Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Once my business/visitor’s/tourist visa has been issued by the German Consulate, can I use this visa to make a sidetrip to another European country (for instance to France or Austria)?
Yes, you can. According to the Schengen agreement, Schengen business/visitor’s/tourist visas are valid for Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The text on your visa sticker should read "valid for Schengen Staates" in the language of the issuing country.
I would like to visit several Schengen countries during one trip - where should I apply for my visa?
Please submit your application to the visa section at the consulate of the country which is your primary destination.
If you do not have a primary destination among the countries listed above, please apply at the consulate of the country that is your first point of entry.
I’ve already traveled to Germany with a visa (“Schengener Staaten”) issued by the German Consulate General. This visa is still valid and now I am planning a business trip to Italy, for example. Can I use this visa for entering Italy as well?
Yes, you can. Please carefully check your visa’s validity, its number of entries, and the maximum duration of stay (both are indicated on your visa sticker).
My flight itinerary requires an overnight stay at a German airport. Do I have to apply for an airport transit visa or a regular visa?
Airport transit visas are only good for short stopovers while you are waiting a few hours for your onward flight in the airport’s international transit area. However, hotel accomodation is only available outside the transit area. Please apply for a regular tourist visa if you wish to stay at the airport overnight.
My flight itinerary requires airport transit in Germany. However, I do not have a confirmed onward flight from Germany. Do I have to apply for an airport transit visa or a regular visa?
If you do not have a confirmed onward flight from Germany, you must apply for a regular tourist visa.
I am planning to apply for a visa at the German Consulate General. For how long should my passport be valid?
Your passport should be valid for at least 3 month after returning from Germany.
Your website states that I have to show my bank statement when applying for a visa. If I don’t have a bank account, or if my balance is low and the trip will be paid for by my friends/relatives in Germany, what do I have to submit?
Ask your friends/relatives to sign an official letter of sponsorship (a so- called “Verpflichtungserklärung”)
For more information, follow the link below.
How can my friends/relatives in Germany get an official letter of sponsorship (a so-called “Verpflichtungserklärung”)?
Your friends can get the letter of sponsorship at the local immigration office (the “Ausländerbehörde” or “Ausländeramt”) at their place of residence in Germany. Please bring the original letter of sponsorship when applying for your visa.
I want to visit my friends/relatives in Germany. My own funds are sufficient so I’m paying for the trip myself. What kind of invitation should I submit?
Just ask your friends/relatives to send you an original informal invitation letter (icluding the full name and address of the friend/relative and a copy of the friend/relative’s passport). If your friend/relative pays for your travel expenses, you will need to submit an official letter of sponsorship.
I have my own business and therefore cannot submit an employment letter. What documents should I submit?
Please include your business registration, your latest bank statement, and 1 set of photocopies thereof to complete your application.
I have not received my Permanent Resident Card yet. How can I apply for a visa to Germany?
We can only accept applicants who hold a valid Canadian permanent resident card or a valid long-term Canadian visa (i.e. a work, study, or visitor’s visa with an ensured permit to re-enter Canada) with multiple entries. If you have not applied for your permanent resident card yet, please contact the competent Canadian authority, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).
I am planning to move to Germany with my German spouse and have to apply for a residence permit. Where can I apply?
Your application for a residence permit has to be approved by the competent immigration office (the so-called "Ausländerbehörde" or "Ausländeramt") at your intended place of residence in Germany. The immigration office will check all of your documents and finally decide whether the authorization for the visa will be given.
My spouse is a German national. We both plan to establish a joint residence in Germany. Do I get a German work permit immediately after we move to Germany?
After you submitted your application for residence permit and have been approved, you will receive an entry-visa. The residence permit will be issued by the immigration office (the so-called “Ausländerbehörde” or “Ausländeramt”) after your arrival in Germany. Depending on your case, this residence permit might include a work permit.
My spouse is a German national. We are both residents of Canada and are planning to spend our vacation in Germany. I saw on your list that I am required to have a visa to enter Germany. What do I have to submit?
Just submit the requested documents for the kind of visa you want to apply for as well as an original or certified copy of your spouse’s German passport and the original or certified copy of your certificate of marriage.
Please note, however, that your visa is only valid for stays of up to 90 days. If you want to live and work in Germany, you need to apply for a residence permit.
My Canadian employer is sending me to work in Germany for a few years in its office. Can my wife and children accompany me?
Yes, in general, they may. Applicants eligible to obtain a residence and work permit may be accompanied by members of their family. Please submit your certificate of marriage and your children’s certificates of birth when applying for their residence permit. Also, you will have to document how your family members will be covered in terms of health insurance.
We want our minor child to travel to Germany. How do we apply for a visa?
Please apply for a regular visa to visit friends/relatives in Germany or a regular tourist visa depending on the purpose of your child’s stay.
A certificate of birth for your child is an additional requirement. The visa application must be signed and submitted by both parents and child. If only one parent has full custody of the child, the relevant court order has to be presented as well. If only one parent submits the application we request a certified declaration, signed by a lawyer, of both parents as an agreement for the travel. In additon the passport copies of the parents are required.
I am a short-term visitor in Canada and would like to spend two weeks in Germany after my trip to Canada. Where do I apply for a visa?
In general, only persons with permanent resident status in Canada are eligible to apply for a visa at this Consulate General. If you are only visiting Canada for a short time, you must apply for the visa at the German embassy or Consulate in your home country. Only in the case of a visitor visa an exception can be made. In that case a letter of sponsorship ("Verpflichtungserklärung") from Germany is required.
How long will I have to wait for my visa?
Usually, the processing time for visa applications is 10 working days. The processing time for long-term residence permits or visas for employment in Germany is 12 weeks at least.
Please remember: No guarantee can be given for the issuance of a visa.
Do I have to leave my passport during the visa procedure?
No, you can take the passport with you after you have applied for a visa and bring it back to get a visa stamped in it.
I am a confirmed refugee in Canada according to the Geneva Convention on Refugees. Can I apply for a visa?
An application for a visa by a person with refugee status in Canada cannot be accepted. However, according to the Geneva Convention on Refugees, this person may apply for a Canadian Travel Document with the competent Canadian authority, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).
A holder of a valid Canadian Travel Document does not require a visa to enter Germany if the purpose of the trip is business, or if the person enters Germany as a tourist or a visitor, and if the duration of the person's stay does not exceed 90 days.
