Information on visas

EU nationals do not require a visa to enter the Federal Republic of Germany. All other foreign guests require a visa for stays in Germany, the other EU countries as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. A visa is not required for visits of up to 90 days in a 180‑day period for nationals of those countries for which the European Community has abolished the visa requirement. The table of countries whose citizens require/do not require visas to enter Germany shows an overview of the regulations by the federal foreign office.

If you or your visitor require a visa for entering Germany or the other Schengen states, a number of formalities need to be considered.

Requirements for the issue of visas

For Germany and all other Schengen states, special insurance requirements have been set out. Further details can be found in the Regulation (EC) No. 810/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009. This regulation established a Community Code on Visas (Visa Code), which was revised on April 5th 2010. It forms the statutory basis under European law in all Schengen states for the issuing of visas.

PROVISIT-VISUM insurance coverage fully complies with the mentioned requirements.

One of the preconditions for obtaining a Schengen visa is providing documentary evidence of travel health insurance with a minimum coverage of 30,000 euros. Validity for the entire Schengen area and insurance cover for the complete period of travel are required. The policy of PROVISIT-VISUM provides unlimited coverage of medical costs. In the event of death of the insured person, repatriation or funeral costs are covered up to 30,000 euros.

You can download the requirements for the issue of visas and the visa application forms on the website of the Federal Foreign Office.

Preparation for entering Germany or other EU-states

As a rule, embassies or consulates require between two and ten working days to decide on an application for a short stay visa. Applications for visas entitling the holder to a longer stay or to take up gainful employment may take several months to process. During the peak travel season there may be a waiting period for making an application to a German embassy. Therefore we advise you to submit your application in good time.

Bodies responsible for issuing visas

In general, applicants must submit visa applications, together with all necessary documents, in person at the German mission responsible for their place of residence. In order to avoid time‑consuming requests for additional information or documentation, applicants should consult the website of the respective mission well in advance of their departure date to find out about the visa procedure and about the documentation which has to be submitted.