Germany Visa for Indians

What is Germany Visa?

A Germany visa is an official permit that allows people from outside Germany to enter the country. It  allows non-Germans to visit and stay in Germany for a fixed period of time. It also allows foreign nationals to transit via Germany’s international transit areas while travelling to another country. 

The Embassy of Germany offers a Schengen visa as Germany visa to all Indians who wish to travel to Germany for a short stay. It does not provide a separate Germany visa to foreigners for a short visit to the country. However, if the foreign national wishes to stay in Germany for more than 90 days, then he/she will be issued a long-term national visa for Germany.

A Schengen visa is a single visa that allows its holder to travel across all the 26 Schengen states, including Germany. This visa is issued only to people from outside the Schengen area who need a visa to enter the territory.

The Germany visa for Indians is issued by the German Missions in India, including the Embassy of Germany. However, the German Embassy has appointed VFS Global Services as their official partner to accept Germany visa applications in India. It operates Germany Visa Application Centres across India and helps the applicants to complete their documents as well as collect their visa fees and biometric details on behalf of the Embassy and Consulates of Germany.

The Germany visa is only granted to an Indian traveller if he/she has a valid travel insurance Germany policy to cover the trip.

Types of Germany Visa for Indians

Broadly, there are two types of Germany visa available for Indians:

Schengen Visa

The Schengen visa is issued to Indian citizens who wish to travel to Germany for a short period of time. It is granted by the German Mission to foreigners who are transiting or staying in Germany for a period of 90 days or less. The Schengen visa is further divided into two categories:

Short Stay Visa 

The Short Stay visa is issued to Indians who are planning a short term stay in Germany. It allows its holder to stay in Germany for a period of 90 days or less during a 180-day period. The German Mission can either issue a uniform Schengen visa or a Schengen visa with limited territorial validity for short stay travel. While the uniform visa allows the foreigner to travel to any Schengen states along with Germany, the Schengen visa with limited territorial validity gives access only to countries mentioned on the visa sticker, such as Germany. 

The Short Stay visa is granted to people travelling to Germany for/as:

• Vacation
• Business purposes
• Visiting friends/family
• Medical treatment
• Training/internship
• Film Crew
• Participating in cultural/ sports/ religious events and trade fair
• Visiting scholar/ guest scientist
• Fair exhibitor
• Nuclear scientist

Airport Transit Visa

The Airport Transit visa is issued to Indians who need to transit via Germany to travel to another country. It is designed for people who have a layover in Germany while en route to another country. The Airport Transit visa grants access to its holders to only the international transit areas of Germany.

German National Visa

The German National visa is a long-stay Germany visa issued to Indian citizens who want to stay in Germany for more than 90 days. It is a long-term visa for foreigners travelling to Germany for education, employment, joining their family/ spouse, volunteer service, etc. The German National visa is further divided into the following categories:

1. Student Visa - This visa is issued to people who have received an admission offer or a full paid scholarship from an official academic institution in Germany. Indian students selected for an exchange semester at a German university can also obtain this visa.
2. Employment Visa - This visa is issued to people who have a job offer from an organisation in Germany. It is also granted to highly qualified skilled workers and PhD applicants with a work contract in Germany.

• Family Reunion/ Spouse Visa - This visa is issued to people who want to travel to Germany to reunite with their family or spouse. It is granted to people who have a family member or spouse staying in Germany and want to stay with them. Indians who intend to get married in Germany to an existing German resident or citizen can also obtain this visa.

• Research/ Guest Scientist Visa - This visa is granted to people who want to travel to Germany to conduct research over a long period of time.

• Job-Seeker Visa - This visa is issued to Indian citizens who want to travel to Germany in search of  a job opportunity.

• Speciality Cook Visa - This visa is granted to people who are specialized cooks and willing to work in Germany.

• Au Pair Visa - This visa is issued to Indian citizens who need to travel to Germany as au pair. It is granted to people who will be working with a family in Germany as their house help or children’s caretaker.

• Voluntary Service Visa - This visa is issued to Indian citizens who want to take up a voluntary service at an organisation in Germany.
• Self-Employment Visa - This visa is issued to Indian nationals who want to start a business or work as a freelancer in Germany.

Who Should Apply for Germany Visa for Indians?

