Visa and Entry

The Schengen visa (C visa) permits short stays of up to 90 days. During this time, you can move about freely in any of the signatory states of the Schengen Agreement (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland).

For a Schengen visa, you must prove that you are financially secure. You also need travel health insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000. When applying, you may state “scientific work” or “research” as the purpose of your stay. Be sure to inform the embassy or consulate if you plan to do some fee-based work.

If you are accompanied by family members, we recommend that you apply for your visas together – even if your family members will be joining you at a later date. This will simplify the application procedure considerably.

Please note: Visa applications must be submitted in person at the responsible embassy or consulate. There may be long waiting periods for the necessary appointments. Make an appointment as early as possible and check the website of the embassy or consulate to find out which documents to submit with your application.

For nationals of certain countries, it is possible to enter Germany without a visa for short stays of up to 90 days. Information on this can be found in the overview of visa requirements provided by the Federal Foreign Office.

Please note: As a rule, gainful employment is not permitted during visa-free entry. If you earn income during your stay, such as from fee-based work (e.g. lectures fees, etc), you should apply for a visa that permits gainful employment during your stay.

A national visa (D visa) is issued for long-term stays. When applying, you will be required to present at least the following documents:

• Application form (available at the embassies and consulates, in most languages)
• Passport (valid for the entire period of the planned stay, sometimes longer)
• Proof of the purpose of your stay (e.g. employment contract, letter of invitation/intent, hosting agreement, scholarship notification)
• Proof that you will be able to support yourself financially (financial status, proof of grant or scholarship, or employment contract, for instance)
• Sufficient health insurance coverage (travel health insurance)
• Details of planned accommodation in Germany
• Marriage and birth certificates for any accompanying family members

Embassies and consulates may require additional documents. Please contact the embassy or consulate well in advance to find out which additional documents must be submitted with your visa application.

National visas are usually issued for a period of three to six months. Within this period, you must enter the country and apply for a residence permit on location.