Germany Visa Application: Guide & Requirements.

This essential document, accompanied by the comprehensive Germany Visa Application Guide and Requirements, serves as your roadmap for a successful application.

Germany is one of the most popular countries in the world.

With Berlin as its capital, Germany is well known for its advancement in Technology, and Artifical Intelligence. If you wish to go to Germany it’s important you obtain a Germany visa.

Also, bear in mind that the official language of Germany is German (Deutsch), hence a little knowledge of this would be helpful.

Over the years, many Nigerians, and citizens from other countries have migrated to Germany for vacation and tourism, hence the growing need for visa application inquiries.

Do you wish to travel to Germany, for business, tourism, work, or study? Then you are in the right place, as we have a detailed step by step guide on how to make your application seamless.

Feel free to reach out to us if you need help processing your visa and for other inquiries.

Types of Germany Visa

The Schengen visa allows non-EU citizens or German citizens to visit Schengen territories when in Germany. This visa allows you to enter and reside in Germany for a maximum period of 90 days (3 months).

It’s important to note that the Schengen has visa types, as well as categories. The type of visa is solely dependent on the Country you applied to and how long you’ll be staying there for. Remember that the Schengen visa gives you the access to travel between the EU states without having to process a visa every time.

The following are types of Germany (Schengen) visas according to the purpose of travel.

General Documents Required for a German Visa

For the various types of German visas, there are certain requirements that must be met. However, there are certain requirements that apply to almost all the types of visas. Every visa applicant needs to get a valid International passport if they don’t already have or renew the passport if it has expired.
The documents needed for a German visa application include:

• A properly filled and signed Germany visa application form.
• An International passport- valid for at least six months, and has two blank pages for visa endorsement.
• Two passport-photographs which have to meet the criteria for the application.
• Proof of paid accommodation in Germany must be forwarded to the German Embassy with all relevant documents. If you will be staying with a relative, then a copy of their ID and passport together with a proof that they can support your stay is mandatory.
• A purchased return ticket within the planned duration of your trip.
• A valid travel health insurance covering the total number of days you’ll be staying in Germany is required.
• You would also need to send in a copy of your detailed itinerary if the purpose of your travel is for tourism or leisure.
• Bank Statement: A formal statement of your financial situation for your bank for at least three months is also required.

Germany Visa Types

When traveling to Germany you would need a Uniform Schengen Visa. A Uniform Schengen Visa(USV) permits individuals to enter all 26 members states of the Schengen area. USV has 3 categories.

Category A: Airport Transit Visa; this visa does not permit entry into the Schengen area.

Category B: Transit Visa; this visa permits entry into more than one Schengen for a period of 5 days maximum.

Category C: Short-term visas; includes single-entry, double-entry and multiple entry visas.

Single Entry Germany (Schengen) Visa

This type of visa grants the holder permission to enter Germany only once within the period of time mentioned in the visa sticker affixed to your passport. Once you exit the country you will not be allowed to return even if you have not spent the number of days permitted by the embassy on your visa.

Double Entry Germany (Schengen) Visa

A double-entry visa gives you another chance to go back to Germany after leaving. With this visa, you would not be allowed to return to the Schengen area after leaving it a second time. You should very careful not to exceed the number of days you are permitted to stay in Germany.

Multiple Entry Visa

Multiple entry visa permits you to go in and out of Germany as many times as you want as long as you do not violate the 90/180 rule. The 90/180 rule states that once a traveler has spent 90 days total in the Schengen zone (either consecutively or separately) within 6 months.

There are 3 types of Multiple Entry Visa;

• 1 Year Multiple Entry Visa
• 3 Year Multiple Entry Visa
• 5 Year Multiple Entry Visa

For all three types of Multiple Entry Visa you can leave and return as many times as you would like but you must obey the 90/180 rule. You would have to provide evidence to the embassy why you need to stay that long.

Long-stay Visas

As the name depicts, the Germany visa department issues these visa types to individuals who intend to stay in Country for a long period of time, or permanently. Whether your reason for needing to stay longer in Germany is for academics, work or health, if you are staying longer than 90 days you would have to apply for a resident permit.

Following your knowledge of all the visa types listed above, you can then make your choice and note down the requirements. To help with this, we’ve taken the time to outline the general documents you’ll be needing to process any visa of your choice. Find this below.

