Do I need a visa for Germany?

Germany is a part of the European Union and the Schengen area, so to enter Germany, you may need a passport and/or a visa, depending on the country you live in. Citizens from the European Community don’t need a visa for entering Germany.

According to Germany short-stay entry rules, the residents of 62 countries are permitted to enter Germany visa-free and remain there for a period of 90 days within 6 months. Those countries include Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Macao, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan, Timor Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela.

The Schengen visa for tourism purposes or visiting friends and family members, limits you to only traveling and sightseeing throughout the Schengen area. Please note that with a Schengen visa you are not allowed to work or study, thus it is mandatory that you apply for a student visa or work visa (national visa), or other visa types according to your purpose of entry, if you wish to enter Germany for other than tourism.

The required documents for a Schengen visa to Germany are as follows: visa application, declaration of accuracy of information, photographs, national passport, personal bank statements for the last three months, Schengen travel insurance, proof of accommodation, proof of flight reservation, proof of financial means (a bank statement or a letter of sponsorship), leave letter of your company (if employed), no-objection certificate from your work or study place if you have one, a cover letter stating the purpose of travel, proof of civil status. 

You can apply for a German visa at the German embassy, the German consulate or a visa center. The visa will cost you 60 EUR. 

The processing of short-stay visas to Germany take around 10 days to be processed or longer at busy times.