The tourist visa in Germany that can be obtained by foreigners is the Schengen visa, which grants the right to stay in this country for a period of up to 90 days; at the same time, the Schengen visa allows foreigners to move freely through all the Schengen states.
The applicant needs to have a valid passport at the moment he or she applies for the tourist visa in Germany, which will be issued as a sticker that will be attached to the person’s travel document. This type of visa cannot be used as a way of moving to Germany. It can only be used for the purpose of traveling in this country (or in other Schengen states) or for visiting friends or family members.
The document cannot be used for employment purposes or for studying here. If these situations are of interest for foreign applicants, they have to apply for separate documents, designed for these purposes; our immigration lawyer in Germany can offer legal assistance on the main types of documents that can be obtained in this situation.
We can also assist in applying for any type of residence permit in Germany.
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How can a foreigner apply for a tourist visa in Germany?
Although the Schengen states have a unified system regarding the visa application process, each country may apply, to a certain degree, its own national procedures. This is why, it is very important to verify what the requirements applied in Germany for the category of visa you are interested in are. In the case of the tourist visa in Germany, foreigners should prepare the following documents:
• the application form, which, as per the Germany migration rules, can be completed in German or in English;
• a declaration of accuracy of the information, through which the applicant testifies that all the submitted documents and his or her personal information are true;
• recent photographs of the applicant, which must comply with the standard size applied at the level of the Schengen states;
• a valid passport with blank pages that are used for applying for visas;
• proof of having travel insurance that is recognized at the level of all the Schengen states, with a minimum value of EUR 30,000;
• the proof of having sufficient financial means that will allow the person moving to Germany for a short period of time to sustain himself or herself while staying here;
• the proof of accommodation – this condition can be fulfilled in the form of a hotel booking or another type of accommodation unit, or through a letter of invitation signed by the family member or the friend where the person will live;
• proof on the duration of stay, presented in the form of the flight reservation showing the arrival and the departure dates.
There are other documents that can be required, based on the particularities of each visa applicant. We invite you to request additional information on this subject from our immigration lawyer in Germany, who can also present the steps that have to be taken during this process that must be started by the applicant, who will address to the embassy or consulate operating in his or her country.
If you are looking to relocate here permanently, you should know that the requirements for citizenship are different. Your language ability is one of the most crucial needs when applying for German citizenship, and you must demonstrate it through testing. You must be at least a B1 German speaker to be considered when applying for a passport. This is only one of the requirements associated with obtaining citizenship in this country through naturalization.
What is the demand for tourist visas in Germany?
Germany is a European country that has a high application rate for a wide category of visas and permits. The country is an attractive destination for persons interested in relocation to Germany on a permanent basis, but also for those seeking employment. This is also a good way to obtain German citizenship.
When referring to immigration, the country is also characterized by a large population of asylum seekers and, overall, the country ranks amongst the top Schengen states on the issuance of visas (according to the statistics of the EU Open Data Portal). The information gathered on the tourist visa in Germany present the following:
• Germany is the 2nd most important Schengen jurisdiction on the issuance of the tourist visa;
• in 2018, the country received a total of 2,056,296 applications for tourist visas in Germany;
• in 2019, the number of applications increased to 2,171,309;
• in 2018, the rejection rate was of 9,1%, while in 2019, it increased at 9,8%;
• a large number of applications are made by the citizens of the Russian Federation and in 2019, there were 227,163 applications for a tourist visa in Germany.
Please note that the Germany migration rules stipulate that foreigners must pay a fee for the visa processing procedure, regardless of its type. In the case of a tourist visa in Germany, the local authorities will charge a fee of EUR 80, but there are certain exemptions from this rule in the case of specific nationalities.
The formalities related to the issuance of this document can last approximately 10 days, but the duration can increase based on other types of visas the authorities have to process (other categories of visas can be treated as a priority, as per the German immigration regulations). Please contact our immigration lawyer in Germany for additional information on how to obtain a residence permit .
For the processing of their applications, each applicant for a German residence permit will be required to pay a charge. The cost varies depending on the kind of permit being applied for. These fees can be altered anytime, which is why for updated information you can contact our immigration lawyers in Germany. The residence permit application takes 2 to 3 weeks to process.