Purpose of Travel

When filling your visa application form, you would be required to fill in the reason for your travel to Germany. Examples of these reasons or purposes include;

Tourist/ Visitor Visa

If you plan to travel to Germany to visit relatives, attend a summer school or a work seminar then, you’ll be needing a tourist visa and this is valid for a period of 90 days. Apart from the above-mentioned requirements for a Schengen visa, you might also need a letter from your tour organizer. If you will be traveling with a tour agency. A Tourist visa takes about 10 days to process.

Business Visa

This would be issued to you if you plan on traveling to Germany for business. Citizens of many countries do not require a visa if you plan to stay up to 90 days. You won’t need any additional documents to apply for this visa. Business visas usually take usually up to 10 days to process.

Airport/ Transit Visa

For Nigerian nationals to travel through Germany they need an Airport or Transit visa. No additional documents are required for this visa. You should apply for this visa at least 15 days before your trip to the Schengen area.

Visiting Family or Friends

This visa is for people who have family members or friends legally residing in the Schengen area and wish to visit them. There are some special requirements for this visa that the applicant must fulfil in order for the application to be successful, like i.e. a letter of invitation. This visa usually takes 15 days to process but, in some cases, it might take 30-90 days. during the June- August holiday period processing time could be longer.  It is usually issued for a period of 90 days.

Medical Visa

A Medical Visa is for individuals that are visiting Germany to receive medical care for their illness. Apart from the general required documents you would have to provide proof of civil status (marriage certificate, death certificate of spouse, if applicable) and Travel Medical Insurance up to $30,000. The original validity of his visa is 90 days but if you have t stay longer you would need to apply for a Resident Permit or National Visa.

Other reasons or purposes for needing a Germany visa include sports, film crews and study.

Visa Fee

This fee does not include visa service charge.

Our Visa service costs between 80 USD to 275 USD, that is, about 30,000 Naira to 100,000 Naira on the average.

Address and Location of Germany Embassy in Nigeria

Germany Consulate Nigeria, Lagos

Address: 15 Walter Carrington Crescent (formerly Eleke Crescent), Victoria Island. Lagos. Nigeria
Phone:+00234-1-280-9966
Fax:+00234-1-280-9969
Email: [email protected]

Germany Embassy Nigeria, Abuja

Address: 9 Lake Maracaibo Close, Maitama. Abuja, Nigeria
Phone: +00234-9-220-8010, +00234-9-220-8011
Fax: +00234-9-220-8009
Email: [email protected]

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I Apply for a Germany Visa?

Once you are sure that you need a Germany visa, and you have gotten an international passport, as well as the other supporting documents, there are a few other things that you need to do.  A lot of applicants get some steps wrong and get denied a visa to Germany.

Long-term visa (National visa) applicants need to call the Embassy to schedule personal interviews before they can start any application process.
The steps to apply for a German visa are as follows.

Do I need to get a Visa to Travel to Germany?

As stated earlier, due to the Schengen agreement reached among the majority of the EU member states, the citizens if the designated countries are allowed to travel visa-free among the Schengen territories; meanwhile, non-Schengen countries can enter the whole Schengen territory with one unified document known as the Schengen visa.

Where to Get a Germany Visa Application Form

The normal Germany visa application forms can be downloaded from the embassy website and filled manually, and the e-visa form should be filled and submitted online.

Germany Visa Fees

The Germany visa fees for all types of visas has been set at 60 Euros since 2008, but in many cases, you might not have to pay more or pay at a reduced price because they are various fee waivers for national visas and others.

Check out German Visa fees, to find precise information about the visa fee of your choice.

How and Where to Pay Germany Visa Fees

Applicants can pay the Germany visa fees at the Visa application center with cash or via debit cards.

Germany Visa Processing Time

The Germany visa processing time is usually between 14 to 21 working days.

Where to Collect Germany Visa upon Approval

If your German visa application is approved, you can collect your passport from the Visa Application Centre or use the option of courier delivery.

For the purpose of Nigerians, or other Nationals living in Nigeria, the following German Embassies are the go-to centers for your interviews and other inquiries. If you do not live in Nigeria, you can visit the nearest Embassy at your location.

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