Information on the visa procedure for a long-term stay in Germany

Please note the following:

• You will find Information on which documents and which type of visa are required in the visa navigator
• Please use the Consular Services Portal to submit your application  After your application is complete, you will receive a link for booking the personal appointment at the Embassy.
• For Researcher, Van der Elst, Voluntary Social Year or Self-Employment, it is not possible to apply at the Consular Services Portal, for these categories please book a personal appointment
• telephone inquiries on application status or procedures cannot be answered
• Visa applicants with reference to § 26 BeschV (“Western Balkans regulation”) are required without exception to apply in their country of origin (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro & Serbia)
• Argentinian, Chilean, and Uruguayan citizens can apply for a Working Holiday Visa at any German embassy or consulate worldwide. Only citizens of these three countries can apply for a Working Holiday Visa at the German Embassy in Helsinki. Please book an appointment in the "Working Holiday Visa" category. If you book an appointment in a different category, your application cannot be processed.

Visa Application Checklist

Please compile the application documents listed below. Missing documents may lead to the rejection of your application. All documents must be submitted in original form with a photocopy. Original documents and your passport will not be retained during the application process.

You must apply for a visa in person at the embassy.

Documents in a foreign language must be submitted with a German translation. You can find a database of translators of the German state justice administrations here.

All copies must be submitted in A4 format. Please do not staple, clip, or bind the copies together!

Information sheets:

Required documents for employment  

Required documents for study purposes.  

Required documents for a study-related internship. 

Required documents for family reunification with a foreign family member.  

Required Documents required for family reunification with a German family member. 
 

Documents required for Opportunity Card 

Documents required for Working Holiday

Abolition of the remonstration procedure 

from 1 July 2025

The Federal Foreign Office has decided to abolish the remonstration procedure for visa rejections worldwide from 1 July 2025. This eliminates a legal remedy in the visa application procedure that is not statutorily prescribed and which up to now has been granted voluntarily.

This decision is based on a pilot project conducted in several German visa sections, where suspension of remonstrations for both Schengen visas and national visas was tested from 1 June 2023.

Evaluation of the pilot project has shown that Dispensing with the remonstration procedure has released considerable staff capacity in visa sections in some cases, freeing up staff to process more visa applications. As a result, it has been possible to process both more national and more Schengen visa applications and to reduce waiting times compared to the same period in the previous year.

The processing of a greater number of visa applications and a reduction in waiting times benefits all applicants. Adequate legal protection will also be guaranteed in the future, for judicial review under law will not be limited by the abolition of the remonstration procedure. Furthermore, it goes without saying that all applicants have the option of submitting a new visa application at any time in the case of a rejection.

With the general option to apply for national visas for skilled workers, apprentices, students or for family reunification purposes online via the Consular Services Portal available worldwide since 1 January 2025, applicants also receive clear and intuitive step-by-step guidance through the application process to ensure that they submit complete (digital) applications. Experience from the online application pilot project has shown that this significantly improves the quality of the procedure and avoids delays caused by incomplete applications.

Suurenna kuvaa

Sulje

Visa-Navigator
 

Which visa do I need for Germany?
I want to travel to Germany as a tourist, on business, for my studies, to work, or to join family members who live there.
Which visa should I apply for?