Temporary stay with a visa

Are you a citizen of a country from which you can only enter Germany with a visa? Then you must first apply for this at the German missions abroad (embassies, consulates), stating the intended purpose of your stay.

A national visa is required if

• you are staying in Germany for longer than three months and
  if
• you intend to stay in Germany for a purpose of residence specified in the German Residence Act.

Note: For stays of less than three months you need a Schengen visa.

A  list of countries requiring and exempting visas for entry into the Federal Republic of Germany (opens in a new tab) can be found on the website of the German Foreign Office.

Citizens of Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America may also enter the Federal Republic of Germany without a visa for a longer stay and must apply for a residence permit within 90 days of entry.

Note: You may only pursue gainful employment after the residence permit has been issued.

• Passport or passport replacement
• Proof of the above-mentioned conditions (e.g. letter of commitment from a third party confirming that you can take care of yourself).
• Proof that you meet the special requirements for the residence title you are seeking.

• The processing time is several months. Delays may occur, especially during the high season.

• §§ 5 para. 6 Residence Act (AufenthG)
• Schengen Border Code
• EU visa regulation
• Visa Code

Airport transit visa (category "A") or Schengen visa (category "C")

Transit by road or air through the Schengen area to a third country (which is not a Schengen country).

Schengen visa of category "C"

entitles the holder to a short stay of up to three months within a period of six months from the date of first entry in:

• Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary

as well as in

• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Liechtenstein, Norway
• Switzerland

Note: With a category "C" visa you are not allowed to work. You will need a national visa for a longer-term stay.

You can find a list of  countries requiring visas and countries exempt from visa requirements for entry into the Federal Republic of Germany (opens in a new tab) on the website of the Federal Foreign Office.

• your identity has been established and you meet the passport requirement
• you can support yourself
• there is no reason to deport you
• you are not yet entitled to a residence permit
• your stay is endangered or does not interfere with the interests of the Federal Republic of Germany.

• Passport or passport substitute
• Proof of the above-mentioned requirements (e.g. letter of commitment from a third party confirming that you can take care of yourself)

The processing time is usually between 2 and 10 business days. Especially during the high season there may be delays.

• §§ 5,6 Residence Act (AufenthG)
• Schengen Border Code
• EU visa regulation
• Visa code