Visa procedures

 

 

The requirements you must meet in order to obtain a national visa for the Federal Republic of Germany depend on the reason for which you want to enter. The requirements for staying for family or professional reasons are explained in more detail on the following pages. The "general conditions for granting" must almost always be met: securing the livelihood for the duration of the planned stay, a clarified identity, a valid passport, and there must be no interest in expulsion or a ban on entry or residence.

If all the requirements are met, you must now make an appointment at the embassy or consulate general in your country of origin. You can do this via the respective appointment booking system of the foreign representation.

The correct application form can be found on the website of the respective embassy. You can either fill out the form by hand or use the online form.

A visa application can only be made in person. On this date you must bring all the necessary documents:

On the website of the respective embassy you will find leaflets that list exactly which additional documents you need. There you will also find out, whether you have to submit the application form 2x in the original or 1x in the original with 2 copies and whether you have to bring 2 or 3 passport photos.

The examination of your application can take up to 3 months, sometimes even longer. If your application has been approved, you can pick up your passport with the visa. Now you must also provide proof that you will have valid health insurance in Germany.

After you have entered the country, while your visa is still valid, you must apply for your residence permit at the competent immigration authority (i.e. where you live). For this you have to pay a fee again: for the issuance of a residence permit or an EU Blue Card 100 € are charged, in some cases the fee can be reduced, for family members of Germans and for students who receive a scholarship from public funds, the fees are completely eliminated.

For the issuance of a visa, the approval of the local immigration office is often required. This procedure is internal to the administration, so there is no need to make an additional request. During the examination, the Foreigners' Registration Office assesses facts in Germany. In the case of persons who have already resided in Germany with a residence permit or a tonation, it checks what is stored in the Central Register of Foreigners about the applicant. Also e.B. in the case of self-employed persons, a consent of the foreigners authority is required, because for the granting of this residence permit the prerequisite is usually a regional need. For persons to whom the above does not apply and who apply for a visa for the purpose of gainful employment or to look for work/training places, the consent of the Foreigners' Registration Office is normally not required. Among others, scientists, students with a scholarship or with a degree from a German school abroad, ethnic German repatriates or if this is regulated by intergovernmental agreements are exempt from approval.

 

A preliminary approval of the Foreigners' Registration Office is possible in certain cases. For this purpose, it is helpful to contact the responsible counselling centre.

 

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