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Germany

Visa Germany

Europe · Europe de l’Ouest

In Germany, visas fall to the federal foreign office (Auswärtiges Amt), which publishes the "Visa Navigator" and the consular services portal. The pages consulted distinguish the Schengen visa, for stays of at most 90 days in any 180 days, from the national visa, for longer stays. The application is filed in person with the German mission or the competent visa application center; some long-stay applications are first entered online.

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.

Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.

Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 17 September 2026

At a glance

Authority
Auswärtiges Amt — federal foreign office of Germany
Submission channel
Filing in person at the German mission or at the visa application center; online entry possible for long-stay visas through the "Consular Services Portal"
Electronic visa
Not stated on the portal consulted; the consular portal allows long-stay visas to be entered online and states that Schengen visa applications cannot yet be filed online
Portal language
English (pages consulted); the site is also published in German

Do you need a visa?

Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.

Documented visa types

Schengen visa
Presented for short stays, up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Official page (new tab)
National visa
Presented for stays exceeding 90 days. The consular services portal states that long-stay visas corresponding to 28 purposes — including employment, study, vocational training and family reunification — may be applied for online. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

The "Visas for Germany" page states that the application is filed in person with the German mission or the visa application center of the place of residence, the competent mission being determined by the area in which the applicant has their habitual residence.

The "Consular Services Portal" makes it possible to create an account, fill in an application and upload documents online for long-stay visas, then send it to the competent German mission. The portal states that an in-person appointment at the mission remains necessary for biometric data, payment and the checking of original documents, and that Schengen visa applications cannot yet be accepted online.

Steps in the procedure

  1. Consult beforehand the documentary requirements published by the authority.
  2. Fill in the application form online or obtain it from the mission.
  3. On the consular services portal: create an account, fill in the application, upload the documents and send it to the competent German mission.
  4. Book an in-person appointment at the mission or at the visa application center.
  5. Attend the appointment to provide the biometric data (fingerprints and photograph) and present the original documents.
  6. Pay the application fee.
  7. Receive notification of the decision; on the consular portal, the next steps are communicated through the user account.

Documents mentioned by the authority

The exact list depends on the visa type and on the situation; only the official page is authoritative.

Stated fees and processing times

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, the "Visas for Germany" page states, for the Schengen visa, 90 EUR at the standard rate, 45 EUR for children aged 6 to 12 and 35 EUR for nationals of certain designated countries, and, for the national visa, 75 EUR at the standard rate and 37.50 EUR for minors.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, the stated processing time is at most 15 calendar days for a complete Schengen visa application, whereas the processing of a national visa may, according to the same page, take several months.

After the decision

The consular services portal states that once the decision has been taken, the applicant is informed of the next steps through their user account. The authority decides whether to issue or refuse.

The avenues of appeal in the event of a refusal are not stated on the pages consulted.

Published procedures

No reviewed and published procedure for Germany to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.

Explore procedures

Frequently asked questions

Is a visa required to travel to Germany?

It depends on nationality and on the purpose of travel; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. Always check with the authority.

Where is the application filed?

According to the "Visas for Germany" page, the application is filed in person with the German mission or the visa application center of the place of habitual residence.

Is there an electronic visa?

Not stated on the portal consulted. The consular services portal makes it possible to enter long-stay visa applications online, but states that an in-person appointment remains necessary and that Schengen visa applications cannot yet be filed online.

What fees does the authority state?

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17: 90 EUR for a Schengen visa (45 EUR for ages 6 to 12, 35 EUR for nationals of certain designated countries) and 75 EUR for a national visa (37.50 EUR for minors).

Consulted sources

Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.

What this guide does not know yet

Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.

Prepare my case

This method is the same for every destination. It does not list any document as an official requirement: only the authority’s source is authoritative.

  1. Describe your situation

    Nationality, residence, purpose and dates. The checker tells covered routes apart from situations that are still unknown.

  2. Check at the source

    Open the destination’s official source and compare it with your situation before starting a procedure.

  3. Track what is left to do

    Your space keeps your answers and your declared checklist. A complete checklist does not announce a favorable decision.

Check my route Open my case

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.