Visa requirements: who needs a visa?

Generally speaking, third-country nationals require a visa to enter the Federal Republic of Germany.
An exemption applies to EU nationals and nationals of those countries for which the European Community has with the visa regulation of the European Union abolished the visa requirement for short stays of up to 90 days in a 180‑day period.
You can check here to see if you require a visa:
Table of countries whose citizens require/do not require visas to enter Germany

Issue of visas: where do I apply for a visa?

The Embassies and Consulates General (missions abroad) of the Federal Republic of Germany are responsible for issuing visas.

Ratione loci competence (local responsibility) for processing visa applications lies with the mission responsible for the area in which you have your ordinary residence or domicile. An overview of all missions abroad can be found here (in German only).

Please note that ratione materiae competence (subject-matter responsibility) lies with the mission of the Schengen state in whose territory the sole or main destination is situated. You can therefore submit your visa application at a German mission abroad, especially if you wish to travel to Germany.

As a matter of principle, Federal Foreign Office headquarters is not involved in decisions on individual visa applications.

What types of visas are there – and which one do I need?

The visa type that you need depends on both the purpose of your travel and the length of your stay.

Generally, for stays of up to 90 days, you apply for a Schengen visa.

For longer stays, you apply for a national visa.

Visa fees – how much will applying for a visa cost?

The processing fee for a Schengen visa is normally EUR 90 and the fee for a national visa (for longer stays) is EUR 75.

However, both the Visa Code (Schengen visas) and the Ordinance Governing Residence (national visas) provide for fee reductions or waivers in certain cases.

Fee waiver for a Schengen visa:

Visa fees are waived by all Schengen states for the following categories of persons, regardless of their nationality:

1. Children under six years;
2. School pupils, undergraduates, postgraduates and accompanying teaching staff who undertake trips for the purpose of study or training;
3. Representatives of non-profit organisations aged 25 years or less participating in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events organised by non-profit organisations;
4. Researchers as defined in Article 3 (2) of EU Directive 2016/801 during travel to carry out a research activity or to participate in a scientific seminar or a conference;
5. Persons who wish to “replace” an old, valid visa in a “full” travel document (one that has no empty pages) with a new visa valid for the same period in a new travel document.

Fee waiver for a national visa:

In the following cases, fees are waived for the applicant:

1. Foreign nationals receiving a scholarship from public funds during their stay in Germany, as well as their spouse or partner and minor children as long as they are covered by the funding;
2. Members of the diplomatic missions, consular posts and international organisations in Germany, as well as their spouse and children up to and including the age of 25;
3. Where Germany has undertaken to do so in bilateral or multilateral agreements.

General fee waivers:

Visa fees are waived for the spouses, same-sex partners in a civil union and minor single children of German citizens, the parents of minor German citizens and family members of EU/EEA nationals, provided they enjoy freedom of movement.

In addition, Germany has concluded visa facilitation agreements with some countries that provide for fee waivers for certain categories of persons, e.g. For members of official delegations, students, children above the age of six, etc. Click here for more information.

Reduced fees

As a rule, nationals of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine pay a fee of EUR 35 for a Schengen visa (categories A and C), regardless of where they permanently reside or where they submit their application.

Other reduced fees and fee waivers

A general fee of EUR 45 applies to children from the age of six years and below the age of 12 years for the granting of a Schengen visa.

For national visas, the fee for minors is half of the regular rate, i.e. EUR 37.50.

The German missions will also consider waiving or reducing the fees charged in individual cases if the applicant is seeking to enter the country to promote cultural or sport-related interests, interests in the field of foreign policy, development policy or other areas of vital public interest or for humanitarian reasons.

Foreign exhibitors at German trade fairs who present an official trade fair pass are also exempt from the visa fee.

Processing time - how long will it take for me to get my visa?

Schengen visas

As a rule, missions require up to 14 working days to decide on an application for a Schengen visa. During the peak travel season there may be a waiting period for making an application to a German mission. You may apply for a Schengen visa from between six months and generally no later than 15 days before your planned trip; however, you can make the appointment prior to this time period.

National visas

Applications for visas entitling the holder to a longer stay may take several months to process, depending on the purpose of the stay.

The visa application procedure – how do I proceed?

Schengen visas

As a rule, visa applications must be submitted in person at the mission, at the visa application centre at your place of residence. If your fingerprints have already been taken within the last 59 months for a Schengen visa application, you may not need to appear in person to submit your application.

To avoid time-consuming requests for additional information or documentation, you should consult the website of the respective mission well in advance of the departure date to find out about the visa procedure and about the documentation which has to be submitted.

You can fill out the application form for a Schengen visa online. Please then bring the print-out of the form with you to your appointment.

Alternatively, you may obtain an application form from the mission free of charge (in the local language). A bilingual German-English version is available here. Please use the version that is used by the mission with which you file your application. Application forms may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the competent mission.

National visas

As a rule, visa applications must be submitted in person at the mission or the visa application centre at your place of residence.

To avoid time-consuming requests for additional information or documentation, you should consult the requirements well in advance of your departure date to find out about the documentation which has to be submitted.

You will be provided with an application form by the mission, free of charge (in the local language), as part of your application process. You may also use the forms that can be downloaded here. Please use the version that is used by the mission with which you file your application. Application forms may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the competent mission.

Legal provisions relating to the issue of visas (selection)

• Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement (Agreement of 14 June 1985 between the Governments of the States of the Benelux Economic Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the French Republic on the Gradual Abolition of Checks at their Common Borders)
• Visa Code Regulation (EC) No. 810/2009 of 13 July 2009
• Third countries whose nationals or specific categories of such third country nationals who are subject to prior consultation (Article 22 of the Visa Code) PDF / 88 KB
• Third countries for whose nationals or specific categories of such third country nationals “ex post” information is required (Art. 31 of the Visa Code) PDF / 313 KB
• Residence Act of 30 July 2004 (Federal Law Gazette I, No. 41, p. 1952)
• Ordinance Governing Residence of 25 November 2004 (Federal Law Gazette I, No. 62, p. 2945)
• Council Regulation (EC) No. 539/2001 of 15 March 2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (Official Journal L 81/1 of 21 March 2001); Council Regulation (EC) No. 2414/2001 of 7 December 2001 amending Council Regulation (EC) No. 539/2001), in the respective current version
• Council Regulation (EC) No. 453/2003 of 6 March 2003 amending Regulation (EC) No. 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement
• Council Regulation (EC) No. 1932/2006 of 21 December 2006 amending Regulation (EC) No. 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement
• Council Regulation (EC) No. 1244/2009 of 30 November 2009 amending Regulation (EC) No. 539/2001 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement
• Freedom of Movement Act/EU of 30 July 2004 (Federal Law Gazette I, No. 41, p. 1986)
• Ordinance on the admission of foreigners for the purpose of taking up employment of 22 November 2004 (Federal Law Gazette I, No. 62, p. 2937)
• D visa regulation Regulation (EU) No. 265/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 March 2010 amending the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement and Regulation (EC) No. 562/2006 as regards movement of persons with a long‑stay visa

The above‑mentioned Federal Law Gazettes can be obtained from Verlag des Bundesgesetzblattes, Postfach 13 20, 53003 Bonn, Germany, and the Joint Ministerial Gazettes from Carl Heymanns Verlag KG, Gereonstrasse 18‑32, 50670 Cologne, Germany, or through booksellers. The Official Journal of the European Communities is available from the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, L‑2985 Luxembourg.