All Indian citizens who wish to travel to Germany need to apply for a Germany visa. Whether someone is travelling for a small holiday or to work permanently, he/she needs a valid Germany visa to get entry in Germany. Even people with a layover in Germany need a valid Airport Transit visa to legally wait for their connecting flight at the German airport.

In case the Indian citizen plans to travel to more than one Schengen states with Germany as their main destination, then he/she should obtain the Schengen visa from the German Missions. The main destination refers to the country where the traveller will be spending the maximum duration of his/her trip.

When to Apply for Germany Visa for Indians?

An Indian national should apply for a Germany visa at least 15 days before his/her scheduled departure from India. However, he/she cannot apply for a Germany visa for Indians more than six months before his/her intended travel to the European country.

How to Apply for Germany Visa for Indians?

The process of applying for a Germany visa for Indians is very simple. The applicant can apply for the visa at the German Mission or the nearest visa application centre of VFS Global Services. Make sure to find out the Embassy/Consulate that covers your state/ union territory under their jurisdiction before applying. Follow the steps given below to apply for a Germany visa for Indians:

• Visit the official website of VFS Global for Germany
• Choose to the German Embassy/Consulate that holds jurisdiction over your state/UT
• Select the ‘Apply for a visa’ tab
• Under the ‘Identify visa type’ category, click on the ‘view more’ and select the city with your Embassy/Consulate 
• Choose the type of visa you want to apply for 
• Fill up the online visa form or download the form and fill it
• Book a visa appointment online at the visa application centre’s website
• Show up for your visa appointment and submit your visa application form along with other documents
• Pay your visa fees and give your biometric details
• Once your visa has been issued, collect your passport

Documents Required to Apply for Germany Visa for Indians

All applicants for Germany visa need to submit a few documents at the time of applying. Take a look at the list of documents that need to be submitted to obtain a Germany visa:

• A valid passport with at least two empty pages and three months of validity
• Copy of passport data page in A4 size
• Visa application form and declaration
• Passport size colour pictures (The number of pictures may vary from one Germany visa type to another)
• Travel insurance policy
• Flight booking details (For Schengen visa)

Refer to the table given below to know about additional documents required to apply for different kinds of Germany visa:

Germany Visa Fees

All applicants of Germany visa for Indians need to pay a visa application fee at the time of submitting their application and documents. The following table shows the Germany visa fees to be paid by different applicants as per their type of  visa:

*VFS Global Services will charge a service fee in addition to the Germany visa fee.

The Germany visa fees can be paid via a demand draft. Only the New Delhi Embassy accepts cash payments for visa fees along with the demand draft.

However, no visa fee is charged to applicants below the age of 6 years.

Travel Insurance for Germany Visa

Germany is a beautiful country with lots of mesmerizing views and amazing experiences. It is also preferred for higher education as well as conducting business. Although Germany is a safe country, nobody can rule out the possibility of unforeseen incidents, such as an accident, pick-pocketing, theft or sickness, during the trip. The only way to avoid such incidents from spoiling the trip is by buying travel insurance for Germany.

Travel insurance Germany provides financial assistance to the traveller against any unforeseen circumstances that he/she may encounter during the trip to Germany. It provides coverage against uncertainties, such as medical emergencies, passport loss, baggage loss/ delay, personal liability, flight delay, trip cancellation, etc.

As a matter of fact, travel insurance is mandatory for all Indian citizens travelling to Germany. A travel insurance policy worth at least 30,000 EURO is required to obtain a Germany visa. Without a valid travel insurance policy, the German Mission will reject the Germany visa application.

Germany Visa Processing Time

The German Missions in India usually take about 15 days to process a Schengen visa application submitted by an Indian citizen to travel to Germany. If the application is submitted to VFS Global’s visa application centre, the processing time may be extended by a couple of days.

However, the processing time can be extended during peak tourist seasons.

How to Check the Status of Germany Visa?

The applicants of Germany visa can check their application status by following the steps given below:

• Visit the official website of VFS Global for Germany
• Select the German Embassy/ Consulate where you had applied for your visa
• Click on the ‘Book an appointment’ tab on the menu bar
• Scroll down the page and click on the ‘Track now’ option under ‘Track your application’
• Enter your reference number and last name 
• Fill in the code and submit the details
• The status of your Germany visa will be shown