can buy your insurance here.
You can get your travel insurance for less than $1 per day from visitorscoverage.com .
How to apply for Germany Schengen visa ?
Follow the steps to apply for German Schengen Visa:
- Decide the which type of visa yo are looking for
- You need to complete the German Visa Application Form online
- Gather all required documents for German Schengen visa
- Book your Schengen visa appointment
- Attend the visa appointment on scheduled slot.
- Pay the German Schengen visa fee
- Wait for the visa results
Double check your documents once your Germany Schengen visa appointment scheduled. Verify that you have submitted all the flight itinerary and accommodation proof to the destinations which is mentioned in the cover letter.
Also double check that dates mentioned in the Germany visa application form should match with the dates which mentioned in your cover letter.
A cover letter is a very important document during the Germany Schengen visa process as it is the first important document that the officials will read and it is the only place where you can have chance to speak with the visa officer personally .
You can create cover letter for your visa application for just $5 using BlinkDocs App
Next, take two copies of all the documents and arrange it in the order as mentioned in the checklist.
On the day of the interview, you need to carry a soft copy of all the documents, two blue pens and cash (as some visa consulates only accept cash) and be dressed formally.
officials may ask to submit your fingerprint and in case if they find any issues on your visa documentation, you will be given a few minutes to fix issue and get back so do not be nervous.
Note: If you have taken our consultation service you can ping your assigned visa expert and they will handle your queries for you.
Where to Apply for Germany Schengen visa ?
You can not apply for visa online. Here you need to apply for German Schengen visa (for both short stay or long stay) in person at your nearby German Consulate or Visa application center such as VFS Global , BLSS or TLS contact may be given the authority to collect the visa application on the German consulates behalf. based on your location.
If you don’t find nearby any German consulate in your location, here you can find list of German consulate on the Federal Foreign Office’s website.
So give special attention of this fact and you should make sure that you know who handles the visa in your city. Even if you find an embassy of German in your location they may not handle your visa application.
How long does it take to approve my Germany visa Application ?
After completing an interview with the embassy or consulate, it will take around 2 to 3 weeks. In some situations like holiday seasons it may take around 30 days. which means you need to start applying for German visa around 3-4 month before your trip to Germany.
What is the fee for Germany Schengen visa ?
The fee for German Schengen visa is
- €80 for adults
- €40 for kids over age of 6 .
- Children below 6 can apply for Schengen visa for free
- Student long stay visa €75
- Schengen Long stay visa €180
- If you are applying through designated VAC (visa application center) such as VFS or BLSS, then there is a processing fee of €20 that you will need to pay with VFS or BLSS.
Who requires an German Schengen visa ?
Whether you need a Schengen visa to visit Germany depends on your nationality and how long you are planning to stay.
German visas are not needed.
Nationals of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), Liechtenstein, Iceland, Sweden and Norway do not need a Schengen visa to enter Germany, no matter how long they intend to staying. If you want to study or work, you will need to record your address.
Visa-free nations
, The European Community (EC) has also eliminated the visa requirement for many other nationalities for stays of up to 180 days in a 90-day period. The Federal Foreign Office gives an overview of Germany’s visa rules. If you country comes under this visa free nations then you can enter the Germany and you can stay up to 90-day period. In case if you want to stay for longer period for purpose of study or work, then you need to apply for log stay visa.
Except these nationals of Israel, Australia, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand and the United States of America. Citizens of these countries can enter Germany without a having visa and later they can apply for a residence permit from inside Germany.
How long is German visa valid for?
Depending on your type of visa you are applying for, German Schengen visa is valid in between 3 months to 12 months.
If it is Germany Transit visa, then it is valid as long as it takes you to switch between planes in a German airport.
If t is German Schengen visa, then it is valid for 90 days from your arrival date.
Can I extend my German Schengen visa?
In exceptional situations, there might be possibilities to extend your visa, Such as natural Disaster. visa validity can be done in foreigner’s office covering your area of residence.
It is quite difficult to extend the visa validity for personal reason.
Related links to Germany Schengen Visa
https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/visa-service/buergerservice/faq/-/606848