Germany is a European country that has industry, tourism, a beautiful natural landscape, and everything together. From visitors to investors, it is a complex of opportunities. If you are going to travel to this country you might need a Germany visa. But do you really need a Germany Schengen visa?
In this blog, we will answer if you need this visa or not and explain a few FAQs.
Who Needs a Germany Schengen visa?
Whether you need a Germany visa or not depends on:
- Nationality
- The purpose of your visit
- Duration of your stay
Germany visa comes in two groups:
- Non-immigrant (Short-stay visa)
- Immigrant (long-stay visas)
If you stay in Germany for up to 90 days, it is a short stay. A few countries like the EU and EEA members are free of Germany short-stay visa. The nationals of these countries can travel to Germany with a passport. If they want to stay longer, they need a visa.
The following countries are free of Germany short-stay visa:
Asia
| Brunei Darussalam | Hong Kong | Malaysia |
| Georgia | Israel | Singapore |
| The United Arab Emirates | Japan | South Korea |
North America
| Antigua And Barbuda | Grenada |
| Bahamas | Guatemala |
| Barbados | Honduras |
| Canada | Mexico |
| Costa Rica | Nicaragua |
| Dominica | Panama |
| El Salvador | United States Of America |
South America
| Argentina | Paraguay |
| Brazil | Peru |
| Chile | Uruguay |
| Colombia | Venezuela |
Africa
| Mauritius | Seychelles |
Oceania
| Australia | Palau |
| Kiribati | Samoa |
| Marshall Islands | Solomon Islands |
| Micronesia | Tuvalu |
| New Zealand | Vanuatu |
Europe
| Albania | Monaco |
| Andorra | Montenegro |
| Bosnia And Herzegovina | San Marino |
| EEA countries | Serbia |
| North Macedonia | Ukraine |
| Vatican City State | United Kingdom |
| Moldova | EU |
If you are a citizen or resident of the following list, then you need a Germany short-stay visa. You need a visa even if you wish to stay in the country for one day:
Asia
| Afghanistan | Pakistan | Laos | Russia |
| Armenia | India | Lebanon | Saudi Arabia |
| Azerbaijan | Indonesia | Maldives | Sri Lanka |
| Bahrain | Iran | Mongolia | Syria |
| Bangladesh | Iraq | Nepal | Tajikistan |
| Bhutan | Jordan | North Korea | Thailand |
| Burma/Myanmar | Kazakhstan | Oman | Timor-Leste |
| Cambodia | Kuwait | Philippines | Turkey |
| China | Kyrgyzstan | Qatar | Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan |
North America
| Belize | Dominican Republic | Jamaica |
| Cuba | Haiti | |
South America
| Bolivia | Guyana |
| Ecuador | Suriname |
Europe
| Belarus | Kosovo |
Oceania
| Fiji | Nauru | Samoa |
| Kiribati | Northern Marianas | Solomon Islands |
| Marshall Islands | Palau | Tonga |
| Micronesia | Papua New Guinea | Tuvalu |
Africa
| Algeria | Comoros | Ghana | Mali | Somalia |
| Angola | Congo | Guinea | Mauritania | South Africa |
| Benin | Rep. of Congo | Guinea-Bissau | Morocco | Sudan |
| Botswana | Djibouti | Ivory Coast | Mozambique | Swaziland |
| Burkina Faso | Egypt | Kenya | Namibia | |
| Burundi | Equatorial Guinea | Lesotho | Niger | Tanzania |
| Cameroon | Eritrea | Liberia | Nigeria | Togo |
| Cape Verde | Ethiopia | Libya | Sao Tome and Principe | Tunisia |
| The central African Republic | Gabon | Madagascar | Senegal | Uganda |
| Chad | The Gambia | Malawi | Sierra Leone | Zambia Zimbabwe |
What Types of Germany Schengen Visa Do You Need?
If you stay in Germany for a short trip (less than 90 days), you must apply for a Schengen short-stay visa. It also gets called a C-type visa. But if you will stay for more than 90 days in Germany, you must apply for a German long-stay visa. This visa also gets called a D-type visa.
Short Term Visa Stay
- Airport Transit visa
- Business Visas
- Tourist Visa
- Visitor Visa
Long-Stay Visas
If you stay in Germany for more than 90 days, you need a Long-Stay Visas Germany visa, as follows:
- Student Visa
- Employment Visa
- Job Seeker Visa
- Family Reunion Visa
- Researcher Visa
- Freelancer Visa
- Language Course Visa
- Student Internship Visa
- Medical Treatment Visa
- Residence Permits
Required Documents to Apply for a German Schengen Visa
The required documents depend on your:
- Travel purpose
- The country you are from
- The people who are going with you
- The length you will stay in Germany
This list is the required documents for any short-term German Schengen visa you apply for:
- A visa application form.
- Declaration letter.
- Visa photo
- Proof of Accommodation in Germany
- Itinerary
- Proof of Financial Means
- Travel documents
- Copies of your previous visas
- Germany Travel Health Insurance.
If your minors or spouse is traveling with you, you have to gather other documents for them. The required documents also vary based on your employment status.
How Long Is Needed to Get a German Schengen Visa?
The processing time to get a Germany short-stay visa might take up to two weeks. If you apply during peak seasons (May through September), you might have to wait for one month. This is because the German embassies get too many applications to process.
The sooner submitting your application, the better. The earliest and latest time for application is three months and 15 days.
German Schengen Visa Costs
The cost of a German Schengen visa are:
- Short-stay visa for adults, €80.
- Long-stay visa for adults, €75.
- Children under the age of 12-€40.
- Children under 6 are free of charge.
Extending Germany Schengen Visa
It is possible to extend the Germany visa but only in extraordinary cases. The force majeure and Humanitarian reasons are some samples.
Revoking German Schengen Visa
A lot of people ask: “Can my Schengen visa get revoked?”. The answer is YES. If the German authorities decide that you don’t meet the visa conditions, your German Schengen visa gets revoked.
In case of visa revocation, if you are in Germany or another Schengen state, the government gives you a deadline to leave. If you don’t leave, you will become an illegal resident.
NOTE: If you don’t provide the required documents at the border, your visa might get revoked too.
Germany Schengen Visa Application Process
- Get a complete list of the required documents for the Germany visa you want to apply for.
- Find out where you should apply.
- Complete German short-stay visa application form.
- Gather all the required documents. Most applicants forget:
- Getting health insurance
- Booking a flight.
- Arranging accommodation in Germany.
- Pay the visa fee. You should keep the receipt to show it to the consular officer at the interview.
- Book a visa interview.
- Participate in the interview at the appropriate German VAC/Consulate/Embassy. Give true and honest answers about your travel purpose and background.
Where Can You Apply for a Germany Schengen Visa?
You have to submit the application and documents to a German representative Center in your country.
This center could be:
- The German Embassy
- A German Consulate
- A Visa Application Center that Germany uses for visa submission
- The Embassy / Consulate of another Schengen country that Germany uses for visa submission
Let’s sum up …
In this blog, we explained the people who need and don’t need Germany Schengen visa.
The people who need a Germany Schengen visa, different types of visas, the general required documents, and processing got covered.
You can find all the Germany visa information in the world here. This article is the first step for the particular type of Germany visa you want to apply for.
You can check the visa library to find more information about other countries’ visas.
In case you have some experience, please write it down in the comment section. Your comments let the readers choose better and avoid mistakes. Conveying your experiences in comments is a great help for applicants.
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- Max-B.
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